some weird dating etiquette that said she shouldn’t wear her heart on her sleeve. Mercifully, he met her with equal enthusiasm, yanking her inside and shoving her up against the door with one hand, flicking the lock with the other.
“I told you I liked it up against the wall,” he said, his voice rough and gravelly.
“Door,” she corrected, pulling his head back down to hers. “For such a smart guy, I’m surprised you can’t tell the difference.”
“When it comes to you, as long as it’s a flat surface, I don’t care what you call it,” he said. “Although I feel like you’re questioning my intelligence again.”
“Never.” She laughed.
“I had another question for you today. I was going to text you.”
“Ask me.” Warmth bubbled in her chest. The game she shared with her siblings had become something of a staple for herself and Ronan. They quizzed each other relentlessly, going for one more round and one more round with random facts until one of them was victorious. It was such a silly thing, and yet it made her feel connected to him. Like they shared something unique and special.
“What’s the collective noun for lemurs?”
“Lemurs? Hmm.” Audrey traced her hands down Ronan’s chest, smoothing them over his flat stomach and down to the buckle of his belt.
“Don’t try to distract me, temptress.”
“I know it’s got to be one of those funny names, or else you wouldn’t have asked.” She ran her fingertip over the front of his zipper, feeling him twitch in response.
His mouth was at her jaw, her neck, her ear. Hot breath skated over her skin, mimicking the smooth glide of his hands under her top and around her back. “Answer the question.”
“Well, lemurs are primates, so maybe they share a name with one of the other primate groups. I know gorillas are a troop. Or a whoop, which is my personal favorite.” She looped her arms around his neck and arched into him, her breasts plastered to his chest. Her entire body pulsed with wanting. “Am I close?”
“Way off.”
She thought for a moment more. “Well, I think the word lemur is derived from the Latin word for ghost. Or was it spirit? Maybe something to do with that?”
Ronan kissed along her jaw and neck, his hands exploring her body. “Nope.”
“Tell me.”
“A group of lemurs is called a conspiracy of lemurs, because of the way they conspire to outwit predators.” He grinned.
“Smart little things.”
“Just like you.” He lowered his head to hers and kissed her deeply, appearing more than a little smug that his questions were getting the best of her.
For a second, playing that game with him, she’d felt free of the stress from her family. Free of the stress from watching her brother implode and her father destroy everything around him. But there was still emotion bubbling inside her—anger and fear and resentment. Ugly emotions that she tried to avoid. Ronan stilled as though he sensed the swirling beneath the surface. He pulled back and looked at her, skimming a thumb over her cheek.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie.” There wasn’t any accusation in his tone, only a sense of acknowledgment. Understanding. “You can talk to me.”
“Honestly…” She looked up at him. “I don’t want to talk right now. I didn’t come here to talk.”
He frowned. “I won’t settle for being a distraction.”
The words made her smile. Because they were a sign that he did feel something more for her. If sex was all he cared about, then her motivations wouldn’t matter.
“You’re not a distraction. I…” The afternoon was still fresh in her mind—the panic, the dread. The sadness. “You make me feel good, and right now I really need to feel good.”
He lowered his head and kissed her. His lips were soft yet firm, coaxing and encouraging and wanting. It was slow and romantic, and she sighed into him, fists curling into his T-shirt.
“Is that all you want from me?” He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.
Wow. He was really laying it all out on the line, wasn’t he? Audrey had been prepared to shove any questions about the future to one side like she usually did—because it was hard to see them ending up anywhere good. If she looked at the facts…well, she wasn’t stupid enough to believe that they were a good long-term match.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I’m not used to having the luxury of wanting. It’s scary.”
That was all she could say without cleaving her heart out in front of him.