“And girls?” Her eyes were shiny; a small smile lit up her face.
“Those I made time for.”
She laughed at that, a light feminine sound he could get used to.
“What about you?” he asked.
She set down her glass and rocked forward. “I wasn’t the girl that the guys went for in high school.” She winked. “Late bloomer.”
“You’re all grown up now.”
Her eyes dropped and she reached for her wine glass. “I thought that maybe we should be clear about a few things.” She was nervous. He could tell. It was in the way she licked at that delectable bottom lip, and her pulse leaped at the base of her neck, begging for his mouth.
“Transparency is good.”
“Last night you said that we could ease into this thing between us. If that’s what I wanted.” She licked that damn lip again, and his cock stirred.
“And do you?” he asked. “Want this?”
She nodded but didn’t say a word.
“We’re not a couple of kids circling each other too afraid to ask for what they want. More importantly, too afraid to know what they want. And what I want is you in my bed, Faith.” Her eyes jumped to his and her cheeks flushed a pretty color. He liked that look on her. “But you’re in the driver’s seat here. You’re in charge of how fast we go.” He held her gaze. “Of howfarwe go.”
She glanced away as if gathering her thoughts and he noticed her nipples, hard and pebbled against the soft cotton of her shirt. It was obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra. His mind went dark with images of her above him, her soft breast there for the taking.
“I don’t . . .” Her fingers were dug into the cushion at her side, and she cleared her throat before looking up at him. “I’m not a casual kind of girl.”
Shit. She was going to shut things down before they could start. Or make the kind of demands he couldn’t agree to. Gus kept his face straight, but he was more disappointed than he thought he’d be.
“Generally speaking,” she continued. “I’m probably not as experienced as the women you’ve been with.”
She looked so proper and intent that he tried his best not to smile. “I’ve never had a one-night stand or had a lover for the express purpose of having a lover.” She stopped again and picked at something on the sofa.
“Okay,” he replied. “There’s no crime in that.” He was surprised, though maybe he shouldn’t be. She did seem more sheltered than any woman he’d been interested in before.
“But I . . .”
He leaned forward. “But you . . .”
“You’re right. I didn’t expect to meet someone I . . .” She exhaled and blew a stray hair from her face. “I want you.”
She wasn’t coy. She wasn’t flirting or playing games. Faith was straightforward, her eyes open and honest. Something inside of Gus shifted. He sat back, surprised at himself.
“I know that you want me,” she said, voice stronger.
Damn right, he did. His jeans were becoming uncomfortable as fuck and the reason for it was this slip of a woman with shadows and secrets in her eyes.
“And normally I wouldn’t get involved with a man . . .” she blushed again, and Gus thought that it was the hottest thing he’d ever seen. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and tumbled over her words. “With a man I don’t know that well, that is. But I’m willing to make an exception.” She exhaled and looked right at him. “For you. With one caveat.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m fine with casual in the sense that we don’t have expectations of any kind of involvement past the summer but . . .”
Okay. This was good. This was moving in the right direction. “Just say it, Faith.”
“I know that it’s probably not in vogue these days and maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I don’t share.” She said after a few seconds. “I won’t be part of the harem of women you’re sleepingwith.” She cleared her throat. “I know you and Jackie Davenport have been hanging out and if you want to keep seeing her, I guess that’s my deal breaker.” She lifted her chin and exhaled.
He hid a grin and emptied his wine glass, then set it down on the table beside the sofa.
