incredibly sensuous mouth.
“The bottom line here, Darcie, is whether or not this is a game for you.”
“I –”
“You can tell me the truth, because I’m not leaving either way. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give. Just lay out the parameters so I’ll know where I stand.”
“No parameters.” Her reply was breathy with excitement, giving her away, but she couldn’t help it. “The sky’s the limit.” She didn’t know if that would be good news. He probably liked parameters, but he also had a daredevil streak. Maybe that would kick in.
Heat flared once again in those gray eyes. “Is that a challenge?”
She dragged in a shaky breath. “Do you want it to be?”
Chapter Five
To his total amazement, Nolan had been handed control of a sexual situation by the woman he’d desired since he was a scrawny nerd of fourteen. Because he was no longer fourteen, he recognized an aroused female when he saw one. Miracle of miracles, Darcie Ingram wanted him.
And he wanted her. No surprise there. The dinner cart shielded her view of how much he wanted her, but the denim fly of his jeans was stretched painfully across the evidence of his intense longing. He’d never imagined this scene was remotely possible, and yet here he was with only a dinner cart between him and a flushed and willing Darcie, who was presently sitting on a king-sized bed.
Pushing aside the dinner cart and acting on that mutual impulse to have sex would be so easy. He’d even been crass enough to buy condoms today and tuck one in his pocket before walking to her room. Nothing stood in the way of making all his adolescent dreams come true.
Well, nothing except the fact that grabbing her now would be extremely adolescent, and he liked to believe that he had more class than that at the age of thirty-two. He liked to believe he had more control, more ability to savor the moment and take everything in its own time.
He blew out a breath and willed his erection to subside. “No, I don’t want it to be a challenge. And believe me, a few seconds ago I considered making it into one that would justify . . .”
“Having sex with me?”
“Yeah. But it’s too soon.” He looked into her eyes and saw approval there. Good. He’d made the right choice. Even though she would have welcomed him into her bed, it wasn’t the right time for that move. “But I want a rain check.”
That made her laugh. “I’ll be glad to give you a rain check.”
“We need to get to know each other first.”
“We do.”
“Then why did you . . . why offer me the opportunity?”
“It’s complicated.” She picked up her wine glass and drained the contents. “Maybe on some level I feel as if I owe you, at least a little bit.”
He groaned. “Please don’t tell me you were prepared to give me a pity f—”
“No, I was not going to give you a PF! I was just as excited as you were.”
“Probably not.”
“That isn’t something we’ll ever know, but I definitely was ready to go for it, even though you’re right. It’s too early, especially in your case.”
“My case? Why should I be special?”
“Because after spending most of the day boning up on you, I –”
He started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“Do you suppose you could find a different phrase?”
She looked puzzled, but then she grinned. “After spending most of the day learning about you.”
“Much better.”
“I know way more about you than you do about me. I wouldn’t be going to bed with a virtual stranger, whereas you essentially would be.”
“We can fix that really fast.”
“Oh? How?
He loved it when brilliant ideas popped into his head, even when he’d had two-thirds of a bottle of wine, maybe more. He tried not to be vain about his smarts, but damn, he was good. “I’ll bet your birth chart’s on that computer.”
She blinked, clearly startled by the suggestion. “It is, but you don’t believe in astrology.”
“I don’t have to. You’ll
“The bottom line here, Darcie, is whether or not this is a game for you.”
“I –”
“You can tell me the truth, because I’m not leaving either way. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give. Just lay out the parameters so I’ll know where I stand.”
“No parameters.” Her reply was breathy with excitement, giving her away, but she couldn’t help it. “The sky’s the limit.” She didn’t know if that would be good news. He probably liked parameters, but he also had a daredevil streak. Maybe that would kick in.
Heat flared once again in those gray eyes. “Is that a challenge?”
She dragged in a shaky breath. “Do you want it to be?”
Chapter Five
To his total amazement, Nolan had been handed control of a sexual situation by the woman he’d desired since he was a scrawny nerd of fourteen. Because he was no longer fourteen, he recognized an aroused female when he saw one. Miracle of miracles, Darcie Ingram wanted him.
And he wanted her. No surprise there. The dinner cart shielded her view of how much he wanted her, but the denim fly of his jeans was stretched painfully across the evidence of his intense longing. He’d never imagined this scene was remotely possible, and yet here he was with only a dinner cart between him and a flushed and willing Darcie, who was presently sitting on a king-sized bed.
Pushing aside the dinner cart and acting on that mutual impulse to have sex would be so easy. He’d even been crass enough to buy condoms today and tuck one in his pocket before walking to her room. Nothing stood in the way of making all his adolescent dreams come true.
Well, nothing except the fact that grabbing her now would be extremely adolescent, and he liked to believe that he had more class than that at the age of thirty-two. He liked to believe he had more control, more ability to savor the moment and take everything in its own time.
He blew out a breath and willed his erection to subside. “No, I don’t want it to be a challenge. And believe me, a few seconds ago I considered making it into one that would justify . . .”
“Having sex with me?”
“Yeah. But it’s too soon.” He looked into her eyes and saw approval there. Good. He’d made the right choice. Even though she would have welcomed him into her bed, it wasn’t the right time for that move. “But I want a rain check.”
That made her laugh. “I’ll be glad to give you a rain check.”
“We need to get to know each other first.”
“We do.”
“Then why did you . . . why offer me the opportunity?”
“It’s complicated.” She picked up her wine glass and drained the contents. “Maybe on some level I feel as if I owe you, at least a little bit.”
He groaned. “Please don’t tell me you were prepared to give me a pity f—”
“No, I was not going to give you a PF! I was just as excited as you were.”
“Probably not.”
“That isn’t something we’ll ever know, but I definitely was ready to go for it, even though you’re right. It’s too early, especially in your case.”
“My case? Why should I be special?”
“Because after spending most of the day boning up on you, I –”
He started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“Do you suppose you could find a different phrase?”
She looked puzzled, but then she grinned. “After spending most of the day learning about you.”
“Much better.”
“I know way more about you than you do about me. I wouldn’t be going to bed with a virtual stranger, whereas you essentially would be.”
“We can fix that really fast.”
“Oh? How?
He loved it when brilliant ideas popped into his head, even when he’d had two-thirds of a bottle of wine, maybe more. He tried not to be vain about his smarts, but damn, he was good. “I’ll bet your birth chart’s on that computer.”
She blinked, clearly startled by the suggestion. “It is, but you don’t believe in astrology.”
“I don’t have to. You’ll
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