Part 9 (1/2)

”Oh. My. G.o.d,” she breathed. She reached up to pull her bodice over her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s. ”I knew it. The signs were all there, but I kept sidestepping them. That voice in the back of my head kept pointing out the obvious, but I kept telling myself I was wrong.”

He winced.

”You are a good good boy, aren't you?” boy, aren't you?”

”A good boy?” He squinted at her in silence for a few seconds. Then he frowned and nodded slowly. ”Yeah, that's one way to put it. I'm a good boy. And, well, I can't do this yet. I want to. I want you you insanely. Past the edge of reason. But...I can't.” insanely. Past the edge of reason. But...I can't.”

”What? Is there some good boy code or something?”

”You could say that.”

She waited.

He shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile.

”I'd really like to get to know you better before we make love.”

Audra just stared. It sounded like a brush-off to her. She wasn't really sure, having never been brushed off before. But she'd brushed plenty herself, and it was definitely following the same pattern. She bit her lip and told herself she wasn't hurt.

The pain in her chest said differently. She was a big girl, though. She could ignore it.

Something must have shown on her face, because Jesse's expression clouded with concern. He slipped both hands, so warm and strong, over her jaw to cup her cheeks.

”What? You don't believe me?”

”It's not that, really. I mean, I don't think you're lying to me or anything.” Maybe lying to himself? He seemed too sweet to try and deliberately deceive her. She'd known plenty of guys who were pros at the scam. Jesse radiated pure honesty. Such a good boy trait.

”I swear, I want to spend time with you. I can't think of anything I want more than to make love with you. To drive us both crazy, to see how many ways we can bring each other pleasure. You know, strive for that ultimate ten.”

Audra, still damp, felt herself heat up again at his words. If she closed her eyes, she knew she'd be able to visualize them together. To imagine all the things they'd do with each other. To each other.

”I just...Well, I want to get to know you better first. So when we do get together, it means something.”

Her eyes grew huge. He wasn't thinking all that mushy emotional stuff, was he? Obviously reading her, he grinned and shook his head.

”Not like that. As much as I want to see where this goes between us, it's not like I'm not looking for something permanent or, you know, all serious. I just, well, I believe that when two people get together, it should be more than the moment.”

His wince was infinitesimal, but Audra saw it anyway. Maybe he figured she was such a hard-a.s.s, she'd blast him for being a sentimental goofball. Once, she might have. But now?

Now the sentiment was appealing to her, for some reason. Maybe it was the source?

”So, dating, huh?”

”You game? Call it prolonged foreplay.”

When Audra laughed, Jesse hugged her close. She closed her eyes and let herself absorb the warm comfort of his arms.

”It'll be cool. You'll see. Besides, I'm just not the kind of guy who goes all the way on the first date.”

She laughed again and pulled away from him. Both arms outspread, she jutted one hip and tilted her head.

”You sure you want to wait?”

Jesse closed his eyes and groaned. But he still nodded.

”It'll be cool,” he repeated. ”We'll talk, get to know each other. Just the two of us, hit some hot spots, do things.”

”What kind of things do you want to do?” Audra strained to think of nons.e.xual things to do with a man, but she came up blank. She tried to tell herself it was the remnants of heat, the faint tremors of that o.r.g.a.s.m still coursing through her.

”What about a trip to Napa? Check out the wine country. Or we can go to San Francisco and hang out on Fisherman's Wharf. See a movie, catch a concert. Dinner and dancing? You know, dating things.”

Audra frowned. They all sounded great. They'd all be better capped off with a night of s.e.x, but who was she to quibble. Had she ever dated? For a woman whose longest relations.h.i.+p could be counted in weeks, it was a foreign concept.

To date and not have s.e.x? It was more than foreign, it was totally alien.

But...for Jesse? She was drawn to him, and as much as she wanted to screw his brains out, she was intrigued by the man as much as by the body.

Just one more out-of-character thing to worry about.

Dating? It was worth a shot.

”For a while,” she agreed. ”But you have to promise, after the third date we get to have s.e.x.”

7.

CLOSING TIME had never been so welcome, Audra thought. Or, she glanced at Bea, so distracting. had never been so welcome, Audra thought. Or, she glanced at Bea, so distracting.

”C'mon, you have to help me out,” Bea wheedled. She leaned against the boutique's sales counter and batted her lashes. ”You're always there for me, right? Best buds?”

As if Audra was going to be influenced by a pair of big baby blues and carefully displayed cleavage? She knew it wasn't deliberate, though. That was just what Bea did. They'd met when Bea had rebelled against her rich daddy by talking her stepmom du jour into enrolling her in public school. The helpless s.e.x-kitten persona was as much a part of Bea as her porcelain complexion and the way she cried at Hallmark commercials.

”Look, normally I would, you know that.” That was the great thing about the Wicked Chicks, they were were always there for each other. ”But I don't have time right now. I've got too much to do here in the boutique. Between that and my deadline for the fall designs, I'm buried.” always there for each other. ”But I don't have time right now. I've got too much to do here in the boutique. Between that and my deadline for the fall designs, I'm buried.”

She'd be a lot further along with the designs if she hadn't spent so much time daydreaming about her time with Jesse on the couch the night before. And reliving the sweet rush of pleasure he'd given her.

”I'd pay extra,” Bea offered. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she winced and held up one hand in protest. ”Don't say it. I'm sorry. Reflex brought on by retail mania.”

Audra quirked a brow, but didn't respond. After all, Bea's generosity was as big as her heart. Unfortunately, the woman was getting used to daddy's money buying anything she wanted-again. It was a habit the Wicked Chicks had broken her of in their teen years. The girls had come from drastically different places-Bea, the poor little rich girl, Audra, a social worker's obligation, and Suzi, an orphan with a chip on her shoulder. But they'd all had the same bada.s.s att.i.tude and faith in each other. Audra firmly believed it'd been that faith that had kept the three of them from becoming sad statistics.

Lately, though, Bea had given in to her father's nagging and emotional blackmail, and after his last divorce, had agreed to act as his hostess and social a.s.sistant.

The man was obviously a bad influence on her.

”It doesn't have to be a special design, then,” Bea continued in her relentless way. ”I mean, I love your stuff, you know that. I'd rather wear it than anything else. I just need some hot lingerie for this shoot.”