Slow Burn Cowboy(80)

“I don’t want it, either,” he said. “But we’re going to see each other. Pretty much every day. Not just because of the stupid bet. Not just because of the charity event. I’d call all that off right now if I thought it was going to ruin our friendship. But the horse has left the stable, Anna, well and truly. It’s not going back in.” He rolled his hips forward, and she gasped. “See what I mean? And if you were resistible? Then sure, I would tell you that we could just be done. We could pretend it didn’t happen. But you’re not. So I can’t.”

She opened her eyes again, looking up at him. “Then what are we doing?”

“You’ve heard of friends with benefits. Why can’t we do that? I mean, I would never have set out to have that relationship. Because I don’t think it’s very smart. But...it’s a little bit late for smart.”

“Friends with benefits. As in...we stay friends by day and we screw each other senseless by night?”

Gah. That about sent him over the edge. “Yeah.”

“Until what? Until...”

“Until you get that other date. Until the charity thing. As long as we’re both single, why not? You’re working toward the relationship stuff. You said you didn’t want to be alone anymore. So, maybe this is good in the meantime. I know you’re both industrious and red-blooded, and can get those orgasms all by yourself.” He rolled his hips again and, much to his satisfaction, a small moan of pleasure escaped her lips. “But are they this good?”

“No,” she said, her tone hushed.

“This is possibly the worst idea in the history of the world. But hell, you wanted to get some more experience... I’m offering to give it to you.” The moment he said the words he wanted to bite his tongue off. The idea of giving Anna more experience just so she could go and do things with other men? That made him see red. Made him feel violent. Jealous. Things he never felt.

But what other option was there? He couldn’t keep her. Not like this. But he couldn’t let her go now.

He was messed up. This was messed up.

“I guess... I guess that makes sense. You know, until earlier today I’d never even given a guy a blow job.”

“You’re killing me,” he said, closing his eyes.

“Well, I don’t want you to die. You just offered me your penis for carnal usage. I want you alive.”

“So that’s it? My penis has now become the star of the show. Wow, how quickly our friendship has eroded.”

“Our friendship is still solid. I think it just goes to prove how solid your dick is.”

“With romantic praise like that, how are you still single?”

“I have no idea. I spout sonnets effortlessly.”

He leaned forward, kissing her, a strange, warm sensation washing over him. He was kissing Anna. And it didn’t feel quite as rushed and desperate as all the other times before it. A decision had been made. This wasn’t a hasty race against sanity. This wasn’t trying to get as much satisfaction as possible squeezed into a moment before reality kicked in. This was...well, in the new world order, it was sanctioned.

Instantly, he was rock hard again, ready to go, even though it’d been only a few minutes since his last orgasm. But there was one problem. “I don’t have a condom,” he said, cursing and pushing himself away from her. “I don’t suppose the woman who has been celibate for the past thirteen years has one?”

“No,” she said, sagging against the wall. “You only carry one on you?”

“Yeah. I’m not superhuman. I don’t usually expect to get it on more than once in a couple of hours.”

“But you were going to with me?”

He looked down at his very erect cock. “Does this answer your question?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, then.” He let out a heavy sigh.

“You could stay and watch...Oklahoma! with me.”

He nodded slowly. He should stay and watch Oklahoma! with her. If he didn’t, it kind of made a mockery of the whole friends-with-benefits thing. Because, before the sex, he would have stayed with her to watch a movie, of course. To hang out, because she was one of his favorite people on earth to spend time with. Even if her taste in movies was deeply suspect.

Of course, he didn’t particularly want to stay now, because she presented the temptation that he could not give in to.

“Unless you have to work early tomorrow.”

“I really do,” he said.

“Thank God.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You want to get rid of me?”

“I don’t really want to hang out with you when I know I can’t have you.”

“I felt the same way, but I didn’t want to say it. I thought it seemed kind of offensive.”

Strangely, she smiled. “I’m not offended. I’m not offended at all. I kind of like being irresistible.”

Instead of leaving, he knew that he could drive down to the store and buy a box of condoms. And he seriously considered it. The problem with that was there had to be some boundaries. Some limits. He was pretty sure being so horny and desperate that you needed to buy condoms right away instead of just waiting until you had protection on hand probably didn’t fit within the boundaries of friends with benefits.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

She nodded. “See you tomorrow.”





CHAPTER NINE

BY THE TIME Anna swung by the grocery store in the afternoon, she was feeling very mature, and very proud of herself. She was having a no-strings sexual relationship with her friend. And she was going to buy milk, cheese and condoms. Because she was mature and adult and completely fine with the whole situation. Also, mature.

She grabbed a cart and began to slowly walk up and down the aisles. She was not making sure that no one she knew was around. Because, of course, she wasn’t at all embarrassed to be in the store looking for milk, cheese and—incidentally—prophylactics. She was thirty. She was entitled to a little bit of sexual release. Anyway, no one was actually watching her.

She swallowed hard, trying to remember exactly which aisle the condoms were in. She had never bought any. Ever. In her entire life.

She had been extremely tempted to make a dash to the store last night when Chase had discovered he didn’t have any more protection, but she had imagined that was just a little bit too desperate. She was going to be nondesperate about this. Very chill. And not like a woman who was a near virgin. Or like someone who was so desperate to jump her best friend’s bones it might seem like there were deeper emotions at play. There were not.

The strong feelings she had were just...in her pants. Pants feelings. That’s it.

Last night’s breakdown had been purely because she was unaccustomed to sex. Just a little post-orgasmic release. That’s all it was. The whole thing was a release. Post-orgasmic tears weren’t really all that strange.

She felt bolstered by that thought.

She turned down the aisle labeled Family Planning and made her way toward the condoms. Lubricated. Extra-thin. Ribbed. There were options. She had to stand there and seriously ponder ribbed. She should have asked Chase what he had used last night. Because whatever that had been had been perfect.

“Anna.” The masculine voice coming from her left startled her.

She turned and—to her utter horror—saw her brother Mark standing there.

“Hi,” she said, taking two steps away from the condom shelf, as though that would make it less obvious why she was in the aisle. Whatever. They were adults. Neither of them were virgins and they were both aware of that.

Still, she needed some distance between herself and anything that said “ribbed for her pleasure” when she was standing there talking to her brother.

“Haven’t seen you in a couple days.”

“Well, you pissed me off last time I saw you.”

He lifted a shoulder. “Sorry.”

He probably was, too.

“Hey, whatever. I win your bet.”

His brows shot up. “I heard a rumor about you and Chase McCormack kissing at Beaches, but I was pretty sure that...” His eyes drifted toward the condoms. “Really?”

Dying of embarrassment was a serious risk at the moment, but she was caught. Completely and totally caught. And as long as she was drowning in a sea of horror...well, she might as well ride the tide.

If he needed proof her date with Chase was real, she imagined proof of sex was about the best there was.

She took a fortifying breath. “Really,” she said, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. “It’s happening. I have a date. I have more than a date. I have a whole future full of dates because I have a relationship. With Chase. You lose.”

“I’m supposed to believe that you and McCormack are suddenly—” his eyes drifted back to the condoms again “—that.”

“You don’t have to believe it. It’s true. He’s also going to be my date to the charity gala that I’m invited to. I will take my payment in small or large bills. Thank you.”

“I’m not convinced.”

“You’re not convinced?” She moved closer to the shelf and grabbed a box of condoms. “I am caught in the act.”

“Convenient,” he said, grabbing his own box.

She made a face. “It’s not convenient. It happened.”