“Which is?” Her head rolled back against the tile, her mouth open in a silent moan.
“Fun.” He slid a hand between them, feeling for the curve of her hip and down farther until he reached the spot that made her croon those delicious sounds. On cue, she gasped and pressed in to his touch. “Temporary.”
“Temporary,” she murmured as his fingers worked her sex, playing her like a guitarist coaxing music from strings.
“Yes, temporary.”
Cora was hot and wet, and when he pressed a finger at her entrance, she was ready for him. Every part of her was responsive. Eager. Their bodies were so in tune, it was almost like they’d been lovers for years instead of days. Trent loved women and sex, loved the mutual pleasure of finding a partner who was as hot for him as he was for her. But this…this was something else, no matter how much he tried to label it as temporary.
“I don’t want it to hurt when this ends,” she whispered against his ear, hanging on to him so tightly, it was like she thought she might fall without him there to hold her upright.
“It won’t,” he replied. “I promise.”
She arched against him, fingers tightening in his hair, nails dragging along his scalp. The sound of her crying his name bounced off the tiled walls of the shower as she came, shuddering against his hand.
“It won’t hurt a bit,” he echoed. But as he said it, he wasn’t sure who he was lying to more—Cora or himself.
Chapter Seventeen
The next twenty-four hours were pure bliss. Trent had rushed home Friday night after work instead of going for beers at the White Crest with his mates—aka the only thing he loved more than cricket—and had herded Cora straight into the shower. They’d made love for hours. Up against the tiles, tangled in the sheets of his bed, on the couch after they’d stopped for nourishment. Then later, when it was dark and they were both exhausted, he’d reached for her again. She’d come so willingly—sleepy, but willingly—into his arms that it satiated something deep inside him. Knowing she wanted him as much as he wanted her, knowing that they didn’t seem to be tiring of each other…it was new. And wonderful.
This is dangerous. You’re not treating it like a temporary thing.
Hell, tomorrow was the surprise birthday party for her. He’d been fussing over every detail with Aimee’s help. She’d worked a miracle, pulling it all together in a week. They were going with an Australian kid’s party theme including fairy bread, Vegemite scrolls, and party pies. Of course they were giving it an adult kick with two signature cocktails—a Manhattan, as a nod to Cora’s hometown, and a Dark ’n’ Stormy with Aussie flare, using rum from far north Queensland.
His folks had graciously agreed to host. Their ginormous backyard had been the scene of many a party over the years, and his family lived life with an open-door policy. He’d invited a group to help Cora celebrate—the cricket gang, Jace and Angie, big brother Adam and his wife Soraya. Maddy had helped him select a perfect gift, a book by a local author, which she’d gotten signed. Everything was going to be perfect tomorrow. A Sunday afternoon birthday adventure.
Except…
Well, except he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Cora. And he certainly couldn’t shake the feeling that he was getting far too involved for his own good. Despite the hot sex, she retired back to her own bed at night. And during the day, he kept catching her looking into the distance as though something was bothering her. Frowning, like she was occupied by some worrisome thought.
That’s none of your business. Temporary, remember? That was the boundary you set.
And temporary didn’t mean getting involved in each other’s personal lives. He had plenty of secrets, and he hated when people pried. So he wasn’t about to be a hypocrite and do that to her.
“You’re thinking too much,” he muttered to himself as he stepped back from the bathroom to survey the final result. Cora had been working on her book all morning, and he’d been feeling guilty about how he was spending more time with her than working on Liv’s renovations.
So all the new tiling had been completed and the new vanity was installed. Yesterday he’d had one of his electrician mates come around and check the wiring for the new light fixtures. Thankfully, that was one aspect of