“My shin might be cracked, but to quote a very wise woman, I think otherwise, my worst injury is a severely bruised ego.” Those eyes searched mine, so serious and full of apologies that I laughed even harder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Just shut up and kiss me.” I dragged his head down to mine and moaned when he complied wholeheartedly with the instruction.
“As you wish, m’lady,” he murmured against my mouth, winding a hand into my hair and anchoring the other firmly on my hip.
I squirmed underneath him, already desperately wanting so much more as he explored every nook and cranny of my mouthwith his tongue. “I thought we’d already established I’m not a lady.”
“And yet, the things you’re doing to me right now suggest otherwise,” he replied roughly without skipping a beat. “If I promise not to tell anyone, do you think you could just be a good girl for me tonight?”
A shiver raced through me, but I broke the kiss to look up at him anyway. “Did you really just say that?”
“I did,” he said, completely shameless about it. He held my gaze, the hand that’d been on my hip trailing slowly up my ribs like he knew he was leaving tingles in the wake of his palm. “Why are you looking at me like you think it’s funny?”
“A good girl?” I arched an eyebrow at him, but I couldn’t bite back my smile. “I guess I didn’t know people actually said stuff like that in real life.”
“As opposed to?” he asked, lowering his head to the crook of my neck and pressing his hot mouth against my throat.
I squirmed a little more, struggling to control my breathing with his lips and teeth grazing against my skin. “Isn’t it just a book thing?”
“I didn’t know it was a book thing,” he said, giving me a playful little nip before moving his head further down. “All I know is that if you’ll let me, I want to make you feel damn good. I just can’t do that if you won’t trust me.”
“What does trusting you entail?”
“Listening to me,” he murmured as his lips dragged across the top of my cleavage, his tongue trailing the edges of my low-cut tank top. “Letting me know if you want me to stop but doing what I tell you otherwise.”
I swallowed hard, my mouth drier than the Sahara as lust and uncertainty waged a war within me. “I think I can do that.”
“Youthink?” He finally lifted his head to look at me again, those green eyes burning with intensity as they met mine. Iwasn’t sure what he saw in my eyes, but it was like I could see understanding dawn behind his gaze as he looked at me. “You haven’t been with anyone since the asshole, have you?”
Surprised that he’d put it together so fast, I simply nodded my head. Then I sighed, deciding that I might as well be honest with him. Theo made me feel safe, but if he wasn’t up to this particular task, I’d rather knowbeforeinstead ofafteranyway.
“I hadn’t been with anyone before the asshole, either,” I admitted quietly, seeing the shock flash in his eyes as he froze above me.
For a second, I thought that was it. I really thought he was going to scoot back, make up some excuse, and hightail it out of here, but instead, he drew in a deep, shuddering breath, his gaze suddenly tender but cautious.
“Fuck,” he breathed, blinking a few times before he rolled half off me, resting his weight on his elbow, but keeping his eyes on mine as he settled on his side. “Okay, I won’t lie. I have so many questions, but the only one that’s really relevant right now is, are you sure you want this? We don’t have to rush anything, Raquel.”
“That’s sweet.” I rolled into him, bringing one of my hands to his cheek and stroking the soft skin beneath his eye. “Really. It’s very sweet, but I’m no virgin, Theo. If I didn’t want you exactly where you are right now, you would’ve been back at the campsite already.”
“Fair enough.” A slow smile spread across his lips, some of the tension visibly easing out of his features. “This does change the rules a little, though. It’s the lady’s choice. Are you going to be a good girl for me, or am I being good for you?”
I laughed, leaning forward to brush another kiss to his lips. “Can I have it both ways?”
“You can have it however you want.”
He wound his fingers into my hair again, drawing me closer for another one of those intoxicating, mind-altering kisses. I relaxed into him, going with it when he slowly peeled my shirt over my head and undid my fly.
Theo undressed me like he was unwrapping a gift he already treasured, kissing my mouth, my chest, and my stomach as he went. Every so often, he’d glance up into my eyes, quietly checking in and waiting until I nodded before he removed the next piece of clothing.
When I was finally naked, he sat up on the mattress and, without a word, lifted his arms. I took the cue, hooking my fingers around the hem of his shirt and pulling it off over his head. He’d changed into another pair of shorts after the float, but they were swim trunks too, the quick knot he’d tied giving as soon as I tugged on it and the velcro easily coming apart.
It turned out there was a very specific reason why I’d felt his arousal so clearly while we’d been kissing, and it became apparent as soon as I started pushing down his pants. Surprise flared through me, a breathless laugh coming out with it.
“You were goingcommando?”
He smirked as he looked up from my hands on his waistband, a devilish light in those eyes as they caught on mine. “You don’t wear underwear with swim trunks? Are you insane?”
“Does that mean you’re going to be mostly naked again tomorrow?”
