Carl grabbed her arm, keeping his grip firm but gentle enough not to hurt her. “I don’t think your mother will appreciate you breaking anything.”

Kayla turned to look at him, her eyes filled with tears. The raw vulnerability staggered him, forcing his protective nature to the surface. She looked so lost, and he was helpless to resist her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair. She clung to him tightly, burying her face in his chest. “I don’t want to lose you, Carl.”

“I know.” And he did. He didn’t understand what was between her and Alec, but there was no doubt in his mind about what he shared with her.

Kayla looked up at him, her cheeks flushed, and her lower lip quivered. He wiped one errant tear away, wishing he could wipe away all her hurt so easily. He bent down and kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears mixed with the natural sweet and spicy taste that was all Kayla. She deepened the kiss, her fingers trembling as she tugged at his shirt with an almost desperate urgency.

Helping her along, Carl removed his shirt and tossed it aside. His willingness seemed to embolden her, and she pushed him toward the bed. He took a step back, bumping against the footboard, and landed on the soft mattress. With a single-minded determination, Kayla climbed on top of him, straddling him as she pulled her dress over her head. She shook out her hair, and he felt the blood from his head rush south at her impassioned boldness.

She reached for his belt buckle, and he inhaled sharply when her clever fingers yanked it off him. Aware she wasn’t feeling particularly patient and at this point—neither was he—he shifted her, tumbling her back onto the bed. He unhooked his pants, pulling them off and then crawled upward over her lithe body. Entangling his hands in her hair, he devoured her mouth. His tongue slipped inside her willing lips, mating with hers in a fervent dance.

“I need you, Carl. I can’t wait.”

Kayla’s desperate plea touched him, and he reached down, finding her hot and ready for him. With a groan, he slid inside her welcoming heat. She trembled at his invasion and clung to him, wrapping her legs around him and urging him to move faster. His pace was relentless, and she whimpered, her nails scoring down his back, begging him not to stop. When she finally cried out, shuddering in release, he exploded inside her.

Carl collapsed on top of Kayla, struggling to catch his breath. Aware he was probably crushing her, he shifted his weight. She made a small noise of discontent at his movement, and her arms tightened around him. He smiled at her reluctance to release him.

Her dark hair was splayed out on the pillow and her eyes were closed. He lightly ran a finger over her lips and then brushed his mouth against hers. She opened her eyes and looked at him tenderly.

“I’m going back with you when you go,” she whispered.

Carl just looked at her for a moment, letting her words register. He rolled over to stare up at the ceiling, trying to decide how best to respond. Kayla propped herself up on one arm to look down at him.

She lightly traced her finger over his chest. “I thought you’d be happy. Don’t you want me to go back with you?”

Alec’s words echoed in his mind, and he knew there would likely be consequences for what he was about to say. He had already come close to losing her once today, and he wasn’t willing to do it again without a fight. Carl felt a slight twinge of guilt as he said, “Kayla, I’m crazy about you. Of course I want you to come back with me, but I also know this is temporary. Alec made that clear to me. He told me yesterday that you ‘belong’ to him and you’ve always ‘belonged’ to him. What you told me a little while ago reinforced that.”

His words had the desired effect. She sat up, her eyes narrowing. He could almost see the heat of her emotions as her temper flared. “He told you I ‘belong’ to him? Screw that. I don’t belong to anyone. I’m not going to have my life controlled. If I want to be with you, I’m going to be with you. It doesn’t have to be temporary unless we make that decision.”

Carl watched her throw her legs off the side of the bed. She stood and snatched her clothes off the floor. He raised an eyebrow as she dressed, her movements clipped and abrupt. “I’m going back with you and that’s final. I don’t give a rat’s ass what anyone else says about it either. My home is on the surface and that’s where I belong.”

Carl bit back a smile. He knew he was riling her up even more, but he couldn’t resist. “You’re incredibly beautiful when you’re angry.”

Kayla scowled at him, her lips turning downward into an adorable pout. “I’m not angry. I’m freaking pissed off. I’m sick and tired of everyone trying to control me. To hell with them!”

She turned and stormed out of the room. With a curse, Carl scrambled to locate his discarded clothing so he could go after her. It looked like he’d pushed her a little too far.