“Back at your house, when you walked out in your towel—”
“Sorry about that.I just wanted to tell you about the ice maker.”
“Right.The ice maker.Anyway, I kind of thought we were having a moment.”
“I thought the same thing, but I didn’t want to take advantage, you know, because it was a rough day for you.”
“I appreciate that, but I want to be clear.You wouldn’t have been taking advantage of anyone.I wanted you.I still do.”
“I want you too.Dammit, Claire, every time I try to ignore it, I just can’t.”
“I know we’ve been having a good time,” she replied, lowering her voice, “and I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to sleep with other people now that you’re feeling more confident.”
He frowned, as if the idea of sleeping with others had never crossed his mind.“There’s no one else, Claire.Only you.”
His words started a chain reaction of nervous flutters in her belly.“Then maybe we should make our sexual relationship a bit more official.”
He leaned in.“What do you mean?”
“We’ll keep doing what we’re doing, but until you leave for Victoria, we’ll be exclusive.It just makes sense, you know.I mean, we spend all our time together anyway.”
“Exclusively…friends with benefits.”
She nodded.“And after that, a clean break.”
“You’d be okay with that?We’d have to keep our emotions separate.Wouldn’t that be hard?”
“I’ve been keeping my emotions at bay for three years.I think I can manage a little longer.I just want some fun right now, and I happen to have a lot of fun with you.I think we could both use that, don’t you?”
Nick was quiet for a few seconds, clearly considering her offer.He then stood and held out his hand.“I’m in the mood for some fun right now.How about you,friend?”
* * * *
They were silent as they walked back to Nick’s car, silent on the ride back to his house, and silent as he parked in his driveway.For a few seconds, they sat there, both of them staring forward.
Claire still couldn’t believe she’d suggested they be friends with benefits.She’d never done that before, not with any of her partners.
There was a certain freedom to voicing her needs, but also a measure of terror.
Nick gripped the steering wheel.“You sure this is what you want?”
“Yeah.”
He turned to her then and unlatched his seatbelt.He ran a finger along her hairline, smoothing it over her cheekbone and down toward her cleavage.He hooked a finger in her shirt collar, his eyes lit with fire, and drew her closer to him.When they kissed, it was on a shattered breath.Mere seconds passed before Claire needed air.He allowed her to snatch at it but then plunged his tongue back into her mouth.It was the sort of kiss to steam up a car.A couple of minutes, and they wouldn’t be able to see out of the windows.
When he ended the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers.“No emotions?”
“No emotions.”
He gazed at her, his jaw clenched.“Okay, then.”
Claire unlatched her seatbelt and followed him.As soon as he closed and locked the door, their bodies took over.Claire couldn’t even remember taking the first step toward him.Yet again, her body just sailed in his direction.
Judging from the intensity of his kiss, he was dealing with the same hypnotic need.Nick kissed her like someone who’d been denied sugar for a lifetime, and who’d just got his first transformative taste.
“Christ,” he muttered, “I feel drunk.”
“You feel it too?”
