“But you don’t want to rush into anything again.”
“Used to be a time that couples knew nothing physical about each other until their wedding night.But, somehow, these days…”
“It’s like you can’t know a person until you’ve slept with them.Okay,” he huffed, accepting, not angry.“We’ll have sex.”
She laughed.“How gracious.”When he tried to return to his previous spot, her hand on his chest stalled him.“For a man of conviction, you gave that up quickly.”
“It was never going to be forever and—”
“No,” she said.“We are not going to have sex.I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror…” She grinned.“Besides, I need the Collier machine to cleanse me of past sins.I can’t have you getting bored and cutting me off.”
“You know me better than that, Candy, and Roxie would have my hide.Zairn and Knox’s too.She’s not a woman to be crossed.God help anyone who crosses one of her girls.”
The warmth of his hard body protected by his soft skin, oh, it enraptured.She’d touched men before, why was Cam so different?All she wanted to do was curl up with him, spoon until the end of time—no, not spoon, she wanted to face him.That way his lips would be handy.
“I’ve never been near a man who made so much sense,” she said, then instantly blinked at him.“Not sense as in your head, sense as in physical and…” Could she say emotional?Was that it?“You should meet my mom.”
“Okay.”No hesitation.“You’ve met mine.”
“If anyone can scare you off, it’s her.”And it wasn’t that she doubted him, just… “How can you be sure it’s me?”
“I recognize you from all the times I’ve seen you wandering around my house.”
“I meant, you’re a guy in a drought.How can you be sure this connection is real?Maybe I’m just the closest pussy you’ve had to hand in a while.”
“Pussy is not in short supply.I’m no hermit.I do go out in public.”
“And for two years, no woman tried to seduce you?”
“Talking?Flirting?Sure.I like talking to women, they’re better listeners.I don’t avoid the company of women, I don’t run and hide or scare them off.If someone approaches me, I’m polite.I’m open.I give it a chance.Like I said, abstinence was never meant to be a lifelong commitment.It’s kind of the point that I should figure out if I connect with a woman.It’s about the pickup, the foreplay, the chemistry, not hitting home.It’s probably been a few years since Ozzie hit home and I don’t see anyone hassling him.”
Okay, it wasn’t nice to tease, but she understood the love between the men.
“It hasn’t been years,” she said.“He deserves a break.You and Noble ought to share the wealth.Poor guy will always fade into the background with you two up front.”
“Why are we talking about Ozzie?”
“Because you are an incredible man.Not just to look at.Women would flock—”
“Baby…” the softness of his tone.“Your wild phase isn’t under threat.Do what makes you happy.”
Such a simple thing to say.Happy.Roxie, Zairn, Knox, they’d found their romantic bliss.Was it out there waiting for everyone?Was it about patience?Trusting the process?Being open to… Honey hadn’t found her bliss and that didn’t trouble the writer.That was a result of being well-rounded.By all appearances anyway.
Do what makes her happy.Only one thing in that immediate moment would check that box.Laying a hand on his cheek, she rose to join their lips.She withdrew, returned in teasing temptation only to be snatched back on her next retreat.
Her head buried in the pillow, he took all control of the pressure.The need of mouths spoke in a carnal language.It was all physical, the gentle caress of his fingers drifted up her sensitive waist, rousing goosebumps in response to the delicate contact.They grazed the band of her bra, then descended as she dared to squeeze the resistance of his shoulder.
Her exploration went further, to the back of his neck, into his hair, on to crook around his head to push up, to press her body into his.Upper bodies were okay.Any other guy would be grinding himself into her now, not Cam.The smile that formed didn’t slow their amorous mouths.
Usually she, as the female, would be reassuring her partner that she wanted to go further.That it was okay to touch, to test.There had to be a boundary.How did she marry her want with the lines they weren’t supposed to cross?
The slant of his kiss shifted to force him deeper, the weight of his tongue measured the want burning in him.Desire was potent, rich, thick in the dense air sustaining them.No, oxygen wasn’t her life blood, the heart that pumped in her chest was powered by the virile man showing awe-inspiring restraint.
When he relaxed, she traced his facial features with her fingertips.
“Man,” he groaned.“I love being right.”
“By coming to get me at Crimson?”
