“Yeah, I do, and I kind of agree with you. I’m assuming you have a better idea?”
“I don’t know if it’s better, but it’s healthier. I suggest Trace and Adam set a mutually agreeable time limit, like maybe a week. They’ll be clear they’re not dating or starting a relationship during that time. They’re just having sex.”
Tracy took a big gulp of cold air and started coughing so violently that everyone clustered around her. Mila rubbed her back until she finally stopped trying to hack up a lung. Adam handed her his bandana so she could wipe her eyes.
“Did I make you do that?” Claudette looked chastened. “If so, I apologize. Maybe I should have phrased it differently.”
“I don’t know how you could and get the point across.” She sounded like a frog. “I just wasn’t expecting… that.” She tucked Adam’s bandana in her coat pocket and gave him a quick glance. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He didn’t look at all flustered by Claudette’s outrageous suggestion. Maybe he’d rejected it immediately as ridiculous, while she’d suddenly been hit with a vivid image that was way too exciting.
Claudette gazed at him. “I shocked Tracy to her toes, but not you, big brother. Why is that?”
He took a breath. “Because that was my plan.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Aweek’s too long!”
Tracy’s panic put a damper on the excitement churning in Adam’s gut. He thought a week was too short. Two was more like it, giving them time to work this craving out of their systems.
But she hadn’t said no to the idea. “What sounds right to you?”
“I don’t know that it soundsrightat all, but…” She paused to take a breath. “One night is plenty.”
“You think?” He did his best to ignore his sisters listening in on this intimate bargaining session. “I mean, we’ve never?—”
“Exactly. We just need to satisfy our curiosity. The first time usually isn’t all that great, but that will be a good thing.”
“It will?” He wasn’t following her logic at all.
“Sure. Did you ever watch that oldSeinfeldepisode where Jerry and Elaine decide to have sex to see what would happen?”
“I heard about it. It didn’t work out well.”
“See, that would be perfect. We could laugh about it and go back to being good friends, just like they did.”
“You want to have bad sex?”
“Wouldn’t that solve everything?”
“I guess, but….” The sound of muffled giggling distracted him. “Hey, you two, would you mind riding a few yards down the trail so we can discuss this without an audience?”
Claudette heaved a sigh. “If we must. C’mon, Mila. We know when we’re not wanted.”
He waited while they walked their horses a few feet away. When they stopped, he motioned to them. “Un poco mas, por favor!”
They complied. A cold breeze carried their laughter back to him.
“That’s good!” He turned to Tracy. “You were saying?”
“Was that the contract you wanted me to look at?”
“It was. I thought a written agreement might appeal to you.”
“A written agreement about sex?”
“Well, you’re a contract lawyer, so?—”
