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I’d been hoping to get away without acknowledging that. But I felt like a dick now that I’d been caught. “Thanks for the idea.”
He smiled bigger than if I’d just given him a raise. “You’re welcome.”
***
“Alright, now I know you’re probably as nervous as I am about my weekend. But I think it’s time.”
I walked out on my back deck and found Josie kneeling on the grass at the water’s edge, having a conversation with the duck. The scene was too entertaining to interrupt.
She stroked his feathers and pointed behind her. “You have a nice new house. Well, it’s notnew new. I got it at the garage sale I went to with Opal. But it’s clean and new to us. So if you decide you’re not ready to go back with your friends yet, your bed is fluffed up and waiting.”
Jesus Christ, I hadn’t even noticed the new addition to the yard. The woman had bought a wild duck adog house. I suppose that was fitting, seeing as he slept on an orthopedic bed.
She leaned forward and nuzzled the duck. When she stood, the thing flapped its wings and started to walk into the water. Josie smiled and covered her heart with her hand. “Come back and visit soon, Daisy! I left food in your new house in case you get hungry!”
I leaned a hip against the deck railing, watching Josie watch the duck swim off. Fifty feet into the lake, a gang of similar-looking ducks swam over, and Josie’s little friend joined their group.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled, “I’m glad you put him back where he belongs. I was concerned you might try to stash him in your bag and bring him this weekend.”
Josie jumped before turning around. “You scared the crap out of me! How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to know you’re nervous about this weekend.”
A hint of pink flushed across her cheeks. “I was just trying to make Daisy feel better, like she wasn’t alone.”
“Uh-huh.”
Josie rolled her eyes. “I’m not nervous to spend time with you.”
“Maybe you should be.”
“Why is that?”
I looked her up and down, drinking in how good she looked in yet another pair of yoga pants—this time blue—and a matching cropped top. “Because I’m going to do very bad things to you.”
Her jaw went slack. I liked it when she got that look, like she was visualizing me pleasing her. Yet she kept up the charade, folding her arms across her chest. “Is that so?”
I pushed off the railing and stalked over. Josie lifted her chin and stood her ground, which turned me on even more. When we were toe to toe, I looked down my nose at her and tugged at a piece of her hair. “It is. Got a problem with that?”
“What if I say I do?”
“Then you’d be missing out. I was planning on fingering you in the driveway before we even left so you’d be relaxed for the trip. Mrs. Craddox would probably be disappointed too. I’m sure she can’t remember the last time she saw an orgasm face.”
Josie play-smacked my stomach, laughing. “You’re so crass.”
I cupped my ear. “What’s that? Did you say you want it in the ass? That can be arranged...”
Her cheeks reddened, but I could tell she enjoyed my teasing. Well, I wasmostlyteasing. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pulled her to me. “So is this how it’s going to be? When I see you, I’m going to have to take a kiss because you’re not going to offer me one?”
“Am I supposed to do that? I wasn’t sure of the protocol. I’ve never been in a sex-only relationship.”
That last statement should’ve set off a band of warning bells—there was a reason some women only ever did relationships. They couldn’t separate the physical from the emotional. Yet instead of making me think twice, I was ecstatic to know hookups weren’t her thing. It was a ridiculous double standard, of course, considering those were the only thing I’d done for the last couple of years. But it was what it was.
I ducked my head down and planted my lips on hers. It took all of three seconds before my jeans grew snug, so I knew I needed to pace myself. But the week had been long, and Josie had been my first thought when I woke up every day and my last thought when I fell asleep at night. So it wasn’t easy. I wanted her stripped naked and calling my name the way she did as soon as possible.
Begrudgingly, I pulled back from the kiss and rubbed my hands up and down her shoulders. “You ready to go?”
“Pretty much. I just need to throw a sweater or a sweatshirt in my bag in case it gets chilly.”
