She nods.
Thank god, I’d done some of my best work in that closet. I hate to think I’d brought her to a screaming orgasm with my tongue, before burying myself inside her and pounding into her until we’d both had a shuddering climax, only for her to forget.
I raise a brow. “Do you remember dancing?”
“Kind of.”
There’d been quite a few shots between the closet and dancing.
“Do you remember leaving with me?”
A small shake of her head. “Not really.”
On the walk to my apartment is where we’d spent the most time talking. Although even then we’d been insatiable. I shove my hands deeper into my pants. “So you don’t remember sitting on the bench a couple blocks from my house, me pointing to the billboard and talking about the medical conference I was attending?”
Confusion runs across her face, followed by abject dismay. She buries her head in her cover-up and screams.
I can’t help it. I laugh. “So no?”
“This cannot be happening to me.” Her muffled voice is sweet and distressed.
I walk over and sit down on the empty chair next to her, brushing my finger over her smooth thigh. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s not a big deal.”
She jerks under my touch, shifting away from me. “It is a big deal.”
I chuckle. Not from where I stand. I’m thrilled to see her. I was already planning on calling her from the resort to ask if I could see her when I get back, but this is better. “In fairness, I did have my hand between your legs, and you came about ten seconds after I told you, so I can see why you might not have been focused on the conversation.”
“Oh my god!” Another muffled screech.
Grinning, I schooch closer to the edge of the chair and take her wrist. She tries to move away but I don’t let her, instead, pulling her hand down so her face is no longer hidden by the cover-up. “Come on, it’s not so bad, you have to admit it’s kind of funny.”
A vigorous shake of her head. “It’s not funny! I’m humiliated.”
I stroke over the pulse pounding against the fine bones of her wrist. “This is better than you being a stalker. A stalker requires me to take action and I’m not ready to call the police on you. Restraining orders are so annoying, you know?”
She tosses me an appalled look. “Do you really think I’m that desperate? That I’d stalk you?”
I shrug. “I didn’t think so, but I did tell you I was coming here, so what else was I suppose to think?”
She pulls her wrist away. “I swear to god I didn’t remember.”
“Hey, I believe you.”
She looks out to the water, crossing her arms over her stomach. “I’m not some desperate stalker.”
Of course she’s not. She’s a gorgeous blonde with a killer body, who’s fun, smart and successful. She doesn’t need to stalk guys. “I know.”
“You probably think I planned this.” The words are dejected, and pitiful.
“I can tell by your horrified expression you didn’t.” I lean forward and take her chin in my hand, forcing her to look at me. “If you planned this, you’d be coy, you wouldn’t be looking at me like you’d rather have bamboo shoots shoved under your fingertips than sitting here with me.”
She turns those big blue eyes to me, and our gazes lock. Everything we’d done that night passes between us, filling up the space with heat and hunger and lust.
I hadn’t planned what happened. It was probably too much, too fast. It was definitely too intense. I normally wouldn’t have acted like that with a woman I wanted to woo. Normally, I’d take it slow and easy, but there was just something about Ashley that called to some sort of primal beast inside me.
One look and all I could think about was doing filthy things to her.
Her cheeks flush pink again and she jerks away from me. “This is a nightmare.”
I smile. “Let’s not get dramatic. Maybe it’s fate.”
“Fate!” She waves her hand. “This isn’t fate, this is the universe’s twisted sense of humor.”
I understand she’s embarrassed and thrown off so I don’t take it personally. Good naturedly, I say, “Does this mean you didn’t want to see me again?”
She blinks at me before she scoffs. “Like that was ever going to happen.”
Now, I narrow my eyes and my jaw hardens. “Wrong. I had every intention of calling and asking you out.”
“Don’t lie.” She huffs, and it puffs out her magnificent chest. “I promise it’s not necessary. I’m a big girl.” Distress flashes over her features. “Older than you, so I understand how the one-night stand works.”
“Do you now?” I keep my voice amused, light. Clearly she’s on a roll and I have no intention of stopping her.
“Yes.” Her chin tilts.
“And how does it work?”