Only Her (A K2 Team Novel)(41)

She burst out laughing.

Well, that wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. “I’m serious.”

“I’m sure . . .” More laughter. “I’m sure you are. Go on, what’s the rest?”

A bit offended that she hadn’t protested rule number one, he said, “Why is that funny?”

She gave a shake of her head, as if indicating he was an idiot. “Like anyone can control their heart. I don’t plan to fall in love with you, but if it happens, it happens. Deal with it.”

Damn, he liked this woman. “For your own sake, I hope you don’t. Next, if we sleep together—”

“When. When we sleep together. It’s going to happen, Cody, so you might as well get used to the idea.”

Oh yeah, he definitely liked her. “Okay, when we do, whether it’s here or at your house, no spending the night together.”

“That’s a bummer. I like waking up with a man in my bed.” She tilted her head and studied him. “So, why not?”

Although he didn’t want to tell her, it was only fair she understood. “Because I have nightmares, and sometimes I wake up not knowing where I am. I’m afraid I might hurt you.”

“That’s a good reason. Next?”

It was that easy with her? No delving into his psyche, wanting him to spill his guts? “This is the last one. There will be no others for either of us for as long as it lasts between us. I don’t share. When either one of us has had enough it will end. No fights. No tears.”

Her lips thinned. “Had enough?”

Christ, he was a moron. That last sounded good in his mind when he’d thought of it last night, not so much when he said the words aloud.

She stood, put her hands flat on the table, and leaned her face toward his. “I should warn you that when someone puts conditions on me, I have a tendency to do the exact opposite. That goes back to the foster homes where there were always conditions on my behavior if I wanted to stay. Most times I didn’t, but I won’t bore you with my poor, sad childhood. I’ll do my best to abide by your rules, but I have one of my own.”

He managed not to squirm with those hazel eyes focused on him, while at the same time he was aroused by how the gold flecks in them seemed to flare like a lit match. She was pissed, and being a typical man, all he could think about was burying himself to the hilt in all that fiery heat radiating from her. Her, I want her! his dick screamed, snapping to attention.

“And that would be?” Surprised his voice hadn’t come out sounding like a croaking bullfrog, he gave in and squirmed. He should’ve put on sweatpants, not jeans.

“That the time we spend together isn’t only in bed. We go out on dates like a real couple.”

“I don’t date.”

“You do now, so ask me out.”

He opened his mouth to argue, then remembered the party Kincaid was giving Ryan and his fiancée. “There’s a dinner party next Saturday at my boss’s house for one of my teammates who’s getting married.” Not liking being stared down at, he stood. Much better. “Would you please be my date?” Her smile was like the cat who ate the canary, and who could blame her? She thought she’d gotten one over on him, and he let her have the win. She didn’t need to know that he’d planned to ask her.

“So we don’t see each other until then?”

That was unacceptable. He slipped around behind her, curled a strand of her long hair around his hand the way he’d been fantasizing doing, and tugged her head back. With his mouth brushing her ear, he said, “No, darlin’. That’s the beginning of our going-out-together agreement. At the start of our conversation, you wanted to know when we were going to have sex. The answer to that is tonight.”

“Oh,” she said.

How could one short word sound so breathy? He pressed his erection against her sweet ass. “Yeah, oh. I’ll even feed you dinner first. Seven on my porch sound good?”

She tilted her head back, resting it on his chest, and peered up at him. “Sounds really good.”

“Then I’ll see you tonight.” He wanted to kiss her, but if he did, he knew he wouldn’t stop, and she needed to go to work. He settled for nipping her earlobe, swallowing a smile when she closed her eyes on a sigh. When she tried to turn in his arms, he stepped back. “Go to work, Riley.”

She shook a finger at him. “You’re a cruel man, Cody Roberts, sending me off without even a kiss.”

“You want a kiss?” He grinned at how vigorously she nodded her head. “Then be here at seven.” She needed to go while she still could. It was only by one tenuous thread of control that he didn’t go caveman on her, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her to his bed. If he even got that far.