in a way that made him consider tugging her beneath him again and going for round two. “I’m not usually like this.”
“Like what?” He waggled his eyebrows. “Hot, sexy and all sweaty from my lovemaking?”
“Yes.” A cute blush crept across her cheekbones. “I’m not exactly what you’d call a wild woman. It’s not even like me to let a guy get to second base until we’ve dated for at least a couple of weeks, and only if I really like him.”
Her admission returned his earlier concerns to the forefront. Much as he dreaded the possibility of her confessing that she possessed other reasons for sleeping with him beyond pure lust, he needed to know the truth. “Sweetheart, this isn’t about me rescuing you, is it?”
She graced him with a frown. “How do you mean?”
“Us.” He gestured to their tangled limbs. “This.”
Her expression slowly morphed into a scowl. “Are you questioning if I slept with you because you pulled me from the ocean?”
Willa’s irate tone had him fumbling to defend himself. “Well, I didn’t just do that, for Christ’s sake. There was also the damn leviathan.”
“Yeah, I know. But honestly, that only earned you a blowjob.” She rolled her eyes.
“I’m serious, Willa.”
“So am I. Now stop being a blockhead.”
He gaped at her before stacking his arms behind his head and grunting. “I can’t believe you insulted me. Especially after I just gave you a toe-curling orgasm.”
“Shocking, isn’t it?”
He chuckled despite himself. He’d never known a woman like Willa. She was feisty and temperamental. Cute and sexy as hell. She fascinated him, made him want to learn every single thing there was to know about her. What made her laugh. Made her cry. What her favorite food was—although from all appearances, it seemed to be everything. And he loved that about her. The lusty, uninhibited enjoyment she immersed herself in. It was erotic and intoxicating. It fed his determination to provide her with every reason to keep him on the menu of her sensual delights.
Hell, yeah. She’d gotten under his skin good. It was disorienting to be this into a woman who was a living, breathing mystery. He didn’t know what to expect. And that freaked him out. Big time. But damn if he could do anything about it. The notion of walking away from Willa anytime soon…
Not a fucking option.
“You know, it’s very disconcerting having a shark stare at me like you’re doing right now. Kind of makes me feel like I’m a potential snack.”
“There’s nothing potential about it, baby.” He smacked his lips and twisted onto his side. Pulling her toward him, he nuzzled her breast. “Rule number one—if you flash such tempting bait to a shark, he’s gonna make ya his favorite main course.”
A laughing groan fell from Willa. “I’m going to regret this insatiable appetite of yours, aren’t I?”
Giving a noncommittal hum, he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Just as he was getting into it, Willa made a coughing noise and scooted backward. “At the risk of destroying the mood, that lemonade is going straight through me.” Swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress, she dashed into the adjoining bathroom and snicked the door shut.
“Foiled by a full bladder. Isn’t that always my damn luck?” Sitting up, he scratched his sternum. Curiosity taking over, he visually swept the room. He’d been too preoccupied with Willa’s luscious body earlier to pay much attention to his surroundings. But now that he had the opportunity to fill in a few of the puzzle pieces about her, no way would he pass it up.
The bedsprings gave a whining croak as he stood. He crossed to the adjacent window and cranked the blinds open a notch, enough to allow in extra sunlight without providing too much of a view in case Willa’s neighbor happened to be poking around in the backyard. He turned and took in the feminine touches that abounded throughout the space. It surprised him slightly. The décor painted a very different picture compared to the brief glimpse he’d gotten of the rest of the apartment before his lust had taken over and he’d hauled Willa into bed. Unlike the living room, which boasted utilitarian furnishings in varying shades of tan, her bedroom was an oasis of color and sparkle. He couldn’t help wondering which represented the true Willa—boring beige or vibrant frills.
His attention landed on the single framed photo resting on her dresser. Abandoning his post by the window, he stepped forward and cocked his head, inspecting