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He laughed. “That’s what makes her fun.”
Charlie shook his head. “You’re twisted.”
“Yeah, pretty much.” And that’s when it hit him, part of her appeal, beyond the obvious. Since he’d decided to clean up his ways, he’d gone out of his way to date women that aligned with his relationship goals. Someone nice and stable, to balance out the crazy he’d experienced when the woman he’d been just having some fun with decided to fixate on him and refuse to let go. When he went out with a woman now, he made no move to seduce her. He did what he was supposed to do—get to know her, learn about her—but he hadn’t realized until that moment how exhausting he found all that good, polite behavior. Careful and safe was work for him. An effort.
He didn’t have to do that with Sophie. He didn’t have to tone it down.
It was like that kiss. He’d never had a first kiss like that. They’d held nothing back. There’d been no caution. No getting to know you. It had just been instant, filthy making out, full of tongue and teeth and unfiltered lust.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d experienced that with a woman. Probably never.
Despite all his internal warnings, the second he was with her he flew on instinct, bantering and goading her. He hadn’t even known that was missing for him. It didn’t change his goals or where he wanted his life to go, but it did refine his perception of what he needed in a woman.
It didn’t change anything between Sophie and him because that same instinct told him she was a bad idea. Both of them wanted to stay away from each other. Neither thought an affair would work. But since he had a better handle on the balance he desired, he could try the whole neighborly friend thing.
He glanced over at her. She was laughing, her eyes bright. She was fun. He liked her temper. Liked her sharp tongue. She’d been in town only a few days, and she already livened up the place.
Friends was worth a shot.
