“Used to be? I didn’t realize you could stop being an artist.”
I shrugged, unsure what to say.
He pushed his hair back, leaving it standing on end. “Claire, are you trying to be an enigma?” His brow furrowed a bit before he laughed. “You don’t want to talk about you? ” He touched my heart to emphasize his point.
I leaned over him then, smiling. “There’s not that much to know.”
He lay back and looked up at me, his hand coming to rest against my cheek. “I’d like to know you better.”
I shook my head, arching a wicked eyebrow to distract him. “You know me better than—”
“I mean in here.” His finger touched the middle of my forehead, shaking his head with exaggerated exasperation. He paused then, his eyebrows rising. “Hold on a minute. I know you better than how many?”
I blushed and shook my head, laughing a little. “Why would you want to know? Is that a male thing? To want to know your conquest ranking, I mean?”
He shrugged. “Probably.” He took a strand of my hair between his fingers. “I’ll tell you.”
I shook my head and tried to sound indignant. “I don’t think I want to know.” But I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Four. Including you.” His voice was rather detached. “First was a girl from school. We had several hot and messy encounters in the costume closet of the theatre. Second was at a party in a pile of coats. She wore horrible perfume and we were very drunk. And my last girlfriend, Fiona, who was one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen… Well, we were together for almost three years but she never made a sound when we were in bed. I have no idea if she even liked sex.”
“I suppose I’m…more vocal.” I winced, embarrassment churning in my stomach as I rolled onto my back beside him.
He rose on his elbow over me. His hand cupped my face as he smiled a very satisfied smile. “Maybe a bit.” He kissed me. “Which was fantastic, actually.” He was dropping kisses along my neck and shoulder, his hand feather-light on my stomach. “You?”
“Um, yes…yes, I like sex. I imagine my response probably gave that away, though.” I blushed. He waited and then I realized what he was waiting for. “Oh. That question. Really?” I was suddenly embarrassed. His face was expectant in the shadows over me.
He laughed. “That many, eh?”
My mouth fell open and I spoke quickly, horrified at what he might think. “Two—you included.”
There was a long silence. I think I must have held my breath. His fingers froze in my hair and his face crumpled. “How should I feel about that?” His hand fell to my face, holding it as he stared intently into my eyes.
I considered his thoughtful expression. “I’m not expecting anything. I mean, you don’t need to freak out,” I said softly.
He shook his head. “That’s not it. I guess, well, I feel a bit…honored.”
Something stirred inside me at his words, at the look on his face. “I met my ex-husband before I could even drive.” I paused then, chewing the inside of my lip out of habit. “Would you rather I said I was some serial philanderer? Or I’d been easy in college? Or that I was some frigid, dried-up—”
“No worries there.” His laugh shook his entire frame, making our bodies brush in interesting ways. His eyes sparkled in the dim light.
“For the first time in a very long time, I felt wanted for me. And this—” My hand wandered leisurely over his chest and his stomach. “—was more than I’d imagined.” I touched his mouth with my fingertips, my stomach tightening as my mind replayed the last few minutes.
He kissed my fingertips. “ Wanted is a bit of an understatement, Claire. It also implies past tense.” His eyes were warm as he leaned down to kiss me gently. “Happy birthday,” he spoke against my lips. His mouth was soft on mine, growing more demanding as my hands began to explore. He was pulling me under him, his breath growing uneven against me as we gave
I shrugged, unsure what to say.
He pushed his hair back, leaving it standing on end. “Claire, are you trying to be an enigma?” His brow furrowed a bit before he laughed. “You don’t want to talk about you? ” He touched my heart to emphasize his point.
I leaned over him then, smiling. “There’s not that much to know.”
He lay back and looked up at me, his hand coming to rest against my cheek. “I’d like to know you better.”
I shook my head, arching a wicked eyebrow to distract him. “You know me better than—”
“I mean in here.” His finger touched the middle of my forehead, shaking his head with exaggerated exasperation. He paused then, his eyebrows rising. “Hold on a minute. I know you better than how many?”
I blushed and shook my head, laughing a little. “Why would you want to know? Is that a male thing? To want to know your conquest ranking, I mean?”
He shrugged. “Probably.” He took a strand of my hair between his fingers. “I’ll tell you.”
I shook my head and tried to sound indignant. “I don’t think I want to know.” But I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Four. Including you.” His voice was rather detached. “First was a girl from school. We had several hot and messy encounters in the costume closet of the theatre. Second was at a party in a pile of coats. She wore horrible perfume and we were very drunk. And my last girlfriend, Fiona, who was one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen… Well, we were together for almost three years but she never made a sound when we were in bed. I have no idea if she even liked sex.”
“I suppose I’m…more vocal.” I winced, embarrassment churning in my stomach as I rolled onto my back beside him.
He rose on his elbow over me. His hand cupped my face as he smiled a very satisfied smile. “Maybe a bit.” He kissed me. “Which was fantastic, actually.” He was dropping kisses along my neck and shoulder, his hand feather-light on my stomach. “You?”
“Um, yes…yes, I like sex. I imagine my response probably gave that away, though.” I blushed. He waited and then I realized what he was waiting for. “Oh. That question. Really?” I was suddenly embarrassed. His face was expectant in the shadows over me.
He laughed. “That many, eh?”
My mouth fell open and I spoke quickly, horrified at what he might think. “Two—you included.”
There was a long silence. I think I must have held my breath. His fingers froze in my hair and his face crumpled. “How should I feel about that?” His hand fell to my face, holding it as he stared intently into my eyes.
I considered his thoughtful expression. “I’m not expecting anything. I mean, you don’t need to freak out,” I said softly.
He shook his head. “That’s not it. I guess, well, I feel a bit…honored.”
Something stirred inside me at his words, at the look on his face. “I met my ex-husband before I could even drive.” I paused then, chewing the inside of my lip out of habit. “Would you rather I said I was some serial philanderer? Or I’d been easy in college? Or that I was some frigid, dried-up—”
“No worries there.” His laugh shook his entire frame, making our bodies brush in interesting ways. His eyes sparkled in the dim light.
“For the first time in a very long time, I felt wanted for me. And this—” My hand wandered leisurely over his chest and his stomach. “—was more than I’d imagined.” I touched his mouth with my fingertips, my stomach tightening as my mind replayed the last few minutes.
He kissed my fingertips. “ Wanted is a bit of an understatement, Claire. It also implies past tense.” His eyes were warm as he leaned down to kiss me gently. “Happy birthday,” he spoke against my lips. His mouth was soft on mine, growing more demanding as my hands began to explore. He was pulling me under him, his breath growing uneven against me as we gave
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