Page 29 of Twice as Tempting

“I have no idea.”

“Exactly! That’s what I’m talking about. We don’t truly know each other, Damian. We were only together for a matter of weeks before, and we spent most of that time… “

“In bed,” he finished proudly.

Kelly scowled at him. “Yes, and we’ve already established that that part of our relationship works, but what about the rest of it?”

“What rest of it?” Damian looked confused.

Kelly sighed. “We need to determine if we really like each other as people, not just as lovers.”

Damian gazed at her intently for what felt like several minutes, as if weighing his options. He must have sensed that she was serious and that he was being tested. Finally, he said, “So, sex is off the table. So to speak.”

Kelly nodded. “For the next three months.”

“No kissing?”

Kelly stared at his lips and decided that maybe she could make an exception. “Some kissing would be ok, as long as it doesn’t lead to… “

“How about touching?”

She glanced at his hands, one of which was wrapped tightly around his beer bottle, and the other that rested casually along the back of the couch. Oh, what those hands have done to me! “Maybe a little bit of touching.”

Damian looked skeptical. “Why are you doing this, Kell? Tell me the real reason, because I know it’s not just about your favorite color or your parents’ names. Where is this coming from?”

Kelly squirmed under his intense scrutiny. She had bared her body to Damian before, but not her heart, not her soul. If this was going to work, she owed him an honest answer, so she plunged ahead. “All my adult life, I’ve given myself freely to men, and what do I have to show for it? A string of failed relationships, that’s what. And I think it’s because I’ve been going at it backwards. Instead of taking the time to develop something real, I’ve jumped right in and gotten ahead of myself. I’ve decided that I want something more than just a fling. I want someone to want all of me, and I want to feel like I’m worth the wait.”

Damian took a long slug of his beer and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “So, for the next three months, we date and get to know each other without the sex.”

At least he didn’t laugh at me or tell me to leave. “Yes,” she said softly.

“But some kissing and touching is allowed.”

His attempt to understand the rules made her giggle. “Yes, but we can’t get carried away.”

“You know that this is going to be torture for me, right?”

“It won’t be easy for me either,” she admitted.

“And after the wedding is over…”

“The ban is lifted, assuming you still want me.”

“Oh, I’ll still want you.”

Kelly swallowed hard. “So, do we have a deal?”

Damian leaned across the couch and held out his hand. “Shake on it,” he said with a sparkle in his eye.

When she slid her hand into his rough warm grip, she almost called the whole thing off. Just the feel of his skin against hers and the memories of the pleasure he’d brought her in the past made her tingly from head to toe.

Damian smiled seductively, and she knew that it was going to be game on! If she was willing to “torture” him, he would do the same to her. The next three months were sure to be a bumpy ride!

“Ready to go?” Damian asked.

It was the following afternoon, and Kelly had the day off, so Damian had asked her to come with him to check out the auto shop. Kelly had left his apartment shortly after their discussion the night before, even though Damian had suggested they watch a movie together. She hadn’t wanted to tempt fate by sitting in his darkened apartment on a Saturday night, so she had begged off early with the promise that she would accompany him to the shop the next day. She figured that this was the perfect outing for their first official “date,” because a dirty auto shop didn’t sound overly romantic, yet she was curious about where he worked.

“So, should I be asking some questions to learn more about you?” Damian teased.