A Perfect Storm
Page 73
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“Damn. I’m sorry.”
“Same old, same old.” She looked around, saw his jeans on a chair, then lifted the sheet and found she wore only her underwear with her top. Her mouth went a little dry. “So…did you undress me?”
“You did that.” He gave the sheet a slight tug. “I was noble and covered you up.”
“And then crawled into bed with me?”
“It’s my bed.”
Right. So he did or didn’t want her? She couldn’t tell. He seemed different today, maybe more susceptible to intimacy, but she didn’t relish the idea of asking, only to be turned down again.
What if he’d only slept with her out of convenience? She tried to broach things subtly. “So…what now?”
“That depends on you.”
Interesting. Well, she knew what she wanted to do, but she said nothing and instead just waited.
“You have a hangover?”
“Nope.” Running her fingers through her tangled hair, she yawned, then flopped down to her back beside him. “My jaw is a little sore, that’s all.”
His expression flattened. “A bastard at the bar caught you.”
Never would have happened if she’d been sober. But she didn’t dwell on that, not now, not with Spencer close enough that the heat of his body touched all along her side.
Her heart started doing that crazy thumping thing again.
She looked over at him. “I’m maybe a little muzzy-brained, but no real aftereffects.”
“Good.” His dark gaze went to her chest, and his nostrils flared.
She still didn’t know where this little morning chat was headed. “You’re asking because…?”
“We have unfinished business from last night.”
Awwwwe-some. But to be certain, she asked, “Sex?”
Pausing, he clarified, “You want me?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Good.” He leaned toward her.
Yay! But now that Arizona had it confirmed, nervousness set in, and she held him off with one hand. “Hold up, Spence.”
That got his attention back on her face. He studied her, and whatever he saw—or thought he saw—banked the fires. “Things look different in the light of day, now that you’re clearheaded, don’t they?”
“Not really.” As yet unmentioned stipulations aside, she still wanted to devour him from head to toe. But he sounded so self-righteous, so…condescendingly male, as if he expected her to act the part of a swooning virgin or something, that she couldn’t keep from messing with him a little. “It’s just that I can’t… I don’t…”
“Shh, I know, baby.” He drew a deep breath and nodded. “I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do.” All too serious, he curled his fingers over hers. “It’s okay.”
Arizona snickered at his restraint, and when he eyed her with confusion, the laughter bubbled out. “C’mon, Spence. I’m just funning you.”
“Funning me?”
Turning on her side to face him, she mimicked his pose with her head braced on a hand. “Of course I’m still game. Shoot, I’m dying to do the nasty with you.”
He scrutinized her. “But?”
Boy, he was good at reading her. “But…” Trying to find the right words, she cleared her throat. “The thing is…I need…”
He didn’t rush her. He didn’t move. It almost looked as if he didn’t breathe.
Deciding to just spit it out, she said, “It’s gotta be lights on. Me on top. You got a problem with that?”
No reaction.
“Spence?”
He visibly shored up his self-control. “I don’t want to pressure you. I don’t want you to do anything before you’re ready.”
“I’m ready. And trust me, I want to do this. I just have a few glitches, that’s all.”
“Glitches?”
“Like I said, lights on.”
“Tell me why.”
Seemed obvious to her. “So I can see you—that way, there’s no…confusion in my memories.”
She saw it in his eyes, the realization that without lights, she would remember other men, doing other things.
Far too grave, Spencer closed his eyes, but only for a moment. “No problem.”
He took that so well, she expounded on the rest. “And me on top because, really Spencer, hunky as you are, I still have some trust issues, you know? I gotta know I have control.”
His brows lifted in disbelief. “Being on top lets you think you’re controlling me?”
She let his arrogance slide to say, “Yeah. I mean, why should I make it too easy on you?”
He snorted. “Let me assure you, Arizona, you have never been easy, not in any way.”
“And,” she said, talking over him, “before you answer, know this—if you turn me down again, I’m going to feel really rejected.”
His big hand cupped the side of her face. “No man in his right mind could ever reject you.”
Relief turned her bones to noodles. “So is doing it my way a problem?”
“Lights on, with you on top?”
“That’s how it has to be.”
Understanding softened his stern expression. “Doesn’t sound like too much of a hardship.”
Was he mocking her? Arizona rolled over atop him. “Is this going to be fun, Spencer? Because seriously, you don’t look real excited.” She pressed a firm but fast kiss to his mouth. “I want it to be fun.”
“Same old, same old.” She looked around, saw his jeans on a chair, then lifted the sheet and found she wore only her underwear with her top. Her mouth went a little dry. “So…did you undress me?”
“You did that.” He gave the sheet a slight tug. “I was noble and covered you up.”
“And then crawled into bed with me?”
“It’s my bed.”
Right. So he did or didn’t want her? She couldn’t tell. He seemed different today, maybe more susceptible to intimacy, but she didn’t relish the idea of asking, only to be turned down again.
What if he’d only slept with her out of convenience? She tried to broach things subtly. “So…what now?”
“That depends on you.”
Interesting. Well, she knew what she wanted to do, but she said nothing and instead just waited.
“You have a hangover?”
“Nope.” Running her fingers through her tangled hair, she yawned, then flopped down to her back beside him. “My jaw is a little sore, that’s all.”
His expression flattened. “A bastard at the bar caught you.”
Never would have happened if she’d been sober. But she didn’t dwell on that, not now, not with Spencer close enough that the heat of his body touched all along her side.
Her heart started doing that crazy thumping thing again.
She looked over at him. “I’m maybe a little muzzy-brained, but no real aftereffects.”
“Good.” His dark gaze went to her chest, and his nostrils flared.
She still didn’t know where this little morning chat was headed. “You’re asking because…?”
“We have unfinished business from last night.”
Awwwwe-some. But to be certain, she asked, “Sex?”
Pausing, he clarified, “You want me?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Good.” He leaned toward her.
Yay! But now that Arizona had it confirmed, nervousness set in, and she held him off with one hand. “Hold up, Spence.”
That got his attention back on her face. He studied her, and whatever he saw—or thought he saw—banked the fires. “Things look different in the light of day, now that you’re clearheaded, don’t they?”
“Not really.” As yet unmentioned stipulations aside, she still wanted to devour him from head to toe. But he sounded so self-righteous, so…condescendingly male, as if he expected her to act the part of a swooning virgin or something, that she couldn’t keep from messing with him a little. “It’s just that I can’t… I don’t…”
“Shh, I know, baby.” He drew a deep breath and nodded. “I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do.” All too serious, he curled his fingers over hers. “It’s okay.”
Arizona snickered at his restraint, and when he eyed her with confusion, the laughter bubbled out. “C’mon, Spence. I’m just funning you.”
“Funning me?”
Turning on her side to face him, she mimicked his pose with her head braced on a hand. “Of course I’m still game. Shoot, I’m dying to do the nasty with you.”
He scrutinized her. “But?”
Boy, he was good at reading her. “But…” Trying to find the right words, she cleared her throat. “The thing is…I need…”
He didn’t rush her. He didn’t move. It almost looked as if he didn’t breathe.
Deciding to just spit it out, she said, “It’s gotta be lights on. Me on top. You got a problem with that?”
No reaction.
“Spence?”
He visibly shored up his self-control. “I don’t want to pressure you. I don’t want you to do anything before you’re ready.”
“I’m ready. And trust me, I want to do this. I just have a few glitches, that’s all.”
“Glitches?”
“Like I said, lights on.”
“Tell me why.”
Seemed obvious to her. “So I can see you—that way, there’s no…confusion in my memories.”
She saw it in his eyes, the realization that without lights, she would remember other men, doing other things.
Far too grave, Spencer closed his eyes, but only for a moment. “No problem.”
He took that so well, she expounded on the rest. “And me on top because, really Spencer, hunky as you are, I still have some trust issues, you know? I gotta know I have control.”
His brows lifted in disbelief. “Being on top lets you think you’re controlling me?”
She let his arrogance slide to say, “Yeah. I mean, why should I make it too easy on you?”
He snorted. “Let me assure you, Arizona, you have never been easy, not in any way.”
“And,” she said, talking over him, “before you answer, know this—if you turn me down again, I’m going to feel really rejected.”
His big hand cupped the side of her face. “No man in his right mind could ever reject you.”
Relief turned her bones to noodles. “So is doing it my way a problem?”
“Lights on, with you on top?”
“That’s how it has to be.”
Understanding softened his stern expression. “Doesn’t sound like too much of a hardship.”
Was he mocking her? Arizona rolled over atop him. “Is this going to be fun, Spencer? Because seriously, you don’t look real excited.” She pressed a firm but fast kiss to his mouth. “I want it to be fun.”
