Takeoff (Open Skies #5) - Becca Jameson Page 0,16

haven’t had sex in so long I can’t remember how the hell to even do it, Deacon. The thought of getting naked with someone makes me feel like a teenager all over again. It’s so overwhelming that my palms are sweating just discussing it. How the hell could I possibly have two such relationships? You think I’ve been in similar chats with ten other men lately?”

He chuckled. “Good point.”

“Same goes for you too then. If we’re going to touch tongues on the regular, I’d rather you not do so with other people at the same time.”

He lifted the phone and brought it closer to his face, making sure he had her attention. “Rae, I promise I don’t have the time or the inclination to swap spit with anyone else. However, just so you know, you and I are going to do a lot more than touch tongues.”

She visibly shuddered. Good. “’K,” she muttered.

“Now, go to sleep. I’ll see you at six tomorrow.”

“I’ll be there. With a bag. Just in case we decide to do more than touch tongues.”

“Just in case.” He couldn’t keep from smiling. She was so damn cute all flustered and flushed. “Sleep well.”

“Bye.” She ended the call.

He slowly lowered the phone, tipped his head back, and closed his eyes. There was a solid chance he was going to have sex with Raeann tomorrow night. That was an unexpected development.

Was it a good idea? Probably not.

Were they both going to end up getting hurt? Probably.

Could he keep his cock in his pants even if he tried? Not a chance. Not now that they’d had this weird frank discussion. How much damage could it do? They were on the same page. Neither of them wanted a relationship. They were attracted to each other. Seriously fucking attracted to each other. They were both adults. Surely they could have sex and not fuck up their weird friendship, right?

Chapter 7

Raeann was beyond nervous as she drove to Deacon’s Saturday night. Ridiculously nervous. It was unwarranted. She’d known him a while. They were close. She’d shared things with him she’d never shared with anyone. All the things. Well, most of the things.

She’d thought a lot about the entire situation today. When she’d gotten home, she’d opted to soak in the bathtub for a long time. She rarely luxuriated like that, but she’d needed to think.

Was she really going to have sex with him? Probably. She’d realized it would be foolish to deny the attraction. And after the way she’d reacted to him kissing and touching her the other night, there was almost no chance she wouldn’t succumb to his wiles the next time they were together.

The man broke down all her barriers so easily. That was why she’d run from him a month ago. She’d known if she stuck around, she wouldn’t be able to deny him. She’d spent years putting up her walls. Deacon Matthews knocked them all down with his bare hands in moments.

It would also be foolish to deny she’d known she was in deep trouble the moment they met at the airport. He’d taken her breath away. Granted, the reason he’d been there to pick her up in the first place was serious and nerve-wracking. He’d essentially been sent to protect her from the crazy pilot who’d been terrorizing Shayla. Since she and Shayla lived together, no one thought it was a good idea for Raeann to go back to the condo. And Deacon had been assigned to pick her up and keep her safe.

Staying with him that night should have been awkward. But it wasn’t. From the moment she’d met him, she’d felt a connection of some sort. She’d enjoyed his company. They’d had an easy conversation. They liked the same movies and tv shows and music.

After Hawke Richman killed himself, Raeann could have returned home and gone on with her life. Instead, she and Deacon had continued seeing each other. She’d been living a lie. Not telling him they couldn’t do this. Not telling herself she couldn’t do it.

When she’d gotten the wake-up reminder in the form of the woman on her flight a month ago, she’d pulled into her shell again. It took her a few weeks to stop panicking, and even that was marginal.

At least now she wasn’t holding on to so many heavy secrets. She’d unloaded them on Deacon. The lifted weight was freeing. She could relax around him. He knew the full score. Or most of it. He also knew she wasn’t interested