breathing sawed in her ear. Gently, she released the back of his neck and stroked his cheek.
We both know what this is.
Except… she didn’t.
She only knew one thing for sure. No matter what this was between them or how deeply it shook her, she was still leaving.
Chapter Thirteen
After holding against her for a long moment, he withdrew slowly. Shaking, she collapsed on the bed. He stroked callused fingers along the curve of her spine.
“All right?” His voice sounded hoarse, as if he had been running for miles.
“Yes,” she gasped. What else could she say? No? How much fun would that be after he’d just treated her with such consideration?
She couldn’t admit that he had shaken her to the core and tossed her emotions head over heels. We both know what this is.
He rolled away to sit at the edge of the bed, and she pulled up the blankets and curled on her side to look at him. God, he was beautiful. They hadn’t even gotten his pants off. She rubbed his back as he pulled the condom off. His dark head angled as he looked down, and he froze.
She lifted her head. “What is it?”
“The condom broke.” His voice was expressionless.
She took in a deep breath, absorbing that. Then she sighed. “Don’t worry. I got tested after I left Austin. I’ll need a retest, but I think I’m good.”
He turned his head to one side as he listened. “I didn’t pick up anything when I scanned you for damage after the attack. I’m safe too. And you’re on the pill.”
“Yes.”
Reaching behind him, he captured her hand and pulled it around to press his lips to her fingers. Then he stood, gathered his clothes, and strode out. A few moments later, she heard the water running in the bathroom.
His absence was deflating, and she curled into a tighter ball. She felt inappropriately raw. What an inconvenient time to discover she might not be any good at casual sex.
But there was nothing casual about what happened. She might feel unsure about almost everything else in her life, but she felt certain about that. They hadn’t committed to anything, and they had been very clear they were going their separate ways, but this lovemaking hadn’t been casual.
He was fully clothed when he strode back in. Desire stabbed at her again, and this time it was stronger than ever. Now she knew what those sophisticated clothes covered.
His gaze burned as he looked at her, and a muscle flexed in his jaw. He said tonelessly, “I won’t be coming tomorrow. I’ve got too much to do, and I can’t develop predictable habits.”
Something dark pulsed in reaction. Disappointment? She sat up, holding the sheet up to her chest. “I understand.”
“Two of my colleagues will be delivering your new car tomorrow. They’ll park it at the end of the lane. I’ll have them leave a cooler with supper in it.”
“There’s more than enough food,” she said drily. “You brought two Cobb salads, and it looks as though you’re leaving—and how many sandwiches did you bring? I think there’s six now in the fridge.”
“This was unplanned.” The muscle flexed again. “Now it’s grown late, and I can’t stay.”
“Josiah, I wasn’t complaining,” she said in a gentle voice. Because we both know what this is. “I was simply pointing out there’s already more food here than I can eat.”
His expression clenched. He strode forward, clamped one hand at the back of her neck, and his mouth crashed down on hers. After a long, blistering kiss, he tore away.
“We’ll have your documents day after tomorrow,” he said and walked out.
God. She felt as if something inside tore away to follow him when he left. A moment later, the back door slammed. She touched her mouth with unsteady fingers. Her lips were shaking too.
She whispered to the empty house, “I’m leaving Wednesday.”
Sometime later, she roused herself enough to open the wine and pull out one of the salads. As she sat cross-legged on the bed and mechanically picked at the supper, flashbacks of the evening played through her mind.
His face, his hands. The sensation of his body moving over hers, in her. Her inner muscles were already sore. How he had stilled when he said, The condom broke.
Thank God she was not just on the pill. Because of the upheaval, she carried the container in her purse. She always took it first thing every morning without fail, except…
The salad went flying as she exploded off the bed and lunged for her