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Addie was terrified.
Joe didn’t even glance up from his book. “No way. This is getting good. I can’t light the kerosene lamp to read in my room or I’ll bother my roommate.”
Sarah huffed. “Addie and I have to talk.”
“Yeah?” That got his attention. “About what?”
“Girl stuff. Kevin left for bed, your turn now.”
Joe snorted. “Kevin was in bed right here. Even my dad doesn’t snore that loudly.”
Addie cringed. He had been loud. Mouth wide-open, drool glistening in the firelight—not particularly sexually alluring.
“So?” Sarah glanced at Addie then bounced up to stand an inch from Joe’s knees, hands on her hips. “You never snore? The guy traveled today, he had to get up practically in the middle of the night to catch a plane. Now go.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll go.” Joe picked up a bookmark, closed the book and stood, nearly bumping noses with Sarah, who faltered but stood her ground. Addie smiled. Go, Joe. He should throw her over his shoulder and take her somewhere private. “But you owe me, Sarah Bosson.”
“I do not.” She took a step back, wrapping her long black sweater tightly around herself. “Git.”
Joe took hold of her arms and planted a lingering kiss on her forehead, waved goodbye to Addie and left, grinning and shaking his head. Addie sighed after him. What she wouldn’t give for her own personal Joe. “He’s the greatest, Sarah.”
Sarah snapped over to look at Addie from where she’d been staring after Joe. “What?”
“Joe.” Addie smirked at her. “The best.”
“Oh, yeah, he’s great.” She rubbed her hands briskly together. “So now, Sweet Addie-lide, or should I say, ‘Addie-laid,’ we have plans to make!”
The bottom dropped out of Addie’s stomach. “I don’t know, Sarah.”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Sarah threw up her hands. “I knew you’d chicken out.”
“I am not.” She’d been so sure during dinner. Kevin had been so sweet, so attentive, so obviously interested. But it was one thing being on the receiving end of a flirtation and quite another to barge into his room his first night here and demand sex. “I just think...maybe it’s bad timing.”
“Uh-huh.” Sarah tapped her foot, fists planted at her waist. “Try again.”
“I’m...having my period.”
“Are not.”
“I’ve got a raging case of...whatever.”
“Sor-ry,” Sarah sang. “You’re go-ing.”
Addie flopped back on the couch and stared up at the planks of the ceiling. “I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel right.”
“You’re chicken.”
“I’m not—” She lifted her head defiantly then scrunched her face at Sarah’s skeptical expression. “Okay, yes, I am, a little. But it’s not just that.”
“Of course it’s just that. How can wild beast seduction feel right if you’ve never done it before? You have nothing to compare it to. Now.” She started pacing the room, braided rug to pine boards to braided rug, thud thud thud, tap tap. “You’ll want to get in the mood. Obviously sitting here talking to me isn’t going to do it. We need to picture the whole thing.”
Addie groaned, thinking Sarah was probably right. Jitters were perfectly natural, and this weekend was about throwing off her fears and reaching past her comfort zones.
“I’ve got it.” Sarah went around turning off gas lamps until the room was in semidarkness, lit only by the flickering fire. “That’s better. Now close your eyes and think of—”
“England?”
“Kevin.”
Addie did close her eyes, but only after rolling them in exasperation. “Okay.”
“Now imagine him completely naked.” Her voice lowered to a seductive drone. “In bed, waiting for you.”
She did. Kevin. Naked. Top to bottom, bottom to toes. Hmm, that wasn’t bad. Not at all. “That actually helps.”
