Sorry they hadn’t prepared better, sure. But not for the passion that had made both of them lose track of it.
“God, no.” Breathless, she took another step back. “I didn’t bring condoms because, well, you sent me back to my room last night, and I… thought today was going to be about dolphins and, you know, maybe we’d maybe hook up later tonight. If you were interested, which I wasn’t one hundred percent sure about, and—”
“Audra.” He didn’t reach for her, but God, he wanted to. Her babbling was both cute and painful at the same time because she clearly had misinterpreted his scruples last night. “I’m interested. It would be impossible to hide how interested I am if you wanted to come over here and let me show you. I sent you back to your room out of some misplaced sense of decorum that has apparently given you the wrong impression. I want you. Now. Later. Tomorrow. We’ll make a list.”
She laughed as he’d intended, but it was still shaky. Because she was having the same issues with getting her lust under control that he was having?
“Brutal honesty?” she said and didn’t wait for his nod. “I’m already formulating my own list of ways I can get more of that sexy noise you make in your chest when you’re turned on. Facts are facts though, and it has to be later. The boat won’t be back for hours.”
Envisioning what might be on her list wasn’t making it any easier to agree with what she was saying. Of course, he’d spaced on protection too, so he could buck up.
“But,” she continued as her lips curved up in a naughty smile that instantly grew some carnal teeth. “We’ll let it work in our favor. Here’s a secret about me. Anticipation is my favorite game. Just think how hot it’ll be after a whole day of touches and kisses, knowing that we can’t take it any further.”
He groaned as he envisioned the next few hours of torture that she apparently had in store for him. “That does not sound like my definition of a fun game.”
For a shot at getting his hands on her again, he’d absolutely do it. If she wanted to anticipate how good he was going to make her feel later tonight when they had condoms, he could play along. She was worth it.
She waggled her brows. “Humor me. Tonight will be epic. If I’m wrong, tomorrow we’ll start the day off with a blistering orgasm in the shower and you can say I told you so. Deal?”
With that kind of a payoff in the works, how could he say no? But that didn’t mean he couldn’t tack on a few of his own amendments. He stuck his hand out to shake on it, and when she slid her palm into his, he tightened his grip and yanked, catching her as she slammed into him.
“Deal,” he murmured into her ear as he snaked his arms around her waist, holding her tight against his tense body. “But you should know a secret about me. I like to have my cake and eat it too. There are a lot of ways I can put my mouth on you without any need for a condom, and I’ve got a strong feeling you’ll be screaming my name long before tonight.”
She shuddered in his arms with a small, throaty moan and then tipped her head up to graze his ear with her lips. “That sounds like a challenge. You’re on.”
Something wholly wicked unwound inside him, competing with the little licks of lust she’d stirred up. Audra Reed was a thrill-seeking, physical woman. He was going to enjoy her in many, many scenarios.
Chuckling, he nodded once. “You anticipate what’s going to happen today your way, and I’ll anticipate it mine. Let’s go see some dolphins.”
With that promise lingering between them, he released her. But only for now.
It took every ounce of Audra’s willpower to keep from leaping back into Charlie’s arms because oh, my God, the man made her body sing with nothing more than a few words. But they’d just made a deal. What kind of deal, she still wasn’t sure. But wicked, hot, and sinful seemed to be threaded all the way through it.
Which worked for her.
When she’d packed her bag for the day, the lack of condoms had crossed her mind. But there was Isaac and the whole logistics of how to hide something like that from him. Or whether she even needed to. Maybe it was better to be open about safety. Set an example. Which was something she didn’t even want to think about in relation to her baby brother, whose diapers she’d changed when the triplets had come along shortly after her eleventh birthday.
Plus, there was the whole point about how it would look to Charlie. She didn’t mind advertising her interest—sex was an important part of Audra’s workout regimen, after all—but who wanted to whip out a box of condoms, only to be shot down again? She hadn’t made any noises about going back to her room last night. That had been all Charlie, though she grudgingly appreciated the consideration of her teenaged roommate. In hindsight, anyway. At the time, she’d been convinced it was a veiled, “I’m not all that into you.”