Hard and Fast(31)

"The first one, yes. The second one, no. If one person is wanting some  action all the time and the other is constantly begging off? That's  going to be a huge source of tension." He could say with absolute  certainty that he would be really frustrated if he was with a woman who  thought having sex once a month was plenty. He'd get more if he was  single. Of course, the upside to a relationship was that when you did  finally get around to sex, there would be intimacy along with the  physical connection, but he still didn't think he would be anything  short of chronically horny and irritable if he had access to a woman but  got the black flag every night.

"I think I would have to agree. One person will always feel like they're  having to ask for sex instead of sharing it freely with each other. And  the person who is not highly sexual will fall into a pattern of simply  giving in to the other in order to stave off the argument, which isn't  conducive to intimacy or uninhibited and enthusiastic sex."

Ty gave Imogen a long look. "Are you trying to tell me you gave in last  week to prevent an argument?" She snorted. "Hah. If anything, it would  have to be considered the other way around. I offered it even before  then, and you turned it down."                       
       
           



       

"I explained that. We're not going there again, are we?" Because that  didn't sound like anything he wanted to bumble his way through a second  time.

"No, we're not. I said I understand and I do." She smiled at him, a  wicked gleam in her eye. "I mean, it's okay if you're the one with the  low sex drive. We'll just have to adjust and learn to accommodate that."  Well, wasn't Imogen the funny one? Ty refused to give her smug little  self the satisfaction of smiling, even as he thought her wit was damn  amusing. "Oh, is that right? I'm the one with the low sex drive?" He  leaned over and kissed her hard, his tongue thrusting inside her mouth  as he tasted the traces of her coffee. He ransacked her, squeezing her  breast with one hand as he buried the other into the hair of her  ponytail. He kissed her until her glasses had fogged up from their heavy  breathing, her nipples were tight buds beneath his fingers, and he  would bet his career she was sopping wet in her panties.

Imogen yanked herself back from him and sucked in a deep breath. "I . . ." she panted, "was being facetious."

"I know." Ty grinned. "But it gave me a good excuse to feel you up."





"I thought we had established you never needed an excuse." Brushing his  finger over her nipple, loving the way her mouth slipped open on a  breathy sigh and her eyelashes fluttered rapidly, Ty kissed a trail down  her jaw. "I don't think that we did establish that. But it's nice to  know I have the green light at any time."

"Well." She tipped her head a little to give him better access. "Maybe not at just any time."

"No?" Ty loved the way her skin felt, smooth as satin, free of makeup,  just fresh and clean beneath his lips. "What times are off-limits?"

"In the presence of other people should be off-limits. I think that covers most awkward situations that might arise."

"But in the woods is okay?" Ty was getting hot in the car, an erection pressing hard against his jeans.

There was something about the way Imogen looked at him, so intelligent,  yet so trusting that he could give her pleasure, that just did him in  every time and made him want to strip her and lick her from head to toe.

"I would imagine the woods are okay."

Ty pulled back. "Then let's set up camp, babe, before I regress to seventeen and try to nail you in the backseat."

Imogen glanced in the backseat and just wet her bottom lip.

Fighting the urge to groan, Ty said, "No. We're not having sex in this  car. There are a million better places right on up this path, so change  your shoes and let's head for the site."

"Why do I need to change my shoes?" she asked, pulling her backpack up from between her legs.

It was possible he might have failed to mention to Imogen that their site was so remote it wasn't drive-up.

They had to hike several miles from the car to get there. "We just need  to go off-road a bit here to get to the site." He tried to downplay it  as he opened his door. "So maybe boots would be a better choice." Ty got  out of the car before he could see her expression. If she was  irritated, frankly he didn't want to see it. He had packed light, since  it was only an overnight, but between water and food and all the  necessities like a sleeping bag, bug spray, and a flashlight, he was  loaded heavily on his back when Imogen stepped out of the car wearing  different shoes. Which, while technically could be called boots, weren't  any hardier than the little flats she'd had on. These were shiny black  ankle boots and looked to cost somewhere in the hundred-dollar range. At  least they were flat and appeared to have a tread.

"These were the only boots I had," she said apologetically. "Other than  my fur-lined snow boots, and I thought that was perhaps overkill."

Ty grinned. He liked the way Imogen figured out the score immediately.  She was definitely trying, despite not really knowing a damn thing about  camping, and he really appreciated it. "Probably snow boots would be  overkill. But I'm sorry, babe, I should have picked you up some hiking  boots or given you better suggestions on packing. I hope your feet don't  start to hurt."

"They shouldn't." She smoothed back her ponytail. "I wore these tromping all over the Village when I was in school."

"Alright, well, if they do, you let me know." Ty winked. "I'll carry  you." She laughed. "I think that will be completely unnecessary, but  thank you. Do you need me to help with anything? You have a lot of . . .  stuff on your back."                       
       
           



       

"Could you grab that little cooler? Then just your backpack and we're  good to go." Ty started down the path to the site. "So you went to  college in New York, too?"

"Yes. NYU. I probably should have gone away from home for school to  assert my independence, but it seemed a little ridiculous when there  were so many quality schools to choose from in New York. I did live in  the dorm, so that helped, but this little adventure in Charlotte is my  first time living out of New York."

"Do you like it here?" he asked, aware that the answer actually really  mattered to him. He'd hate to think that she was going to skip out of  town in a couple of months.

"I do," she said thoughtfully. "More than I thought I would. I like the  people and the slower pace. I like the trees." She stumbled on the rough  trail and grinned. "Well, I like looking at the green trees from afar  and I like the idea of a tree in the yard of a pretty little house. I'm  not sure how I feel about the forest





here swallowing me whole. The verdict is still out on that one."

"If you're going to stay, you should get a better car." Imogen's car  downright offended him, and she wasn't safe driving around in that  rattletrap.

She smiled. "Maybe. I hadn't intended to stay here more than eighteen  months." That meant she would possibly be leaving after Christmas, then,  and he didn't like the thought of that at all. Hell, they'd just gotten  started on this whatever it was they were doing. He wanted to follow it  and see where it could go.

"Charlotte's a nice town," he said, instead of saying anything he really  wanted to, because it was too damn soon in their relationship and he  would look like a total jackass if he let her know that he was already  thinking beyond another night together. That he was thinking maybe they  could try on dating, for real.

"Yes, it is," she said simply.

He let it drop, knowing he would say the wrong thing if he continued the conversation.

After ten minutes of silence, Imogen was starting to huff and puff a  little as they walked down the path, their boots crunching on the sticks  and other debris. Ty felt a little guilty for the long hike, but then  without warning, she stopped walking and just looked around her. She  turned in a complete circle, gazing up at the sky, before closing her  eyes and breathing deeply.

When she reopened her eyes, she was smiling in wonderment. "God, Ty, it really is beautiful, isn't it?

Everything is so verdant and alive, the sky so crisp and blue, the  smells so unusual and fresh. Even the air feels different. Damp. Earthy.  Thank you for suggesting this." She was beautiful. She was verdant and  alive, unusual and fresh. Damn, if he wasn't struck a bit dumb by the  sight of her standing there glowing with curiosity and appreciation for  the world around her. "It's a pleasure to share it with you," he said.  "And if I wasn't hauling twenty pounds on my back, I'd show you how much  more pleasurable it could be."