again.”
She couldn’t help noticing how he deliberately ignored mentioning her looks. She moistened her lips. “Okay. Fair enough. You’re not interested in anything serious and I’m not interested in anything but a serious relationship. I think that sort of says it all, Jeff.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “You can talk all you want about serious relationships, but you cannot deny that you want me as much as I want you. And you can’t deny that what we share is special and worth taking things slow. While we do that, what’s wrong with us satisfying our hungers with each other?”
Because her chief hunger wasn’t for sex with him, it was for his love. It was finally clear to her that she had no hope of winning that. That only left the question of how much less she would be willing to settle for.
When she had set out on her mission of conquest, she had been willing to settle for his lust. She had been able to arouse his passions in a way she had never thought possible. Could she learn to be satisfied with just the lust of a man she loved so much she ached for him?
She recalled his hunger for her and a small flicker of hope ignited inside her. Would he really have such a deep desire for her if there was no chance of his ever feeling anything else?
She decided to try one last tactic before she gave up. “Okay. You’re right. I can’t deny I want you. So here’s what we’ll do. We’ll go on as we are now, but if either of us meets someone else... all bets are off.”
“Someone else? What do you mean? Another man?”
She arched a brow. “I don’t do women, Jefferson. Yes. Another man for me and a woman for you.”
“You’re telling me there’s a possibility you’ll be sleeping with me and another man at the same time?”
She noted the tightening of his lips and the edge to his voice. She had no intentions of sleeping with anyone else. But he didn’t need to know that. “Don’t worry. From here on out, I’ll use protection. You promise to do the same and we have a deal.” She extended her hand across the table. “Shake on it?”
He ignored her hand. “You must be mixing me up with one of your other boyfriends. I don’t sleep with more than one woman at a time, Sharde.”
“Fine.” She withdrew her hand and picked up her fork. “If you’re not interested in a serious relationship you can’t expect me to agree to restrictive clauses. I have to keep my options open.”
She smiled at him and popped a forkful of steak into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed without tasting it.
“You have to keep your options open?” He pushed his plate away. “If you think I’m going to stick around while you bed another man–”
“Why should it matter to you what I do as long as I’m careful? Sex with you is the best I’ve ever had. But if I meet a man who wants a serious relationship, but might not... have your skill as a lover, if I can convince him to share, why should that bother you?”
He slammed a fist down on the table and shot to his feet. “Are you out of your mind, Sharde? Do you really think after what I went through with Linda and Vanessa I could ever be persuaded to share you with another man?”
She lifted her chin. “Why not? I understand why you couldn’t share them.You were in love with both of them.”
“I was not in love with Vanessa.”
“Then she and I are in the same boat. We’re just the object of your lust.”
“It’s not just lust between us! How can you think it is?”
“You haven’t given me any reason to think differently, Jefferson.”
“You are out of your tiny little mind if you think for one moment I’ll share you with another man.”
Her heart raced. She shrugged, taking another mouthful of food before she looked up at him. “Then we can go back to plan A.”
“And what the hell is plan A?”
“Friendship with no sex. You only have two choices. I can live with either one you choose.”
He leaned across the table and glared at
She couldn’t help noticing how he deliberately ignored mentioning her looks. She moistened her lips. “Okay. Fair enough. You’re not interested in anything serious and I’m not interested in anything but a serious relationship. I think that sort of says it all, Jeff.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “You can talk all you want about serious relationships, but you cannot deny that you want me as much as I want you. And you can’t deny that what we share is special and worth taking things slow. While we do that, what’s wrong with us satisfying our hungers with each other?”
Because her chief hunger wasn’t for sex with him, it was for his love. It was finally clear to her that she had no hope of winning that. That only left the question of how much less she would be willing to settle for.
When she had set out on her mission of conquest, she had been willing to settle for his lust. She had been able to arouse his passions in a way she had never thought possible. Could she learn to be satisfied with just the lust of a man she loved so much she ached for him?
She recalled his hunger for her and a small flicker of hope ignited inside her. Would he really have such a deep desire for her if there was no chance of his ever feeling anything else?
She decided to try one last tactic before she gave up. “Okay. You’re right. I can’t deny I want you. So here’s what we’ll do. We’ll go on as we are now, but if either of us meets someone else... all bets are off.”
“Someone else? What do you mean? Another man?”
She arched a brow. “I don’t do women, Jefferson. Yes. Another man for me and a woman for you.”
“You’re telling me there’s a possibility you’ll be sleeping with me and another man at the same time?”
She noted the tightening of his lips and the edge to his voice. She had no intentions of sleeping with anyone else. But he didn’t need to know that. “Don’t worry. From here on out, I’ll use protection. You promise to do the same and we have a deal.” She extended her hand across the table. “Shake on it?”
He ignored her hand. “You must be mixing me up with one of your other boyfriends. I don’t sleep with more than one woman at a time, Sharde.”
“Fine.” She withdrew her hand and picked up her fork. “If you’re not interested in a serious relationship you can’t expect me to agree to restrictive clauses. I have to keep my options open.”
She smiled at him and popped a forkful of steak into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed without tasting it.
“You have to keep your options open?” He pushed his plate away. “If you think I’m going to stick around while you bed another man–”
“Why should it matter to you what I do as long as I’m careful? Sex with you is the best I’ve ever had. But if I meet a man who wants a serious relationship, but might not... have your skill as a lover, if I can convince him to share, why should that bother you?”
He slammed a fist down on the table and shot to his feet. “Are you out of your mind, Sharde? Do you really think after what I went through with Linda and Vanessa I could ever be persuaded to share you with another man?”
She lifted her chin. “Why not? I understand why you couldn’t share them.You were in love with both of them.”
“I was not in love with Vanessa.”
“Then she and I are in the same boat. We’re just the object of your lust.”
“It’s not just lust between us! How can you think it is?”
“You haven’t given me any reason to think differently, Jefferson.”
“You are out of your tiny little mind if you think for one moment I’ll share you with another man.”
Her heart raced. She shrugged, taking another mouthful of food before she looked up at him. “Then we can go back to plan A.”
“And what the hell is plan A?”
“Friendship with no sex. You only have two choices. I can live with either one you choose.”
He leaned across the table and glared at
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