don’t want to give her any reason to walk away from me before I’ve even touched her. But I have to let her choose. I have to give her the chance to be brutally honest.
Tonight’s all about that.
Even in the moonlight, I see a little smile flirt with her bow of a mouth before she looks down as if she can’t quite meet my stare. “I am. When I first saw you in the bar, I couldn’t breathe or speak, either.”
Thank fuck.
I let out a sigh of relief I don’t realize I’ve been holding and plant a finger under her chin to lift it. “Good. Are we in agreement, then? Do you still want to try this?”
“I think I need to.”
She’s right, and on the one hand, now that I’ve seen her and now that we’ve talked, I am more than happy to bestow all the pleasure on her I can until tomorrow. On the other hand, I’m already dreading that I may be paving the way for her to enjoy the hell out of sex with someone else.
What are you saying, you want a girlfriend now? When you and Ranger are still figuring life out? Where in your schedule would you fit her?
I stifle the voice of reason and curl my finger in, bringing her closer. “So that’s a yes?”
“Yes.”
The breathy way she replies doesn’t just make my cock harder, it seems to squeeze something inside my chest.
I’m going to get my hands on her. She’ll be mine—at least for tonight. I’ll worry about tomorrow then. Hell, maybe by the time the sun comes up, this crazy draw I feel to her will be broken.
“Then let’s go.” I hold out my hand.
She looks at it with a frown. The wind blows, the surf crashes, the leaves rustle. I know exactly what she’s thinking.
“But I thought—”
“No, I’m not going to kiss you here, Masey. I don’t know how this is going to go. I want you someplace where you’ll be comfortable, where we can do whatever feels good when it feels right.”
“In public isn’t it. Good point,” she agrees as she puts her hand in mine and leads me back to her villa with a teasing smile. “Just say it. You’re worried if things get carried away, we’ll end up having sex on the beach.”
The way I’m feeling now? “It’s a distinct possibility.”
She laughs me off. “I was kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“Oh, please. I’m nowhere near the sexiest woman you’ve ever met. And since I doubt very much you’re worried about controlling yourself around me—”
“I wouldn’t take that bet if I were you.”
My words register. The smile slides off her face. She blinks. “You’re serious?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’re not worried about me behaving like some dog in heat and climbing all over you?”
“Worried isn’t the word I’d use.” Leaving our shoes on the lanai, I hold the back door open, watching as Masey slides inside the vacation rental. “Hopeful. Excited.” I shut the door between us and the outside world, directing all my focus on her. “Turned on…”
“Pfft. I’m the girl desperate enough to ask her best friend if she knew a guy willing to spend tonight with me so I could experience sex without my ex. You can’t actually be interested in me beyond the fact I’m an easy lay.”
I don’t know whether I should wring Thom’s neck or hers. “You’re going to learn to stop selling yourself short, even if I have to spend all night kissing the bad habit out of you…”
She swallows. “Why?”
Because we have chemistry for days, honey. But I’m not going to waste the breath looking for the right words to convince her I think she’s sexy as fuck when I’ve got a better way. I crook my finger at her. “Come closer and let me demonstrate.” When she hesitates, I grin her way. “I dare you.”
Chapter Three
Masey draws in a sharp, shallow breath and holds it as she searches my face. Her pulse pounds. A tremor shudders through her. She licks her lips.
I have the distinct impression she’s nervous…but tempted. The attraction is getting to her, wearing down her hesitation. Or maybe she’s considering giving in because the alternative is merely the status quo. Whatever. Knowing she’s nearly in the palm of my hand is a fucking turn-on.
My stare drops to her mouth. It was made for kissing. For sex. Everything about it tempts me. She’s still wearing the remnants of a rosy gloss that accentuates the pout of her full lips. I want to kiss them, feel