“Try to go back to sleep,” Jett said.

“What the fuck did you do?” Tristan groaned.

Jett felt just a little bit sick. “I’m sorry. I’m sorr—”

“Sorry?” Tristan laughed weakly. “Jesus. I think I might have crossed over into another dimension.”

Jett stilled. Tristan didn’t sound upset, but Jett was still prepared for the accusations. She hadn’t meant to take her so hard and for so long. She’d just wanted her so badly, she’d lost herself in the powerful currents of Tristan’s excitement. She should’ve known that would happen, because she’d been wanting her more and more every day. “I didn’t realize you believed in that out-of-body sort of thing.”

“I didn’t, before tonight. I didn’t even have a clue how much I wanted that.” Tristan tried to sit up but found that her arms and legs still weren’t working. She slowly began to sort out her surroundings as she got her mind and body back together again. “You still have your clothes on.”

“It’s cooler up here than in the city, and I couldn’t find any wood for the fire.”

“I take it I more or less conked out on you.”

“You were a little tired.”

Tristan snorted. “I can’t even remember getting in here, and it wasn’t because I was tired. I’ve never come like that before. I thought my flesh was going to peel off my bones.” She frowned. “Fuck. I left you hanging, didn’t I? Hell.”

Tristan started to sit up and Jett stopped her.

“Believe me,” Jett said, “if it was good for you, it was better for me. You didn’t leave me hanging.”

Tristan didn’t look convinced. “Did you…you know? Handle things?”

Jett smiled. Tristan talked so easily about things Jett had always kept secret. “Yeah. I did. It was about a five-second flash bang.”

“Then I owe you big.”

“No,” Jett said softly. “You don’t owe me anything at all.”

“Why didn’t you get under the covers with me?” After a moment of silence, Tristan asked, “Jett?”

“I wasn’t sure you’d want me to.”

“Turn on the light.”

“What?” Jett asked.

“Turn on the light next to you, because I can’t reach it. In fact, I still can’t move,” Tristan said.

Jett rolled over and fumbled on the bedside table until she found the pull chain for the old-fashioned brass lamp. The fabric shade with thin tassels along the edges cast a pale yellow glow over half the room and a portion of the bed. Cautiously, Jett eased back against the pillows, still mostly on top of the covers. She was barefoot but still wore her pants and shirt.

Tristan propped herself up and began to open the buttons on Jett’s shirt with one hand. “In case you’ve forgotten,” she said conversationally, “I told you I wanted you to make love to me. If you thought I meant I wanted you to service me and then be on your way, I’m sorry I gave you the wrong impression.”

“I didn’t think that.”

“Then I’m confused as to why you’re not in bed with me.” Tristan opened Jett’s shirt and felt suddenly dizzy again. “Jesus, you have an amazing body.” She kissed Jett swiftly, then watched Jett’s face as she caressed her breasts. She smiled when Jett trembled. “You like that?”

“Yes,” Jett whispered.

Tristan bent her head and licked a nipple. “Just yes?”

“Yes. A lot.”

Tristan cupped Jett’s breast but no longer caressed her. She searched Jett’s eyes. They were murky and dark, troubled. “What do you think you might have done that I wouldn’t have wanted?”

“You said I hurt you.”

“No. I don’t remember exactly what I said, considering that I was losing my mind. But I think I said it hurts. It did.” Tristan grinned crookedly. “It hurt so fucking good I about came all over your hand a dozen times. Tell me you didn’t know that.”

“I know what I made you do,” Jett said quietly. “That doesn’t mean you wanted it.”

“Of course I wanted it. Did you hear me say no? Jesus Christ. Who fucked with your head like this?”

Jett stiffened. “No one.”

“Bullshit. Bullshit.” Tristan shook her head vehemently. “One of these days, one of these days, you’ll tell me. But not tonight.” She smoothed her hand down the middle of Jett’s belly and opened her pants. “Lift up, take these off.”

Jett gripped Tristan’s wrist. “Tristan, it’s late. We should get some sleep.”

“You think I’m going to leave it like this?” Tristan said sharply. “Without touching you? Without tasting you? You think all I wanted was to get off?”

Jett knew once they started again she would need more, would end up taking more, and they wouldn’t sleep for the rest of the night. She was certain that Tristan would never let her own exhaustion prevent her from satisfying Jett, if she thought Jett needed it. “I’ve got to fly tomorrow night, Tristan.”

“Fuck,” Tristan muttered. “I’m not on call again until Monday. I can go the rest of the night without sleep.” She brushed her fingers through Jett’s hair. “But you can’t. You have to be safe.” She rested her forehead against Jett’s. “Ah but Jesus, I want you so much.”

Even in the soft light the deep circles beneath Tristan’s eyes were obvious, and despite her protests that she didn’t need sleep, her hands were shaking. Jett curled her arm around Tristan’s shoulder and pulled her down. “Would you mind if we just held each other?”

“If that’s what you need, you got it.” Tristan rested her hand on Jett’s stomach and settled her head on Jett’s shoulder. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Jett said, amazed and perplexed because it was true.

“Absolutely okay.”

Chapter Twenty

Jett woke with the dawn, as she did every day. This morning was completely different from any she could ever remember, because this morning she held Tristan in her arms. She lay on her side with Tristan curled in the curve of her body, her arm around Tristan’s waist and Tristan’s ass nestled against her pelvis.

Tristan seemed so vulnerable in her sleep, and Jett wondered how she could be so trusting. She was humbled by Tristan’s trust, humbled and in awe. She didn’t think she could ever give up that much control, surrender so completely to the care of another. That Tristan did made Jett feel fiercely protective, and she held very still, not wanting to wake her. What she wanted was to absorb the feel of her, the scent of her, the taste of her. Carefully, she moved her lips to the back of Tristan’s neck and kissed the skin below her hairline, tasting salt and a surprising sweetness, like sun-warmed strawberries fresh off the vine.

When Tristan sighed and caught Jett’s hand, drawing it to her breast, a shaft of pleasure hit Jett so hard she groaned. Then Tristan’s breathing deepened again, and Jett realized she had made the movement in her sleep.

Nothing about being with Tristan was what she expected. She’d had women tease and taunt her until she made the first move, bearing responsibility for what they both wanted. She’d had women force her hands to the places that craved her touch and had women rake her flesh in the throes of orgasm until they drew blood, but she’d never had a woman reach for her in her sleep. Jett’s chest tightened as she softly, cautiously caressed Tristan’s breast, feeling Tristan’s nipple harden even as Tristan shifted restlessly and murmured under her breath. Jett abruptly stilled.

Tristan turned onto her back, her gaze already eclipsed by desire. She hooked an arm around Jett’s neck, pulling her down for a kiss.

“Why did you stop?”

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

Tristan raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“You were sleeping,” Jett replied.

“There’s a non sequitur in there,” Tristan muttered, rolling over onto Jett. She slid her leg between Jett’s and braced herself on her elbows, a hand on either side of Jett’s head. She combed her fingers through Jett’s hair. “But I don’t feel like figuring it out right now.” She kissed her again, longer this time, exploring in a way she hadn’t been able to the night before when Jett had taken her so completely. Jett tensed beneath her, hard muscles quivering, and Tristan feasted on the power of exciting her. “You’re so fucking sexy.”

“Tris,” Jett whispered, partly in wonder and partly in need. She’d slept, but restlessly, her body sending mixed signals of satisfaction and lingering arousal. Once she’d touched herself, squeezing her turgid clitoris, and cutting points of pleasure had shot through her. But she hadn’t wanted to finish, preferring instead to tease herself while remembering Tristan surrendering in her mouth. Recalling it now, she shuddered.

“Baby,” Tristan murmured. “Baby, what do you need?”

“Anything,” Jett whispered, reaching for Tristan’s hand.

Tristan laced her fingers through Jett’s, gripping her fingers tightly.

“Tell me what you don’t want me to do.”

“Nothing,” Jett said, arching into her. “There’s nothing I don’t want you to do.”

“That’s good.” Tristan eased to one side so she could run her fingers down the center of Jett’s stomach. “Because I want to do everything.”

Jett kept her eyes on Tristan’s as Tristan slid her fingers between her legs. Jett’s lips parted on a silent moan, and Tristan’s eyes shifted from blue to deep purple. Tristan’s satisfaction was Jett’s greatest pleasure, even now.

“You’re so hard,” Tristan murmured. “Have you been like this all night?”

“Yes,” Jett whispered.

“Baby.” Tristan kissed her, harder, catching Jett’s lip between her teeth, sucking as she gently rolled Jett’s clitoris between her fingers. “You should’ve let me do this last night.”

“You’re doing it now.” Jett panted, trying and failing to control herself as Tristan’s practiced strokes worked her closer and closer to coming. She grabbed Tristan’s hand.

“Too hard?”

“No,” Jett gasped. “You’re going to make me come.”

Tristan laughed, picking up speed. “And the problem is?”

Jett groaned, her hips lifting and circling of their own volition, chasing the sweet relief Tristan’s caresses promised. “Ruins…my reputation.”

“I’ll never tell.” Tristan watched Jett’s eyes roll back. Jett was right on the edge, and Tristan wanted to satisfy her. But she wanted so much more. She wanted to imprint her touch on Jett’s mind, on her body, on her soul, and the force of her desire frightened and confused her. She relaxed her grip and slowed her strokes.

“Oh God,” Jett moaned. “Tris…”

“I’m here,” Tristan whispered. “I want to be inside you. Can I?”

Jett covered Tristan’s hand with hers and pushed Tristan’s fingers lower, curling her own until Tristan glided inside her. The unfamiliar sensation was at once so exquisite and so intense her muscles spasmed and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. A small whimper escaped.

“It’s all right,” Tristan crooned, holding completely still until Jett relaxed enough for her to move her fingers. Then she thrust, slow and deep, using her thumb to massage Jett’s clitoris at the same time. Jett was swollen and hard and Tristan knew she could not hold her off much longer. Still, she wanted more, and she could think of only one thing that might prolong Jett’s pleasure. “Jett. Jett, baby, can you touch me?”

Jett traced Tristan’s forearm to the curve of her hip, over her thigh, and between her legs. She pressed against the base of Tristan’s clitoris, then circled.

Tristan sucked in a breath, instantly on the verge. “Oh yes.” She kissed Jett, starting to lose her grip, her mind completely unleashed. She pushed deeper, Jett manipulated her, and she had to pull away before she lost herself entirely. “Slow dow—”

“No,” Jett implored. “Come with me. Come with me, Tris, come with me.”

Somehow, Tristan sensed Jett waiting, holding back, and knew what Jett needed to trigger her. “Do me hard like you did last night.”

Jett’s hips jerked, and she squeezed Tristan tightly between her fingers. Squeeze, release, stroke. Squeeze, release, stroke. Once, twice, three times.

“Oh yeah,” Tristan cried, the first jolt racing through her. Instantly, Jett surged around her fingers, muscles clamping down, legs rigid as iron. Tristan felt teeth against her upper arm as Jett bit down, jaws working soundlessly as she exploded. Tristan rode the brief spike of pain to another peak, coming so hard she forgot to breathe until spots danced behind her eyelids.

“Tris, Tris,” Jett whispered, her face pressed to Tristan’s shoulder. “Oh, Jesus. Don’t stop.”

“Don’t worry, baby. I won’t. I won’t.”

Tristan was in trouble, because she never wanted to stop.

Tristan hadn’t meant to fall asleep again, but every time Jett made her come, the physical and emotional catharsis was so intense her body just shut down. This time when she woke she was immediately aware of bright sunshine and the utter stillness of being completely alone.