He chuckled. “Wow, you still don’t pull any punches, do you?”
She knew she was way out of line, still she asked, “Well? You wanted to know what I was thinking, so I told you. It wasn’t a question, so don’t feel I’m expecting a response.” Though she was.
“Do I sleep around?” He seemed to consider the question before he said, “Some.”
“Huh.” Knowing that felt like a shot to the gut. “Good to know.”
He grabbed her arm when she started to walk away. “Only because I don’t have a girlfriend. Haven’t had an interest in one for quite a while.”
He was towering over her, so she had to tip her head back to look him in the eye. “Why?”
“Got tired of wasting my time with women who don’t measure up.”
She was a little offended on behalf of all the women he’d dated. “What? You have some invisible yard stick you use to gauge whether they’re worth your time?”
“Yeah, I call it the Harper.” He flattened his hand on top of her head. “It’s just about this big.” His eyes raked over her body. “Curvy. Hot.”
“Shut up.” She knocked his hand away, trying to stifle a laugh. “You can’t tell me you compare all other women to your high school girlfriend, Deke. That was a lifetime ago. We were just kids then.”
“So you’ve never compared another guy to me?”
Only all the time. “No.” She was tempted to look down to see if her pants were on fire.
“You’re such a liar.” His lips twitched as his hands landed on her hips. “You know what we had was hotter than hell, Harper. And I don’t care how old we were. Hot is hot, at any age.”
She couldn’t argue. Men like Deke didn’t come along twice in a lifetime. Sexy. Selfless. Daring. Impulsive. Ugh! She didn’t know if she was trying to sell herself on the man or the apartment.
“I guess you’re right.” No point denying it. Her reaction was evident in the way her nipples were pebbling from the mere touch of his hands. “But hot sex isn’t the only—”
“Sex with him,” he cut in. “What was it like?”
“What?” She couldn’t believe he was asking her about her ex. Was he crazy? If Deke had been engaged she sure as hell wouldn’t be asking about their sex life. “Why?”
“I wanna know how he measured up.” His lips skimmed her ear and her tummy quivered. “Did he make you lose control… the way I did?”
Never. Not once had she achieved the Big O during intercourse with him. With Deke he wasn’t satisfied until she got off before he did. Yeah, he was that selfless. And that good.
“That’s a pretty personal question, isn’t it?” It’s not that she felt the need to protect her lying, cheating ex. She just didn’t want Deke to know she’d settled for second best after he left her high and dry all those years ago.
“Yeah, and we’ve been pretty… tight… in the past. I think that means we get to cross those lines with each other, doesn’t it?”
His choice of words made her think of the night he’d claimed her virginity. It was everything she expected, and more than she ever thought possible. He’d not only rocked her world that night. He’d detonated it. Blown it apart. And she’d never been able to piece it back together since. She’d changed that night, giving herself to another person in a way she never had. He’d claimed a part of her, and never given it back.
“I think you gave up the right to take liberties with me when you dumped me.” Her words were lost on the breath trapped in her throat. His mouth was so close to hers and the promise of that kiss was lingering between them. So close all she had to do was tilt her head to claim it.
“I hate that word.” He brushed his lips across her temple. “I didn’t dump you, Harper. I let you go. For your sake and for mine.”
“Bullshit.” She was so tired of people believing they knew what was best for her. No one knew her heart the way this man once had, and for him to say he’d broken up with her for her own good was a total crock.
He smirked. “It’s true.”
“No, it’s not.” She pushed against his chest, taking a step back. “How dare you claim to know what was best for me! I loved you, you asshole.”
“Sssh.” He curled his hands around her shoulders. “I know you did, baby. I loved you too. But we were just kids and—”
“Don’t use that as an excuse!” In deference to Drew, and the half-open door, she lowered her voice. “I know plenty of people who fell in love as teenagers and are still together.” She was starting to sound like Jude. “I wanted us to stay together, to work it out, but you bailed on me. Now you think you can just walk back into my life and start asking all kinds of personal questions about the men I’ve been with since you?” She pushed his hands away. “Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.” Wanting to make him hurt the way he’d hurt her, she said, “But I can say that I now know what it’s like to have a man love me so completely he’s willing to fight for me.”
His clenched his hands at his sides. “You’re talking about that loser who cheated on you?”
