think you’re perfect just the way you are.”
She couldn’t repress her smile of relief, even though she knew his words were nonsense. “You know what I meant.”
Sobering, he said, “Yeah, I do. But it’s not true, baby. You’re a little more reserved, but you have all the same needs, all the same desires as any other woman.” Then he grinned. “You just needed the right man to volunteer his body for your inquisitive mind.”
A few remnants of tears were still in her eyes and she wiped them away. He gave her that tender smile again that made her want to stay with him forever.
But there was so much still in the way. “Sebastian, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make love. Just the thought of…” Her voice trailed away. It was more than difficult trying to say such things, trying to express her problem.
“Hey, no blushing now.” His voice was low, whispered against her cheek. “You can tell me anything, honey. There’s no one here but us.”
The night was quiet. Without her realizing it, the television had gone blank, leaving only a dull glow coming from the screen and a soft hum in the air. Her position on Sebastian’s lap put her as close to him as she could get. All around her was his scent, his warmth, his concern and his tenderness. He wore only his jeans; his long legs were stretched out in front of him, and his large feet were bare. A dark, appealing shadow of whiskers covered his lean cheeks and sharp jaw. His eyes were slumberous, his dark shiny hair tousled.
To Brandi, he felt safe and sexy and somehow a part of her. She swallowed, then decided to take advantage of the moment. Another one like it might never come again, and she did have so many questions, so many things she’d like to talk to him about. Sebastian was available and willing and she trusted him, even more than she trusted herself sometimes.
“The thought of a man getting on top of me makes me ill. I…I break out in a cold sweat.”
He rubbed his chin on the crown of her head andreplied simply, without inflection. “There are other positions, you know.”
“But a man is so much stronger. He could always switch positions. And Shay told me once that a man who’s really excited doesn’t always know what he’s doing.”
“What?” He tipped her chin up and his frown was fierce. “That’s total bull and a miserable cop-out. Men are always responsible for their actions, especially when they’re with a woman. Why would Shay tell you such a damn stupid thing?”
His vehemence startled her, but didn’t alarm her. “She’d talked me into going on a date. But the guy got…pushy. He didn’t really do anything, just tried to steal a kiss.”
“A kiss you didn’t want to give him?”
“Yes. But I guess he thought he could convince me.”
“I hope you slapped his damn face,” Sebastian muttered.
A slight grin twitched at her lips as she shook her head. “I wish I had, but instead, I ran. I get panicked and I can’t think about anything except getting away.”
“Is that what happened today while you were shopping?”
Amazed at how easy it was to talk to him, even through her embarrassment, she nodded. “Two men tried to pick me up.”
“I wish I’d seen them.”
Brandi laughed at his look of mean intent. She liked it that he felt defensive of her, even though she wanted and needed to learn to defend herself. “It wasn’t that big a deal. Shay says I make too much of things sometimes, and she’s right. She said that just because a manshows his interest, or steals a kiss, doesn’t make him a rapist.”
“I’d say she’s right. But I’d also say anyone, male or female, should know how to accept no as an answer and to respect another person’s wishes. Don’t let Shay talk you into doing anything you don’t want to do.”
“She talked me into this vacation.”
“Except for this vacation,” he clarified quickly, then gave her a lopsided grin. “In this one instance, Shay was
She couldn’t repress her smile of relief, even though she knew his words were nonsense. “You know what I meant.”
Sobering, he said, “Yeah, I do. But it’s not true, baby. You’re a little more reserved, but you have all the same needs, all the same desires as any other woman.” Then he grinned. “You just needed the right man to volunteer his body for your inquisitive mind.”
A few remnants of tears were still in her eyes and she wiped them away. He gave her that tender smile again that made her want to stay with him forever.
But there was so much still in the way. “Sebastian, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make love. Just the thought of…” Her voice trailed away. It was more than difficult trying to say such things, trying to express her problem.
“Hey, no blushing now.” His voice was low, whispered against her cheek. “You can tell me anything, honey. There’s no one here but us.”
The night was quiet. Without her realizing it, the television had gone blank, leaving only a dull glow coming from the screen and a soft hum in the air. Her position on Sebastian’s lap put her as close to him as she could get. All around her was his scent, his warmth, his concern and his tenderness. He wore only his jeans; his long legs were stretched out in front of him, and his large feet were bare. A dark, appealing shadow of whiskers covered his lean cheeks and sharp jaw. His eyes were slumberous, his dark shiny hair tousled.
To Brandi, he felt safe and sexy and somehow a part of her. She swallowed, then decided to take advantage of the moment. Another one like it might never come again, and she did have so many questions, so many things she’d like to talk to him about. Sebastian was available and willing and she trusted him, even more than she trusted herself sometimes.
“The thought of a man getting on top of me makes me ill. I…I break out in a cold sweat.”
He rubbed his chin on the crown of her head andreplied simply, without inflection. “There are other positions, you know.”
“But a man is so much stronger. He could always switch positions. And Shay told me once that a man who’s really excited doesn’t always know what he’s doing.”
“What?” He tipped her chin up and his frown was fierce. “That’s total bull and a miserable cop-out. Men are always responsible for their actions, especially when they’re with a woman. Why would Shay tell you such a damn stupid thing?”
His vehemence startled her, but didn’t alarm her. “She’d talked me into going on a date. But the guy got…pushy. He didn’t really do anything, just tried to steal a kiss.”
“A kiss you didn’t want to give him?”
“Yes. But I guess he thought he could convince me.”
“I hope you slapped his damn face,” Sebastian muttered.
A slight grin twitched at her lips as she shook her head. “I wish I had, but instead, I ran. I get panicked and I can’t think about anything except getting away.”
“Is that what happened today while you were shopping?”
Amazed at how easy it was to talk to him, even through her embarrassment, she nodded. “Two men tried to pick me up.”
“I wish I’d seen them.”
Brandi laughed at his look of mean intent. She liked it that he felt defensive of her, even though she wanted and needed to learn to defend herself. “It wasn’t that big a deal. Shay says I make too much of things sometimes, and she’s right. She said that just because a manshows his interest, or steals a kiss, doesn’t make him a rapist.”
“I’d say she’s right. But I’d also say anyone, male or female, should know how to accept no as an answer and to respect another person’s wishes. Don’t let Shay talk you into doing anything you don’t want to do.”
“She talked me into this vacation.”
“Except for this vacation,” he clarified quickly, then gave her a lopsided grin. “In this one instance, Shay was
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