Page 46 of Pure Temptation in Cowboy Boots

Tess glanced at the clock and sighed with regret. “You’re right. If you don’t leave soon, the neighbors would wonder and the gossip mill would start running.”

He nodded. “I could park outside somebody else’s house all night with no problem, but not yours. And we sure don’t want to awaken anybody’s suspicions.” He moved the pillow and the tray of food and swung his legs over the end of the bed.

Tess couldn’t resist glancing at the part of his anatomy that had recently delivered her from her virgin status. “You are ready again!”

“Surprise, surprise.” He reached for his clothes.

“Want a quickie?” Her blood raced at the thought.

He turned back to her, a smile on his face. “And what do you know about quickies?”

“Everything. You just forget about the foreplay and go for it.” Her nipples tightened in reaction. “It makes for variety. What do you think?”

He paused, his boxers in one hand. “Sounds tempting. But I guess I need the answer to my question first.”

“What question?”

He faced her. “Well, you’re not a virgin anymore.”

“No, I’m not.”

“So your project’s technically finished, right?”

Her stomach clenched with sudden anxiety. “You mean we could stop right here and never... make love again?”

“That’s what I mean. I need to know if this is the end of the fun and games or not.”

“What do you want to do?”

He gave her a wry grin and gestured toward his groin. “I think that’s obvious.”

“I’m talking about the long-term risk.” But as she spoke, she wondered if she fully understood the long-term risk. She’d been concerned about their families and people in town finding out. Maybe that wasn’t the biggest problem. After tonight, she felt bonded to Mac in a way she’d never experienced before, and yet she’d have to break that bond at the end of the summer. The more they made love to each other, the stronger the bond would become.

“I’m willing to accept the long-term risk,” Mac said quietly.

A world of meaning lived in that statement “And we’ll still be... friends?” She wondered if that was the most foolish risk of all. If they made love all summer, could they possibly continue to be just friends?

His reply was soft and deliberate. “We’ll always be friends.”

He looked magnificent standing there. No woman in her right mind would turn down the chance to spend the summer loving Mac, no matter what the consequences. “I wouldn’t want to lose your friendship.”

“You won’t.”

“Promise?”

He smiled. “I swear on the tomb of old King Tut, take a willow switch to my butt.”

She took a deep breath. “Then I guess...” She paused and blushed. “I guess I’d like to expand my summer project and get more experience.”

His smile faded, and he gazed at her with that unfamiliar fire in his eyes. “Okay. Then that’s what we’ll do.” He started to put on his clothes.

“Wait. I thought we were going to have⁠—”

“A quickie?” He pulled on his jeans and winced as he started buttoning his fly.

“Well, yes.”

He reached for his shirt. “If tonight had been the end of the road, we would have. In fact, I might have turned it into something a little longer than that.” He gazed at her as he buttoned his shirt. “But if we have all summer, then I don’t want to settle for a quickie.”