But she really couldn’t let him do that.
“It’s okay, you can say it,” she said. “You can tell me.”
“I don’t want to. I don’t want to talk like this with you.”
“Because I’m not someone you really desire like that?”
“Because you don’t desireme. You’re just trying to help.”
“I’m pretty sure trying to help didn’t make me come like that,” she said—mostly just because she wanted to correct him. She didn’t want that to stand, that idea of him not being desired. And this seemed like the best way to say it without really saying it in the moment.
But then his gaze snapped up to her on the last word.
At which point, she processed what she’d actually told him. The word she’d used—the one that made a little sound kick out of him.You just shocked a demon, you dirty thing, her brain scolded her. Then all she could do was go to apologize.
Only he got there first.
“So it was good for you, then,” he said, so low and husky suddenly that she couldn’t quite hang on to the idea that sorries were in order. Instead, she found herself thinking about what she had in the car. That there was nothing wrong with enjoying whatever they were doing.
Doubly so if he liked the idea that she did.
Triply so now that all the cards were on the table.
“I’ve never known anything like it,” she said. A little too breathlessly, it seemed like, to her. Yet somehow he didn’t seem to think so. His eyes flashed bright, then dark. And for a moment she could have sworn she saw pride lift the corners of his lips.Hot damn, that look seemed to say.
Before he gathered himself. “Well, to be fair, most human men seem lacking in basic carnal knowledge,” he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. Like he didn’t want to take any credit he might not deserve.
But all that did was lead her further down the garden path.
“I wasn’t just talking about what men do. I was talking about what I do, too.”
“And by that you mean you’ve never achieved those heights alone.”
“I’ve never achieved any heights, period. Despite much effort expended.”
He closed his eyes on hearing that. And now there actually was a whole smile on his lips—though it wasn’t a pleased one. It was rueful, agonized; he made a humming sound alongside it, as frustrated as she’d ever heard anyone be. Then, just for a good measure, he cursed under his breath.
Gosh darn it, she thought he said.
Before he shook it off, and straightened. He slapped the table.
“Okay. All right. If a woman like you wanted something like that to happen again, how would you like a man to go about it? Be very specific. Like, would there have to be another date, what kind of date, when, how, the works. Lay it all out for me,” he said, so fast and fierce and direct she didn’t even have time to think.
She answered like he’d hit some nerve and made honesty lurch out.
“Well, I don’t think there’d have to be another one.”
“And by that you mean that it would happen right now.”
“Yeah. I would have come inside, hoping he’d do it again.”
“I see. And how would you imagine that would work? Would you make the first move? Like you did in the car—would you kiss him? Would you put his hands on you? Or would you want himto just get ahold of you, get you up on this table, maybe, get those panties off, spread your legs?”
You’re not really gonna do that, she thought at him.
But god, he was looking at her steadily, intently. He didn’t blink, didn’t waver. He just waited for her answer, as if it didn’t matter what the answer was. She could reach across and kiss him now, and that would be okay. It was all okay.Make hay while the sun shines, she thought.
Then answered honestly again.
