leaned over and kissed her neck the same way he had before they’d had sex on the living room carpet.
That had rocked her world. Raven couldn’t remember ever having sex with the same person multiple times over more than one day. She’d had a few one-night stands that had gone well enough to include multiple sexual encounters, but in the harsh light of morning, she’d slipped out the door, no phone numbers exchanged, no looking back.
This weekend had unfolded so unpredictably. She’d been caught up in the moment and simply enjoyed herself.
Now that she thought about it, she realized they’d slept together three times over two days. Sitting this close, intoxicated by the scent of his skin, and mesmerized by his warm mouth on her neck, they could easily add another tick to the ledger. If this were a normal weekend, Raven would have split last night. Or definitely this morning. But she hadn’t.
Why not?
Choosing to stay at the beach house to lick her wounds was a bullshit excuse. If she’d wanted to be miserable and alone, she would have gotten into her car and gone back to her apartment in Philly. But she’d chosen to stay here with Jack, not just because she couldn’t find an available B&B, but because she wanted to. She liked him. He was charming and made her forget the pain of being fired.
Thank God they’d been clear about their expectations. Whatever was going on between her and Jack, it was just for the weekend. And it was just about sex.
Raven turned toward Jack, placing her mouth on his. His hands cupped the back of her head, and she moaned—half at the sheer pleasure of his touch, and half at the shocking thought that she could get used to kissing Jack.
But that would be impossible. Because Raven didn’t date. Never had. Never would.
An enormous wind gust screamed past, rattling the house. A half-second later, the electricity cut out, cloaking them in darkness.
“Shit.” Jack cursed.
“Give it a second. The generator should kick on.”
Jack’s body relaxed slightly. “Tell me it’s a whole house generator.”
“A partial one. Enough to keep the necessities going.”
“Shit.”
The generator roared to life. The refrigerator hummed. One light in the kitchen flicked on.
“So, what works?”
Raven counted down on her fingers. “The well, so we’ve got water. The refrigerator. A couple of lights and one outlet in the kitchen.”
“What about the heat?”
“We have the fireplace.” She offered an over-wide smile.
Jack blinked and started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Raven asked.
“This weekend is full of the unexpected.”
He was right about that. At least most of the surprises were pleasant, at least for her.
She nudged an elbow into his side. “It’s not that bad. The electricity might pop back on.”
“After all that wind? There’s probably a tree down or a blown transponder.”
“Well, I’m getting some wood to start a fire.” She pushed off the couch.
“Where is it?”
“In the shed on the side of the house.”
He rose to his feet. “You’re not going anywhere. I’ll get it.”
While he was out, Raven lit candles and gathered towels and his clothes, which had finished drying before the electricity cut off. Ten minutes later, Jack was back, drenched, with enough logs to get them through the night.
“You’re an angel,” Jack said, giving her a kiss before stripping bare.
Two days ago, they’d been complete strangers, yet now he seemed as comfortable with her as if they’d know each other for years.
As he dressed, Raven sat in front of the fireplace and set about lighting a fire. The balled up newspaper soon caught fire beneath the kindling, and the dried-out log began to burn. This fire would keep them warm, though if tonight were anything like this afternoon, they might not need it.
Jack crawled up behind her. “Nice job. How’d you learn to build a fire?”
“I’m a beach girl. We built a lot of bonfires growing up.” The red-orange flames licked the sides of the log.
“Now all we need is some s’mores. We’ve got chocolate and marshmallows. Are there any graham crackers in that pile of yours?”
That damn horde of sweets. She wished she’d never stopped at that stupid convenience store. “I didn’t buy any, no.”
“We could try roasting some of those Tinks.” He nudged her, teasing.
“That’s probably not a good idea.”
“You’re right. They’d probably give off toxic fumes. Don’t you want dessert? There is a ton of stuff in there, and we haven’t eaten any of it.”
She’d rather spend the night outside naked in the storm. “Thanks, but I can’t.”
Jack appraised her, his