The couch pressed against the backs of her calves, blocking her escape route. She put a palm against his chest to push him back. Wrong move. The hardened planes of his muscles stretched under the soft cotton of his T-shirt. His body heat radiated against her palm, and his heart thumped, slow and steady, beneath her hand. An answering resonance sounded deep in her chest.
He covered her hand, stroking it with his long fingers. “What more do you need to know? We share a connection.”
She felt it all right. Every single breath, lick, and caress of it had awakened her senses. She remembered him pressing her against the wall.
“If we were somewhere more private, I’d have you stripped by now.”
His bold words should have had her running for the hills.
“I want to be buried deep inside you until you can’t think.”
Such blatant sexuality from a man would typically have her crawling inside her shell and dissembling as past memories overtook her conscious thought. The heat of his words, however, had washed over her, and for the first time, she hadn’t frozen from a man’s touch.
Wanting more of that, she ran her fingers over the fabric of his shirt and thought about all the reasons to say no.
“Ash, I’m sorry, but I can’t.” That was a lie. And, after Spencer's betrayal, didn’t she deserve a chance to find out if Ash might be right?
His hand curled around hers. “Take a chance, Skye. What do you have to lose?”
The urgency of his gaze was too much. She tried to look away. “You don’t understand.”
“Look at me.”
He bent down until his eyes were level with hers. Golden flecks in a sea of green stared at her with confidence and need. “Give me a chance.” He straightened and flashed a cocky grin. “After three nights with me, you won’t even remember his name.”
A shiver ran down her spine, but her practical nature overrode the reactions he’d pulled from her body.Was that all he wanted?Sex was the last thing she was looking for.
“Sorry, but I’m not interested in becoming another notch on your belt.”
He breathed out a long sigh and tilted his head back. “I’ve never been stood up until you. Never been denied until—shit, this is crazy, but what if I gave my word to keep my junk in my jeans?”
She burst out laughing.
“You think that’s funny?” His brows drew together as he regarded her with an intense stare. His voice lowered to a mumble. “Well, I’m serious. If that’s what it takes for you to let me come with you, I’ll keep my junk in my jeans.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God, stop saying that.”
His eyes narrowed. “I never tease about sex.”
“You’d come with me, knowing there’s no chance of sex?”Dear God, had she just said yes?
He lifted her hand and brushed her knuckles against his lips. “Deal, but only for three days. After that, we renegotiate.”
“I have to go home and pack. Do you want to meet me back here after you get your stuff?”
He shook his head. “No, I can buy what I need on the way.”
“How is it that you happen to have free time?”
He flashed a mysterious smile. “I’ve got the time, babe.”
A worm of doubt wriggled in her belly. “Are you on vacation or something?”
“Kind of. More like, here on business, but as long as I’m back by Friday, it’ll be fine.” He gestured to the counter. “Look, let me pay for the drinks, and then we can go.”
“Never mind. I already took care of it.”
His mouth gaped. “You what?”
