His dark eyes were filled with raw, animal need, but he held himself still. “Connie,” he said huskily.
The way he said her name held an unspoken question. In answer, she clenched around his impaling shaft.
With a heartfelt groan, Chase thrust forward a last incredible inch, finally filling her utterly. Connie was pushed over the edge, free-falling into waves of pleasure.
His strong hands seized her hips as she writhed. He withdrew and thrust, again and again, harder and harder. His breath came in great ragged gasps as he lost all control at last. He strained, burying himself deeper in her than ever, as if he was trying to make them one body, one soul.
Connie dug her fingers into his hard, muscled back… but even as she pressed against him, a tiny part of her kept a wary distance. In the middle of the storm of ecstasy, a single, simple thought remained at the center of her mind, like the calm eye of a hurricane.
I am not going to fall for him.
CHAPTER SIX
Chase came back to himself slowly, as if spiraling down out of the sky to land. He could feel Connie's heartbeat against his chest, her pulse beating in perfect time with his own.
Our mate! In contrast to his own lassitude, his pegasus pranced in triumph, unable to keep still. Our mate! We pleased her, we won her, she chose us! Our mate!
Chase let out a soft, amused huff of laughter at the stallion's shameless pride in their own prowess. He pressed his face into the junction of Connie's neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply. Her flushed skin held an intoxicating trace of his own scent now. She smelled like the sky, like sex, like everything good. He could have lain there forever, breathing her in.
His stallion snorted impatiently, flicking its tail. Up, up, swiftly! Back to the nest! Finish it, mark her, make her ours forever, ours alone. Our mate!
“So.” Connie shifted underneath him, pushing at his shoulder. “That happened.”
“Mmm,” Chase agreed. He reluctantly rolled onto his back to let her up. “It certainly did.”
She wriggled out from under him. Chase put his arms behind his head, admiring her lush, glorious body with lazy pleasure as she started to hunt for her clothes.
“And now we've got it out of our system.” Connie's voice was muffled as she pulled her top back over her head. “So we can forget this and move on.”
Chase laughed. Then, abruptly, he stopped. “Wait. You're serious?”
Connie turned to face him, hands on her hips. “I told you. One-time sex, just to settle things. And now that you've gotten what you wanted, you have to go.”
All his languid contentment slid away as he sat bolt upright. “Connie, no!”
“Leave, Chase!” She threw his clothes at him. “That was the deal, remember?”
He raked his hand through his sweaty hair, staring at her in utter dismay. “Yes, but—I thought—”
“You thought one taste of you would have me begging for more.” Connie folded her arms over her chest, glaring at him. “Well, sorry to puncture your massive ego, but sleeping with you hasn't made me fall for you. Now leave me alone—unless you're going to break another promise to me?”
He'd had his mouth open to protest, but at her last words it snapped shut again. He groped for an explanation, excuses… but she was right.
Three years ago, he’d promised to be faithful to her. He’d thought it would be easy. Sure, before he’d met Connie, he’d enjoyed the billionaire playboy lifestyle, but as soon as he’d laid eyes on her he’d known that he’d never again so much as look at another woman. He’d promised her that.
And then, somehow, in a night that he couldn’t even remember, he’d broken that promise.
If he broke another one now, she'd walk straight out of his life. Again.
No no NO! His stallion raged, hooves stamping, trying to force him to stand his ground.
For once, Chase bridled the beast, forcing it down. He could still feel it beating its wings furiously at the back of his mind as he slowly, reluctantly pulled on his clothes.
Connie held up a hand as he stumbled toward the door. “Oh, and Chase?”
He spun round so fast, he nearly lost his balance. “Yes?”
There was not the slightest hint of regret or indecision in her expression as she met his eyes. “I'll see you at the airfield tomorrow. What we… what happened doesn't change anything. We've still got a race to win.”