Hiccupping out another round of giggles, I managed to choke out, “No, you’re right, bouncing boners it is, that’s …la naiba, I can’t even! ‘Engorged phallus’!”
His hand found mine under the water, his wrinkly, waterlogged fingers weaving through mine. My laughter died almost instantly.
“I think we can safely state, Catnip, that we have no issues with credible chemistry when it comes to kissing. But perhaps the kind ofpractice we will need moving forward is the kind that’s suitable for public consumption.”
He cupped my chin gently with his free hand, turning my face and planting a soft, close-mouthed kiss on my lips. I gasped, but he didn’t deepen that brush of his lips against mine, and his firm but gentle grip on my chin kept me in check too.
Even so, my heart pounded, a hammering against my ribs, frantic to leap out of my chest. When he pulled back, his eyes were dark.
“See? PG and still very convincing married-person behaviour, don’t you think?”
PG? I was about to spontaneously combust! How was he able to affect me like this with just a subtle press of his perfect, soft-but-firm, delicious-to-nibble-on lips to mine?
“Very convincing.” I hoped my voice wasn’t trembling the way my body was. “But I think I’m about to turn into a prune. I should probably get out.” I turned towards the steps, but his grip on my hand tightened.
“Just so you know … I’m not averse to dirty talk in relationships. Except it was probably not the most appropriate time … or you an appropriate recipient, given our arrangement. For that, I apologise. From now on, we keep our private life platonic.”
Don’t apologise!a voice screamed inside my head.And please, explain to me in sordid, gritty detail exactly the sort of dirty talk you like to use …
I gulped. “Henry, you have nothing to apologise for.” I gave his fingers a squeeze and scuttled out of the spa before he could say or do anything else that would make me want to tear off his swim trunks and have my wicked way with him.
I told myself that he was right. We had to maintain some sort of boundary between us or this fake marriage was going to implode faster than the meringue I’d baked in my one futile attempt to immerse myself in Australian culture and make a pavlova for Christmas.
Gaina, the little voice taunted as I wrapped my towel around me and escaped the main deck.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Sexts and Stalkers
IRINA
M_Jay: Are you having a nice night with Kat?
M_Jay: And the apartment is secure? Door is locked, no disturbances?
I smirked, glancing up to check that Kat hadn’t returned from her phone call with Sir Dom. The coast was clear. Curling my feet up under me and hissing when my icy toes made contact with my bare legs, my fingers flew over the touchpad.
Ru_Snack_XXXplores: I’m safe, I promise. Sounds like you’re missing me already, Hubby, and it’s not even 10pm.
M_Jay: I started missing you the moment you walked down that gangplank.
A thrill exploded in my stomach, fluttering up through my chest.Don’t be stupid, Irina. He’s only saying it to maintain the married-people façade.
M_Jay: And don’t even get me started on Abernathy! The beast has been pining loudly and non-stop since you left! He’s already commandeered your pillow, and he hisses at me if I try to move him.
Ru_Snack_XXXplores: Aww. Give the poor baby a kiss on the head from me! I’ll be home tomorrow, I promise. It’s Girls NIGHT, not nights.
M_Jay: Abernathy gets a kiss on the head from you … what do I get?
Squirming at the sudden flash of arousal that shot through me, I nibbled on my lip. Damn him, now he had me thinking all manner of naughty things. Not that I could act on them if I was home.
But … Iwasn’thome. And we were using our DMs on Tickle to establish the kind of text banter a couple of newlyweds would engage in. So, it wouldn’t be completely inappropriate of me to get dirty and flirty on here with him, would it?
Before I could talk myself out of it, I shakily typed in a reply, sucking back a girlish giggle.
Ru_Snack_XXXplores: You can have a kiss too
Ru_Snack_XXXplores: Anywhere you want
