She’d changed her mind. Allowed the distance between them to resurrect all her doubts. Reconsidered another night together.
“I got my period today,” she continued. “I should have remembered it was coming, but I’ve been kind of distracted the last few days.”
At that, his head jerked up, and he blinked at the clubhouse a few times.
“I also should have talked to my gynecologist before the trip about avoiding this sort of situation, but to be fair, I hadn’t anticipated plastering my naked, wet boobs against a random bro’s back, finding out he’s actually the resort’s very talented and appealing tennis pro, and then boning him until my vagina raised a tiny white flag this morning.”
He snorted.
Also: very talented and appealing? Nice.
“I know you said you had plans for me, but…” Her sigh whispered into his ear. “I’m sorry. I’m crampy and achy and not feeling particularly sexual at the moment.”
It was true. He’d had plans. Lots of them.
Plans formulated over an endless, sunny day without Tess. Plans created with her sexual preferences and physical limitations in mind. Plans incorporating both his greatest talents and the vibrator he’d managed to buy on the mainland over an extended lunch break.
Most of all, plans to make certain the next time he accompanied her to the dock—in just over a week, a stretch of time that now felt like the snap of his fingers—watching her leave wouldn’t mean watching her leaveforever, because this goodbye had been hard enough.
Plans he now had to scuttle.
But that was okay. He could take or leave sex, even the sort of transcendent sex he’d had with Tess last night. As long as he still had the woman herself at his side, he wouldn’t ask for more.
Her voice lowered even further. Turned tentative in a way that made him frown. “So…” A hesitation. “I’m not sure what that means as far as tonight. Whether we’re still getting together.” Another pause. “Call or text me when you get a chance, okay? Hope you’re having a good day.”
That was it. The end of her message.
He glared at his phone, battling the urge to throw it in frustration. Did she think he only wanted her for sex? What the fuck?
Or, worse, did she only wanthimfor sex?
A quick glance at the screen revealed he still had five minutes before his next lesson began. His clients, a mother and daughter, were already waiting just outside the chain-link fence surrounding the courts, their eyes on him. He forced a smile in their direction, then turned his back to them to make the call.
Tess answered after the first ring. “Hi, Lucas.”
“Hey, Tess.” He didn’t have time to ease into the conversation. More than that, he couldn’t tolerate this level of uncertainty, not when it came to her. “I just listened to your message, and I get it. We can’t have sex tonight. Do you still want to see me? Or not?”
With his free hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.
Dammit. That had come out a bit too blunt. A bit too demanding.
Her long silence in response seemed to indicate her agreement.
“Wow,” she finally said. “No flirty charm there, Karlsson. You’re losing your touch.”
He pinched harder and managed to grind out two words. “Tess. Please.”
“Tell me first.” The words were a challenge, their aggressive bravado only a little undermined by their shakiness. “Doyoustill want to get together tonight?”
She had to ask? To repeat himself: What the fuck?
“Of course I do.” The words emerged in a whisper, more pained than he’d anticipated. “When have I ever given you any indication I only want you for sex?”
Over the line, he could hear the rapid rush of her breath. “You haven’t. But we’ve known each other for less than a week, Lucas. How could I be sure?”
His frustration died at the reminder of how little time they’d actually spent in each other’s company. How little, in the end, they actually knew about one another, for all that she made him feel naked in every conceivable way when they were together.
“I guess you couldn’t. Which brings us back to my question.” His hand wasn’t entirely steady, and he tightened his grip on the phone. “Do you still want to see me?”
