He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was bathed in the pale moonlight shining through the windshield, casting her skin in an otherworldly glow. He could see a tempting expanse of side, revealed from where her boot ended just at her knee, and ending at the short hem of her dress, which had ridden up thanks to the position she was sitting in.
“Me? I don’t have cold feet. Honey, I’ve had more hookups than I can count. In fact, I purposely stopped counting at a certain point because I gotta say, it’s not something I’m particularly proud of. This is just one more. But, I am giving you a chance to back out.”
She was silent for a moment, and he snuck another glance, took in the mutinous set of her jaw. “Thanks for letting me know,” she said, her tone casual. “I’ll make sure I don’t fall in love with you.”
“I don’t think there’s any danger of you falling in love with me, but you might get addicted to me.”
She laughed. “Wow, that’s quite an ego you have there.”
“My ego isn’t the most impressive thing I’ve got, honey. That may be a problem for you.” He hated himself right now. Hated the cocky, stupid words coming out of his mouth. He was trying to put her off, even while he hoped that she wouldn’t ask to be taken home.
He couldn’t do a damn thing he set his mind to. Not when it came to making decisions that were better for other people, rather than for himself. He had made it a point to do one thing. To stay away from Rebecca. To try and fix some of her circumstances rather than breaking her down even more.
He held his jaw so tight it hurt. Yeah, he was doing a stellar job.
“Don’t worry about my feelings,” she said. “Just this once, okay?”
She sounded so much softer than he’d ever heard her sound, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. It was easier when she fought him. Easier when she threw herself against him and he could just kind of take it. Take all that anger and let her pour it into him. He was comfortable with that. Part of him even liked it. This... This meant he had to maybe do something. Reach out, comfort her.
He didn’t know how to do that. He could be her punching bag forever and a day. But anything else? Yeah, that was a little bit beyond him.
But, she wasn’t asking for anything much. He might not be able to offer comfort, but he could make her come. He figured that was good enough.
Actually, maybe he was the one being stupid thinking of sex as something that would damage her. Clearly, she had no issue going out and getting it if she wanted it. She was a strong woman. Who knew what she wanted? Maybe it would be best for both of them. Break a little bit of tension.
Because God knew there was tension.
“I won’t worry about it,” he said.
He turned the truck off the main highway and onto the narrower, windier road that led up to his place.
He pulled into the driveway, his body filled with tension as he turned the engine off and turned to face Rebecca. She was staring straight ahead, through the windshield still, her posture stiff.
“Rebecca,” he said, “are you having second thoughts?”
He hated himself for asking that question, mostly because he was afraid that she would say that she was having second thoughts and she wanted to go home instead of to his bed. But, this was the last time he was going to ask. After this, he wasn’t going to be able to stop. If he touched her again, it was over. That meant he had to take this moment, this pause, to make absolutely certain.
She didn’t say anything. Instead, she reached across the space between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, launching herself at him as she claimed his lips with her own. He grabbed hold of the back of her head, lacing his fingers through her hair and holding her tight as he staked his claim on her mouth. He tasted her, deep and long, and he let himself forget everything except how much he wanted her. Let his body drain completely of all the tension that he’d been carrying inside from the moment he’d come back to town.
There was no room for it. He was too filled with her.