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I think the safe thing was the biggest part of it, actually.

He hovered, still inside of me, catching his breath. His heart was thudding against my bare breast like a jackhammer.

“Fuck…” he breathed. “You’re gonna give me a heart attack.”

“Well, you seem like a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.”

He laughed so hard into my neck, I broke into giggles.

He started kissing me softly, still chuckling, and I tipped my head back.

I hated that we only had time for this quickie. The second time would last longer. We’d take everything off. We’d play a little. Draw it out.

This was the night I wanted. It was the weekend I wanted. I wished I could just stay here, stay with him. I didn’t want to spend two days with Gabby and Jessica when this was the alternative. I didn’t want to ride the bike trail or sit in a chair on the four-season porch reading a book or get my nails done at the lone salon in town. I just wanted to do this. And it was weird because until I got here, I’d been looking forward to spending time with my friends. But Daniel had just risen to the top of a quickly shifting priority list.

Huh.

He kissed his way up under my chin. “I didn’t know your last name,” he said.

“What?” I said absently.

He came up to look at me, his earnest hazel eyes peering into mine. “It was on the reservation, but I didn’t know it was you.” He paused. “I’ve never done this with someone I didn’t know,” he said quietly.

The way he said it made me instantly feel bad. Like I’d defiled him. Made him lower his standards for intimacy. I mean, he hadn’t asked me my last name. But then he probably thought I wouldn’t have told him. And honestly? I probably wouldn’t have. I’d sort of had one foot out the door since the start of all this.

But I didn’t really have one foot out the door now…

I was going to keep seeing him. At least for the time being. He didn’t need to know my whole life story, but I could give him a little more than I had been.

I gave him a gentle kiss. “Alexis Elizabeth Montgomery.”

He smiled so that his eyes twinkled. Then he leaned in. “Alexis.” Kiss. “Elizabeth.” Kiss. “Montgomery.”

I never knew hearing my name could make me smile so much. I arched an eyebrow. “Are you going to Google me now?”

“Not if you don’t want me to,” he said. “Did you Google me?”

“Well, yeah. What if you were a registered sex offender?”

He looked amused. “And? What did you find?”

“Five-star reviews.”

He laughed.

My cell phone pinged from wherever I’d dropped it on the floor.

Daniel nodded over his shoulder. “Are you gonna check it?”

“I probably should,” I said, running my hands through his hair. “What if they’re coming back.”

He gave me a final peck and got up and handed me my phone from the floor. Then he went to the bathroom to clean up.

I checked the text and grinned. “They’re going to the VFW,” I called out. “Something about trivia night?”

Daniel smiled coming out of the bathroom, zipping up his pants. “It goes until ten.”

“So we have three more hours?”