He rested his hands on his hips, and looked me in the eye.
“I’m sorry about the money, Caro, and I’m sorry that I made you mad at me again, but I’m not sorry about what I did. I hoped I’d get a chance to spend some time with you, but I would have done it just to keep you safe.”
I sighed. “This is getting us nowhere.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed with his back to me, and rested his elbows on his knees.
I had the opportunity to study his finely muscled back, sculpted shoulders and glowing, gold skin – my golden boy.
“Caro, I’ve got 17 days before I ship out. I’d like to spend them with you. That’s all. If you don’t want to see me after that… well, I guess that’s it.”
He turned to look at me over his shoulder.
“What do you say?”
Chapter 5
When he put it like that, what did I have to lose? I could see Italy with him or spend a pointless two weeks kicking around Geneva on my own. And, despite what I’d said to him about the sex having been ‘fun’, ‘spectacular’ and ‘mind-blowing’ would have been more appropriate adjectives. Plus, it was the most orgasms I’d had in one evening for a decade.
“I’m going to need a cushion to sit on if you expect me to ride on that motorcycle of yours all the way to Salerno.”
His expression lifted at once.
“Really? You’re sure?”
“Well, to paraphrase you, ‘what the hell’.” I paused. “But I reserve the right to fly back if you’re being too much of an ass.”
“Huh, well, you’d better give me a sliding scale of assaholic behavior, just so I know.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That could be quite a long list.”
“Try me.”
“Okay,” I said, sitting up straight, and diving straight to my mental list of his most assifying and irritating moments since we’d met up again. “First, no getting drunk and passing out in my bed; second, no more interference in my career of any kind – that’s a deal breaker; third, no territorial displays of adolescent jealousy; fourth, …”
But I didn’t get to finish my list – he jumped on me, pinning me to the mattress, and kissed me hard.
I was breathless and aroused when he let me go, and I could also feel his renewed erection poking my hip through the bathrobe.
Of course – fast reloader. I’d forgotten.
“What was that all about?” I said, pushing him off me.
He shrugged.
“It sounded like a very long list; I thought I’d try to distract you.”
“Diversionary tactics?”
“Yeah, we’re schooled on that in the Marines,” he smirked.
“I bet you are! And by the way,” I said, pointing to his fully erect dick, “you can put that away – I’m exhausted. Somebody dragged me all over Switzerland and half of France today.”
“Sure I can’t persuade you?” he said, leaning down to bite my thigh.
“Quite sure, thank you. This forty-year-old woman needs her beauty sleep.”
He scowled. “I wish you wouldn’t do that, Caro.”
Jeez, had he always been this moody?
“Do what?”
“Keep going on about your age. You’re older than me – I get it. And guess what? I don’t give a shit. I never did. I just wish you weren’t so hung up about it. It’s kind of annoying.”
I was annoying him? In what universe? Oh, this one, probably.
I realized my mouth was still hanging open in a most unattractive way.
“Feel free to say what you really mean, Hunter.”
He grinned at me. “Okay.”
I shook my head, half-amused, half-irritated.
“So, we can go tomorrow? Start our road trip?” he said, his eyes glowing like a kid at Christmas.
“Well, I suppose so. But I don’t know how we’ll get my case on the back of your motorcycle.”