Before We Kiss (Fool's Gold #14)

“Or worse,” he said glumly.

She didn’t bother to ask what that was. The limit was her imagination. “She’s really sweet. They both are. They love you a lot. They just have an unusual focus.”

“Tell me about it. No thirteen-year-old boy should have to eat breakfast while his mother grills him about his wet dreams.”

She bit her lower lip. “Did she really teach your sisters to...”

“Oh, yeah. Dad took me camping. When I came home both my sisters were locked away experimenting with the wonders of self-stimulation. Then we all talked about it at dinner.”

“That’s just so wrong,” she said, then stopped. “You know, I’m not sure it’s wrong. Obviously it goes against traditional social norms, but it’s not like she was hurting them. Sex is important and all the articles say that for a woman to have good sex she should understand her body. So on that level she was giving her daughters a great start. It’s just...strange.”

Sam held up both hands. “Hey, I grew up with it. Don’t talk to me about what’s normal and what isn’t. I’m right there with you. Every day of my life I wanted my family to be like everyone else’s. A little repression is a good thing.”

She glanced at him from under her lashes. “So Simone really misses you, huh?”

“We’re not having that conversation.”

“Why not? It’ll be fun.”

“Not for me.” He put his arm around her and turned her toward her car. “And as my parents will happily tell you, all pleasure should be mutual.”

“Oh, sure. Use their training against me.”

She liked the feel of him so close to her. While the conversation at dinner had been uncomfortable, all that talk of orgasms and body parts had reminded her of her night with Sam. And that information about her G-spot had been interesting. Sam probably knew all about it. Not that they had that kind of a relationship, but it was something she should remember for the next time she was with a man.

When they reached her car, she turned to face him.

The sun had already disappeared behind the mountains. The trees were dark silhouettes against the inky sky and Sam’s face was in shadow. She wanted to know what he was thinking and wondered if any part of the conversation had been interesting to him. Or if he’d spent the whole time wishing he was somewhere else.

There was no way to find out without asking and they’d agreed they were going to have a “business only” relationship. A smart move, she told herself. Sensible. But wow, she sure wouldn’t mind if Sam pulled her in his arms, kissed her senseless, then showed her exactly what could happen when a man knew his way around a G-spot.

As that wasn’t going to happen, she needed to get home and finalize the dinner for Friday night.

“What time are you coming over?” she asked as she got her keys out of her bag.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re staying at my place, aren’t you? I said I’d meet your parents, and if I agreed with you, you were welcome to sleep on my futon.” She smiled. “You know the room, Sam. The one where Fayrene keeps her running list of how to get Ryan to propose.”

“Very funny.” His gaze sharpened. “You’re sure? You don’t mind?”

“No. It’s fine.” She’d had friends stay over before. And while Sam was more interesting, in a hunky male kind of way, she knew it would be dangerous to think of him as any more than a friend.

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

“I can’t even imagine,” she admitted. “It’s not that they’ll say something, although that’s a problem. It’s that you’d have to be terrified of walking in on them doing it in who knows what position.”

He sighed. “Thanks for the visual. I’ll be there in an hour.”

“I’ll get out fresh sheets.”

“Thanks, Dellina.”

“You’re welcome.” She unlocked her car.

He touched her arm. “Want to talk about ground rules?”

She looked at him and thought that yes, she did. As long as those rules included him having quality time with her G-spot.

What she said instead was, “No, Sam. Ground rules aren’t required. If there is one person on the planet I can trust to respect my privacy, it’s you.”

* * *

THE FLAW IN the plan, Sam realized at about two in the morning, wasn’t that the futon was uncomfortable. It was, but he’d slept on worse. No, the issue was being in Dellina’s house, only a few feet from her bedroom.

He couldn’t hear her, but he knew she was there. In her bed.

He wanted to get up and join her. He wanted to kiss her into wakefulness, then touch her everywhere. He wanted them both naked and then he wanted to pleasure her until she was boneless and gasping.

Not an image designed to help him rest easy, he thought as he sat up.