Geographical Channel from now on. I’m lacking facts here.”
She turned to him and pouted. “You’re making fun of me.”
“No shit, sweetheart. You just make it too damn easy.”
She went very serious. “I want to ask you something, and I want you to be totally up front with me.”
“Shoot.”
“We haven’t talked about it, and I know we don’t have the kind of relationship that would give me any say about it, but I need to be absolutely sure you don’t have anyone back home waiting for you, because I don’t have sex with cheaters. No matter how casual the involvement and no matter how gorgeously sexy the cheater.”
She was so pretty. With her mane of hair slick against her back, her eyes looked huge. Damn expressive too. Now they were staring at him with uncertainty but resolution. He didn’t doubt for a minute that she’d slap him and leave him to dry if he were indulging in a little side affair, which he wasn’t. His type might; he didn’t.
“You think I’m sexy?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and breathed out hard. “That’s all you took from what I said?”
No, of course not, but he liked it when she berated him. It made him hot. Sick really. “No one back home. I’m not the cheating type. Despite my disreputable appearance,” he added with a mocking smile and kissed the tip of her nose. “One flower at a time, that’s my motto.”
“Good to know.” She turned around and rested her back to his chest.
They remained silent until he couldn’t hold it anymore. “Don’t you have anything to tell me? Or do you assume I’d be sleazy enough as not to care if I’m the only one in your bed?”
She snorted, her hand playing with the bubbles. “Of course.”
His tone hardened. “Is someone waiting for you back home, princess?”
She didn’t answer right away, continuing to play with the water. “I believe that’s none of your business, Mr. Black Hole. All you need to know is that I’m willing.” She was poking him on purpose, he could feel it in her demeanor, not that it made it less annoying.
“Humor me,” he insisted, his tone unyielding. He wasn’t sure where it came from, but he felt the unstoppable urge to fuck her into submission. Right there, never mind who was watching.
“Or what? Are you truly telling me you wouldn’t fuck me if I had a boyfriend back home?”
He clenched his teeth. She got him there. He’d hate the boyfriend thing, sure, but it wouldn’t matter; he’d do her in an instant if she’d allow it.
She looked over her shoulder. “Yeah, that was my thought too.”
“Answer my question, Tate.”
She sighed. “No, there’s no one waiting for me back home. Not anymore. He dumped me. Happy now?”
“Yeah, extremely. Unless you’re still hung up on the dude.”
“Nope. It’s been months.”
“Good,” he said, kissing the top of her head and relaxing again. “Why did the moron leave you?”
“Why do you care?”
“Just answer the question.” Damn stubborn woman; there was no way to get a straight answer from her.
She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing out loud. “Jeez, where to start? Let me see. I was suffocating him being too needy and weepy. My dad and Jonah were dead, my mom was totally out of it, and my sis could barely cope with her own life, let alone the whole drama unfolding at home. I had to take care of the restaurant and my mom and all the bills—hers, mine, and the restaurant’s. She was like a zombie, couldn’t be trusted to pay her bills on time…hell, she could barely make it out of bed most days. I thought that entitled me to be a bit needy and weepy, but it turned out it didn’t. He dumped me, told me I had my priorities all screwed up. He wasn’t feeling appreciated. My so-called complete disregard of him was hurting his feelings. Aidan wanted my full undivided attention; you see, he was making partner, and I wasn’t there for him.”
“Fucking asshole.”
“The restaurant and all the
She turned to him and pouted. “You’re making fun of me.”
“No shit, sweetheart. You just make it too damn easy.”
She went very serious. “I want to ask you something, and I want you to be totally up front with me.”
“Shoot.”
“We haven’t talked about it, and I know we don’t have the kind of relationship that would give me any say about it, but I need to be absolutely sure you don’t have anyone back home waiting for you, because I don’t have sex with cheaters. No matter how casual the involvement and no matter how gorgeously sexy the cheater.”
She was so pretty. With her mane of hair slick against her back, her eyes looked huge. Damn expressive too. Now they were staring at him with uncertainty but resolution. He didn’t doubt for a minute that she’d slap him and leave him to dry if he were indulging in a little side affair, which he wasn’t. His type might; he didn’t.
“You think I’m sexy?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and breathed out hard. “That’s all you took from what I said?”
No, of course not, but he liked it when she berated him. It made him hot. Sick really. “No one back home. I’m not the cheating type. Despite my disreputable appearance,” he added with a mocking smile and kissed the tip of her nose. “One flower at a time, that’s my motto.”
“Good to know.” She turned around and rested her back to his chest.
They remained silent until he couldn’t hold it anymore. “Don’t you have anything to tell me? Or do you assume I’d be sleazy enough as not to care if I’m the only one in your bed?”
She snorted, her hand playing with the bubbles. “Of course.”
His tone hardened. “Is someone waiting for you back home, princess?”
She didn’t answer right away, continuing to play with the water. “I believe that’s none of your business, Mr. Black Hole. All you need to know is that I’m willing.” She was poking him on purpose, he could feel it in her demeanor, not that it made it less annoying.
“Humor me,” he insisted, his tone unyielding. He wasn’t sure where it came from, but he felt the unstoppable urge to fuck her into submission. Right there, never mind who was watching.
“Or what? Are you truly telling me you wouldn’t fuck me if I had a boyfriend back home?”
He clenched his teeth. She got him there. He’d hate the boyfriend thing, sure, but it wouldn’t matter; he’d do her in an instant if she’d allow it.
She looked over her shoulder. “Yeah, that was my thought too.”
“Answer my question, Tate.”
She sighed. “No, there’s no one waiting for me back home. Not anymore. He dumped me. Happy now?”
“Yeah, extremely. Unless you’re still hung up on the dude.”
“Nope. It’s been months.”
“Good,” he said, kissing the top of her head and relaxing again. “Why did the moron leave you?”
“Why do you care?”
“Just answer the question.” Damn stubborn woman; there was no way to get a straight answer from her.
She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing out loud. “Jeez, where to start? Let me see. I was suffocating him being too needy and weepy. My dad and Jonah were dead, my mom was totally out of it, and my sis could barely cope with her own life, let alone the whole drama unfolding at home. I had to take care of the restaurant and my mom and all the bills—hers, mine, and the restaurant’s. She was like a zombie, couldn’t be trusted to pay her bills on time…hell, she could barely make it out of bed most days. I thought that entitled me to be a bit needy and weepy, but it turned out it didn’t. He dumped me, told me I had my priorities all screwed up. He wasn’t feeling appreciated. My so-called complete disregard of him was hurting his feelings. Aidan wanted my full undivided attention; you see, he was making partner, and I wasn’t there for him.”
“Fucking asshole.”
“The restaurant and all the
Similar Books
