Carolina nearly spits out her wine.
“Uranus,” I snicker like a dumbass. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to say that with a straight face.”
We both crack up laughing. Her laugh sends tingles down my spine. And when I look over at her, it’s like looking right into the sun. I don’t even notice my blatant staring until she clears her throat.
“So, my present?” Carolina’s face reminds me of Christmas morning. I want to give her all the presents in the world to see that face more often.
I gulp and hand over the box.
She pulls off the lid and frowns. “A stainless steel straw? Is this so that I don’t have to use those god-awful paper straws anymore?”
“This isn’t just any stainless steel straw,” I lean in, setting my wine glass on the table. “This straw has a coating on it to detect chemicals that shouldn’t be in your drink. It will change colors if something is wrong.”
“Oh, wow. What kind of chemicals?”
“Any.”
“Like date-rape drugs.”
“Among other things.”
She considers the straw, turning it over and over in her hands. “How many uses does it have?”
I grin at her. My gal is brilliant! “Just one. So use it wisely.”
“You made this?”
I nod, at which point she gently lays the straw on the table, gets off her chair, and straddles me on my chaise.
Dick was already at half-mast. This captures his attention.
“Thank you for theanti-date-rape-drugstraw,” Carolina grabs my face in her hands, then gently brushes a kiss over my lips.
My entire body is on fire. My hands reach out to grasp her hips, pulling her closer. She moans into my mouth. I get harder.
“Carolina, wait.”
“No,” she kisses down my neck. “No more waiting.”
“I think we should talk about this,” I try to remove her from my lap.
Carolina whispers in my ear. “Less talking. More doing.”
I nearly lose my mind with her warm breath tickling my ear and neck, but I manage to pick her up and carry her inside to the living room couch. I plop her down on one end. I take a seat across from her on the coffee table.
“Yes. Talking. I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to.”
Carolina slaps the couch cushion next to her. “Damn it!I knew this would happen!”
She hops up and begins pacing the room. “I knew if I told you what happened, you’d treat me with kid gloves. I’m tired of being broken! It’s been nearly three decades!”
“That’s true, but you’ve held this story in for all that time,” I counter. “You need time to process what happened. And as sexy as you are, I won’t take advantage of you right now.”
She throws up her hands and growls.
And it’s the cutest thing ever. Lock it down. Don’t laugh.
“You know, I expected something different from you!” Carolina yells.
