organized the rooms. You might need to stay off the second floor. That third floor room is a little small. But it’s very private.”
I look down at his hand on mine. It’s a good-looking hand. Strong. Broad.
There’s a reason I don’t drink.
“Are you thinking about moving in?” he asks.
“Not sure,” I say, holding my cards close. “Why should I?”
“Well, it’s cheap, just like me.” He gives me a sleazy wink. “And noise-canceling headphones cost less than Burlington rents. Just saying.”
“Cheap is good,” I admit. “In this case.”
“Don’t forget the location, on one of central Burlington’s most convenient streets. And then there’s the view.”
“The view?” I don’t think you can see the lake from that part of the city.
“The view.” He pulls up his T-shirt to show me his abs.
Apple brandy makes me look. And look. And lick my lips.
Rickie makes a low chuckle. Then the jerk does an ab crunch so that he can remove his shirt entirely and cast it aside. “Any questions?”
He leans back, supporting his weight on his hands. Suddenly, I can’t even remember what we were discussing. I’m locked into a staring match with Rickie’s abs, and those wings that are tattooed onto his delicious pecs.
“Come here,” he says softly.
“Why?”
“Because our last kiss was bitchin’, and I want a rematch. We’re all alone out here, right? What’s the harm?”
What’s the harm? echoes the alcohol in my bloodstream. “But why me?” I blurt out. That’s what’s really holding me back. I don’t understand his interest. And I’ve been burned before.
Rickie tilts his head to the side, as if confused. “What the fuck kind of question is that? Why you? Because you make me crazy with your short skirts and sass and your big opinions. And if you don’t come over here right now and kiss me, I’m going to think you’re afraid of kissing. You’re chicken.”
“Chicken?” God, this man knows how to push all my buttons. The youngest of four children can never resist a dare.
Still, the youngest of four children also likes to argue. “I’m not afraid of kissing. But I really dislike bullshit. The last man I kissed was only in it for career advancement, okay? He talked me into his bed, and now I’m moving to a different state and hoping nobody ever finds out that my actions have compromised ten years’ worth of research. So pardon me if I ask a few questions first.”
In the silence after my outburst, I regret everything. A very sexy man asked me to kiss him. And I gave him a lecture instead.
Is it really that surprising that I rarely go out on dates?
Rickie doesn’t react the way I expect. He doesn’t get up and walk away, or even tell me to forget it. He tilts his head, considering me. And then he whispers, “He really did a number on you, didn’t he?”
I swallow hard. “Why yes, I suppose he did.”
“I see.” He beckons to me. “Come here and I’ll answer your question.”
“My question,” I repeat.
“Yeah, I’m ready to explain why I want kisses from you.” He crooks his finger. “But you have to sit on my lap if you want to hear the answer.”
I move forward without really thinking it through. Because I do want to hear the answer, damn it. Why does he have to be so stunning in the starlight, with that bare chest practically reeling me in like a trout on a hook?
As I approach, Rickie puts his hands around my waist and hauls me onto his thighs, so I’m straddling him. My short little skirt rides up, and I smooth it down, as if I had any dignity left to maintain.
His lips twitch. “That’s better.” He reaches up and brushes the hair away from my face. “You know what the great philosophers had to say about sexual desire?”
I shake my head for two reasons. First, I have no idea. And second, I’m trying not to give any more lectures tonight. Because now that I’m this close to him, I would like another one of those kisses, please.
“The answer is nothing,” he whispers. “Barely a word about man’s most natural instincts. Maybe they considered it too base to discuss. Or—and I like this theory better—maybe Plato didn't think I needed a reason to kiss a pretty girl in the moonlight.”
My face is still tingling where he touched it a moment ago.
Rickie leans in, and I hold my breath. But he doesn’t kiss me yet. Instead, he traces my cheekbone with his lips. “There are