“No worries. You stocked in the most necessary item. Assuming they’re not expired.”
“Just bought ’em.” Whoops. Could have done with not sayingthat.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
She grinned. “What time?”
“Around three, I guess. Why?”
“Because I was in there buying them around four. Would’ve been funny if we’d met by the condom display.”
“Then you were thinking we might get around to doing this?”
“I had no idea, but I figured anything was possible. If you showed up at my door and… um…” Her cheeks got rosy. “I wanted to be prepared this time.”
“You probably shouldn’t have told me that.”
“I shouldn’t?”
“Now I know if I get a hankering, I can just show up at your door.”
“But you won’t get a hankering, because we’ll take care of that tonight.”
“So you say.”
“Adam, you know as well as I do that it’s awkward and less than satisfactory the first time.”
“I suppose.” He wouldn’t disabuse her of that, either. Clearly that had been her experience in the past. He liked this plan. Ithad real merit. But the one-night stand she had in mind wasn’t going to work out the way she thought it would.
“Hey, you two!” Mila waved a gloved hand in the air. “Sol and Pickles want you to wrap it up!”
“We’ll be right there!” Tracy called back. Then she glanced at him. “One more thing. You’re right that I like the idea of a contract. It might be silly, but?—”
“It’s not silly. My dad taught me the value of signing a written document. Most people feel an obligation to honor something they’ve put their John Hancock on.”
“Then I’d like you to change the one you drew up to one night instead of two weeks. If you print out copies before I get there, we can sign them before we… get into it.”
“I’ll have them ready.”
“Thanks.”
He’d write that contract any way she wanted. Then he’d have approximately twelve hours to convince her they should change it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Tracy drove back to Laughing Creek once it was dark. Even though the truck’s heater was blasting warm air, she shivered like an aspen in a cool fall breeze.
Despite what she’d told Adam, even spending one night with him was risky. He was likely a better lover than she’d ever had before. His kisses had told her that.
One night was all she dared allow herself. If she’d had condoms on New Year’s Eve she wouldn’t be in this fix, but she had a chance for a do-over and she was by God taking it.
Of course Adam wanted to negotiate for more. He was a man and a leader, and like many guys who fit that description, he had an overblown concept of his ability to control the situation. She had no such illusions.
One week was asking for trouble. Two weeks would guarantee disaster. She didn’t want to cause him — or her — pain or embarrassment. Keeping it to one night minimized the possibility.
Yet she could still satisfy a longing that had apparently taken root when she was sixteen. She’d tell her story and ask him to share his. It would be a night to remember. Even if the sex wasn’tspectacular, it would be wonderful because she’d be making love to Adam.
