She came with a cry, her body shuddering, drawing him in deeper. She lost herself in the pleasure. He pushed in faster and deeper, taking everything she offered, drawing out her release until she was too weak to do much more than lean into him. Then he was shuddering, as well, going still, his hot breath fanning her cheek.
They stayed like that far longer than she would have thought possible. When she was sure he had to be ready to collapse from holding her, he slowly slipped back, gently lowering her legs to the floor. When she’d regained her footing, Charity did her best to straighten only to find she was still a little wobbly. Josh grabbed her around the waist.
“You okay?” he asked.
Okay? How could she be okay? She’d just had incredible up-against-the-wall sex with a man she barely knew. Something she never did. She’d run a background check on the last guy she’d slept with, and that had been after three months of serious dating. What did she really know about Josh except he was probably going to break her heart?
“The question wasn’t supposed to be that hard.”
“Sorry,” she glanced into his eyes, then away. “I was thinking.”
“Dangerous, especially now.”
She tried standing on her own again and managed to stay upright. The shoes weren’t helping, so she stepped out of them, which lowered her about three inches. Her right sandal landed on top of her panties.
Physical balance wasn’t her only issue, she thought. Her head was spinning. What the hell had just happened? Not that she needed that question answered. Maybe the better issue was why. Why hadn’t she stopped to think?
He gently touched her cheek. “Are you okay?” he asked again.
She nodded, figuring he wouldn’t want to know the truth. Second thoughts didn’t begin to cover her emotional freefall. Thirty-eighth thoughts were more like it. She’d had sex with Josh. Willingly. Wildly. In those moments, in his arms, she’d been someone else.
Or the person she was always meant to be, a little voice in her head whispered.
No way, she told herself. No. That wasn’t it.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her shirt was still tucked into her skirt, but was hanging back down over her butt. Her bra was somewhere on the floor. It only took him a few seconds to look decent again, but she had a tougher road. Rather than risk struggling, she pulled up her shirt and reknotted it, figuring she would deal with the bra and panties later. When she was leaving.
Unless she was supposed to leave now.
She’d never been one for casual sex and honestly, she didn’t know the rules.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said, his hazel-green eyes staring deeply into her own.
“I doubt that.” He would have to be beyond psychic to make it through the maze that was her mind.
“I don’t do this every day,” he told her. “The rumors, the things people say, they’re not true.”
“They’re mostly true,” she said. “The first week I was here, I saw that woman waiting in your room. I haven’t seen her around town, so I figure you imported her.”
“No. I didn’t ask her to be there. Hell, I didn’t know her. She got someone in housekeeping to let her in.”
Information she was sure he thought she would find comforting. “Now you’re going to tell me you told her to get dressed and sent her on her way.”
“I did.” When she would have looked away, he touched her chin. “I mean it, Charity.”
The funny thing was, she wanted to believe him. Talk about confusing.
He took her hand and drew her into the room. A single lamp in the corner provided a little light. He flipped on a couple more.
“Can I get you something?” he asked. “Wine? Coffee? Dessert?”
She hesitated. Wine sounded good, but she couldn’t face the thought of one of the room-service people seeing her in Josh’s room, then telling the entire town about it.
He motioned to his left. “I have a private stash.”
She followed the movement.
What he had was a mini-fridge and a small under-the-counter wine refrigerator.
“Something red?”
He grinned. “My favorite color.”
While he picked a wine, she collected her bra and panties, then ducked into the half bath in the corner. By the time she was done straightening and had returned to the living room of his suite, he’d poured them each a glass and turned on the gas fireplace.
“Now you’re going for the romance thing?” she asked. “Isn’t it a little late?”
“You mean because I already got the girl?” He led her to the sofa and settled next to her.
“You got the girl in a bright and shiny new way. You have a lot of upper body strength.”
“I should accept the compliment with a knowing smile,” he said as he put his arm around her. “Instead I’ll tell the truth, which is that it’s all about leverage.”
She winced. “Not sure I wanted to know that.”
“Why?”