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Declan replied, “There’s one reason Ishouldn’t.”
This I was dying to hear. “What is that?” I asked, my heart pounding hoping he’d say what I wanted to hear. That he found me desirable and if he touched me, he wouldn’t be able to stop.
“Venus, are you enjoying this?” he asked.
“I said I was,” I replied. He gave me a playful slap on my bottom. I winced, but not from pain, and quickly rolled over onto my back. Looking him in the eye, I asked, “What was that for?”
“I thought I saw a bug,” he smiled.
“Out here in the middle of the ocean? How can that be?”
“So you’re going to play it that way, are you?”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “Maybe. Is there another way you can think of that would be...better?” I asked, putting it back on him.
“You do know that you’re playing with fire. I thought you wanted us to get to know each other better on this trip,” he reminded me.
“I do. But since you haven’t spoken to me since you kissed me, I figured it called for drastic measures,” I smiled. “You should be happy that I didn’t decide to sunbathe in the nude.”
His jaw clenched. “If you did, we definitely wouldn’t be talking right now.”
I could see the need in his eyes. He wanted me. Good. Because I wanted him too. It would be so easy for us to toss aside everything and make love on the deck. But he was right, and part of me was glad that he remembered. This wasn’t supposed to be a little fling before we parted ways. I wanted to see if there was anything more to this than just a strong friendship. This could be our second chance when we really never got a first one.
Sitting up I took the sunscreen from him and said, “Thank you for lotioning me. At least I won’t burn while we talk.”
He laughed. “I thought you’d change your mind.”
“Oh, no. I haven’t. It’s still early. We haveallday to talk, andallnight for...other things,” I smirked.
Declan shook his head. “You’re impossible, you know that, right?”
“Yes. I heard Prada women can be...challenging. Are you complaining?” I asked.
“Nope. I find it...cute.”
“Cute? Kittens are cute. Puppies are cute. Grown women are not cute,” I said firmly.We’re sexy. Hot. Exciting. But not cute.
“I stand corrected. You arenotcute.” I could tell he was struggling not to laugh. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Oh, there is a list, but I think one for today is enough,” I said. “But I would’ve thought at your age, you’d have learned some of them by now.”
“I guess I never met anyone that I care about enough to pay attention. Good thing I have you now to teach me dating etiquette,” he replied.
“Oh, I’m no expert. Just know what I like and what I don’t,” I said.
“That’s all that matters to me.”
He sounded sincere. “This isn’t all about me. I want to know what you like and don’t as well. If you don’t tell me, then I won’t get to know you anymore than I do now.”
Declan got up and said, “Why don’t I go and grab us something to eat and drink, and you and I can spend the afternoon learning all about each other.”
“Why don’t you sit, and I will go and make us something. I haven’t done anything but lay around, and you’ve been doing all the work.”
“If you mean by work, that I’ve been sitting here looking at the ocean, then yeah, I'm working. There's really nothing for me to do right now,” he explained. “It would be different if we were near land. You sit. It will only take me a minute. Besides, I know where everything is,” he said before going below deck.
I was glad I’d mustered the courage to be playful with him. We needed something to break the awkward silence that had crept in. This felt more natural, more relaxed. Well, except for the sexual frustration that was building, but that was something he and I could hopefully explore later.
A week really wasn’t long enough to get to know a person. Declan said we could stay out here longer, but I couldn’t ask him to miss so much work. I didn’t even know how much he’d already missed when he started searching for me. I meant it when I said this wasn’t all about me. I wanted this to be about us. Just wasn’t sure if anuswas even possible.
