“You’re beautiful. But that’s no surprise.”
“Beauty doesn’t matter if—”
He cut her off before she could finish. “It certainly doesn’t hurt.”
She was shaking. She wasn’t sure why. She just felt so vulnerable, so torn between what she was dying to have and what she knew she should refuse. “I don’t have any birth control.”
He pulled a condom out of his back pocket. “I do. Funny thing. I happened to find some brand-new Trojans in the trash.”
She gave him a guilty smile. “I wonder who could’ve put them there.”
He chuckled at her facetious tone. “I think it was someone who wants to get laid.”
If that was all she wanted, she could’ve continued sleeping with Kyle. But she didn’t point that out. She’d rather he didn’t realize that he was somehow special.
“Glad you completed the rescue mission.” She doubted she could conceive in her condition, anyway. Liver failure eventually caused the failure of other organs. Not only that, but she was on so much medication. Still, she figured it was better to be safe than sorry. She was already facing an epic battle. She didn’t need to make another life dependent on her own.
He set the package in the soap dispenser. Then he stripped off his wet T-shirt, tossed it behind him and, with one finger, followed a drop of water between her br**sts. “I can hardly stay on my feet,” he admitted.
“You said it’s been a long time.”
When he finally pulled her to him, she could tell that he was shaking, too.
“It has been a long time. In fact, it feels like an eternity. I’m afraid I might disappoint you in round one.”
“That’s okay. Maybe it is better if you—you use me for this round. Then it’ll be easier with the next woman.”
Lifting his head, he scowled. “Why are we talking about other women again?”
He sounded annoyed, but she was trying to let him know not to invest too much in what was about to occur. It was the only way her conscience could allow her to continue. “I’m just saying.”
“Stop saying. That’s not what I want to hear right now.”
She blinked the water out of her eyelashes. “What would you like to hear?”
His hands came up to cup her br**sts and his thumbs flicked lightly over the tips. “How much you want me would be nice.”
The world seemed to shift beneath her feet. She drew a deep breath, hoping to steady herself. “If I tell you how much I want you, you might not realize you can stop, if—if you need to.”
“I’m not planning on turning back.”
“But the regret might not be worth it for you—”
“I can see I’m going to have to shut you up my own way.”
“I’m sorry, but—”
She didn’t get the rest out because he covered her mouth with his and kissed her until she could no longer remember what she wanted to get across.
“We’re going to set down a few rules,” he murmured against her lips when they stopped to gasp for breath. “You understand?”
“Rules?” she repeated numbly. “What rules?”
He kissed her again, immediately and deeply, adding more tongue and more urgency as his hands slid down her body. “Let’s go over them.”
Her skin was so sensitive she could hardly focus. All she wanted was for him to go on touching her. “Later.”
“That’s better,” he said, accurately reading her impatience to forget any kind of conversation. “But just in case, this is what you can say.”
His finger was running down the crevice of her behind. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We’re going over approved content for when we’re making love.”
She smiled at his playful expression. “I see. How about ‘just shut up and kiss me’?”
“Not bad. I’ve used that one myself,” he said, his mouth so close to hers they exchanged breath.
“Do you have a list?” she asked.
“Just some suggestions.”
“Like...”
“‘Give me more’ is fine. ‘God, that feels good’ is even better. And ‘Ah, yes, f**k me’ in broken gasps is pretty much my favorite. But I’m in a precarious state when it comes to control, so you might not want to use that one too soon.”
She laughed; she’d never seen this side of him. He’d always been so serious. “What about ‘nice ass’?”
He nipped at her lips. “I give you ‘fuck’ and you give me ‘ass’? That’s grade school stuff.”
“I’m not too good at being crude.”
“Try again. This is the one time crude works.”
“Um...” She felt herself blush, but she liked this. “‘Don’t come yet’?”
“I’ll admit that’s useful but I’m hoping I’ll be able to tell where you’re at in the process. I’m also hoping I can last until I get you there. We may have some difficulty in that regard.”
“That’s the second time you’ve warned me. Are you telling me you have a problem with premature ejaculation?”
“Not usually. But—” When his mouth closed over one nipple, she groaned and he grew too distracted to continue.
She let her head fall back as darts of pleasure shot through her. Still, she was curious enough that she managed to hang on to the thread of the conversation. “But...”
He lifted his head. “You should know I’m about to come just looking at you.”
The levity of a moment before disappeared. “You are better at bedroom talk than I am,” she whispered.
“We’ll practice together.” His hand found the sensitive spot it’d been seeking, but she stopped him almost as soon as he touched her there.
“I’ve dreamed of having you inside me from the moment you first staggered out of my bedroom on Tuesday morning,” she said.
He moved a hank of wet hair off her forehead. “See? It’s not that difficult.”
Again, she held him off. “Take off your pants.”
“Wow! You really got it.” His smile slanted to one side as he unbuttoned his jeans and peeled them off—not an easy feat given that the denim was heavy from the water.
She made a point of dropping her gaze to his erection. “Impressive. You’re bigger than a horse!”