They could all retire now and be set for life.
But Spencer knew they wouldn't. In fact, they wanted to expand their enterprise-with him.
"You don't like the idea of financial security?"
"Sure, I guess." Grumbling, she left him to sit on the side of the bed. "But apparently, if Jackson gets his way, I'll already be a homeowner and stuff. What else would I need?"
She wanted so little from life. Did it truly not matter to her at all? Hands on his hips, Spencer dropped his head. "I don't know."
"About their offer?" She studied him. "About what you're going to do?"
"There's a lot to consider."
"I know." She smoothed a hand over the blankets to keep from looking at him. "Like whether or not you want to be stuck that close to me, right?"
Ah, hell. What could he say to that? It definitely factored in-but as an incentive. A dangerous incentive.
At his hesitation, she went on, saying, "I mean, Jackson is all into claiming me as a little sis, and the other guys … they've sort of accepted me."
"They've totally accepted you." Spencer needed her to understand that and to believe it.
"Yeah." She looked up at him. More sun colored her nose now, as well as her shoulders. "And the women … I think I scare them a little, and they pity me, but they're nice enough."
Spencer sat beside her. The bed dipped, and her hip pressed into his. "You're wrong. They're in awe of you, they told me so. They admire you, same as I do. And yes, they're sorry for what happened to you, but they know it hasn't slowed you down. If anything, it's made you stronger."
"Yeah, right." She folded her hands between her knees and swung her bare feet. "So strong, I'm afraid of a lake."
God, she'd become so precious to him, in such a short time. Spencer brought her chin around. "So strong that, afraid or not, you got in the water."
"Only because you were there with me."
That soft admission leveled him. He whispered back, "You're so strong that it scares the hell out of me."
"Why?"
Because he had to, he kissed her. Short and sweet and nowhere near satisfying. "I know there's no reining you in, much as I'd like to."
Looking far too serious, she said, "You realize that, do you?"
"I also realize that you're not a woman to sit on the sidelines, and I'm doing my best to accept that."
Breathing a little faster, she touched his chest. "I don't mean to make things difficult."
"I know." Slowly, he went to his back on the bed. "Why don't we put this conversation on hold for a while?"
Her beautiful blue eyes shone with a smile. "Got something else in mind, do you?"
"Definitely." He stacked his arms behind his head and got comfortable. "You want your turn at controlling things? Well, I'm more than ready. I'm already hard thinking about it."
"Yeah?" Luckily for him, she put aside the seriousness of their talk in favor of lust. "Well, all right, then."
As she crawled up over him, resting full on him until she covered him as much as she could, Spencer breathed in the scent of her skin, her hair. With his nose near her neck, he said, "You smell so good."
"I should probably shower."
"No." Hell, they'd been in the sun all day, in and out of the lake, wind-burned by the boat ride. "You smell earthy, and sexy, and it turns me on."
She rubbed against him. "I love how you smell, too. So good, I could just eat you up." She followed up those provocative words with a lot of openmouth kisses on his throat, down his chest.
Sitting up on his thighs, she said, "Off with the shirt."
"All right." Leaning up as much as he could, he reached back to snag a handful of the shirt, then jerked it over his head.
"There you go," she whispered and spread her hands out over him, exploring his clenched abs, down over his hip bones … down to his erection.
Spencer bit off a groan.
As she moved off him, she ordered, "Lift your hips. I want to lose these shorts, too." She looked at him, her gaze bright. "I want to be able to get to you."
His chest expanded, his hands curled into tighter fists, and he raised his hips.
Having Arizona undress him was a unique pleasure. She rushed, rough in her urgency, and the second she had his shorts off, she stopped to stare.
It wasn't easy, not when he wanted her so much, but this was her time, and he wouldn't rob her of it. "You want to take off your clothes, too?"
"Sure, why not? Just remember to keep your hands to yourself, okay?"
Gently, watching her as she stripped, he whispered, "Whatever you say, baby."
She went still, then grinned. "I like the sound of that." After literally tossing her clothes away, Arizona asked, "Where do you keep the condoms?"
"Nightstand." He was strung so tight, talking wasn't easy. "We don't need it yet, though."
"I don't want to have to fumble for it." She set the box out, then turned back to him. "Open your legs a little."
Damn. She'd taken right to this. Spencer opened his legs and immediately felt her hands coasting up his calves, then the insides of his thighs.
"You are so powerful." She sat between his legs and leaned forward to explore his chest, down his ribs, his abs. "But you would never hurt me."
"Never," he reiterated.
"I know it. I mean, I really know it." Her long hair teased over his skin when she kissed his throat, across his shoulders. "I think that's why I can be with you. I mean, I trust Jackson, and still I freaked out today."
God, he wanted to hold her. "I'm sorry-"
"Shh." She licked his nipple, then took a soft love bite of his pec muscle. "I think, if it was you, I'd be okay. For whatever reason, you're special."
He had no idea what to say to that. Was he special enough to help her move beyond her awful past? Special enough that she could enjoy a normal life with him?
Or just special in this, in sexual involvement? Did she want to experiment? "Remember, I told you, whatever you want."
"Right now, I just want to get my fill of you."
And she could do that in one night? Because he couldn't. He knew it, accepted it, but had no idea what to do about it.
For a good ten minutes, she kissed him everywhere, and the touch of her mouth, her small, sharp teeth, her hot little tongue, competed with the lure of seeing her like this. The silky fall of her dark hair continuously drifted over his body.
Her nipples, puckered tight, teased his skin whenever she leaned against him. Each time she repositioned herself, she gave him a tantalizing peek.
By the time she focused all her attention on his cock, he was damn near a goner.
She curled both hands snug around him, and he groaned.
Watching him, she stroked, and his hips lifted off the bed.
She gave a wicked smile of satisfaction. "You're close, aren't you?"
"Yes." He labored for breath-and prayed she'd put her mouth on him. Through a red haze of lust, he watched her and waited.
She cupped his balls in one hand, held his cock with the other and lowered herself down across his legs.
Rubbing her downy cheek against him, she asked, "Am I being suggestive?"
"You're being diabolical." He shuddered as she licked him, from the base all the way up and over the head. "Arizona … "
She opened her mouth over him and drew him into the heat of her mouth.
"Ah, God, baby … " He felt the stroke of her tongue, the firm way she held him in her hand, and he knew he wouldn't last. "Sorry, Arizona." He twisted away.
Eyes dazed and hot, she looked up at him. "You didn't like it?"
"I liked it too fucking much."
"Oh." Breathing hard, she looked down at him, still held tight in her fist. "Hmm." She kissed him again, and he went taut from his head to his toes.
"I won't last. If you don't stop that, it'll be over, and that's not what we want."
"You don't know what I want."
Slowly, he lifted one hand, and when she didn't protest that, he cupped her cheek. "You're breathing hard. Your face is flushed and your nipples are tight. If I put my fingers in you right now, I'd find you wet and ripe and ready. Admit it."
She swallowed and nodded. "Yeah."
"You want me. And I love it that you do."
Her eyes flared a little at that word, but she remained mute.
"That means we need to finish this together."
Again she looked at his cock. "With you inside me?"
"God, yes."