could hear his smile. Faker.
She buried her smile in her arm so he couldn’t see it. But she didn’t try to move away again. Just another five minutes—what harm could that possibly do? He made a fantastic human hot-water bottle.
Then her stomach rumbled.
‘You’re hungry.’
Then his stomach rumbled too.
‘You are too.’ She giggled at how loud they gurgled.
‘Mmm. We didn’t have dinner.’ His breath warmed her ear. ‘What do you have for breakfast?’
‘Fruit, yoghurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon.’ Her mouth watered at the thought of it.
‘Cinnamon smells good,’ he drawled.
‘Yeah, so much better than chlorine.’ She could feel every inch of him. There were a lot of inches. ‘You’re in a bad way.’ The hard length pressed against the top of her thighs.
‘I can live with it.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Why?’ He moved suddenly. ‘You offering?’
He rolled above her. She shifted her legs that bit apart to welcome him. Yes, she was offering. Because she knew she couldn’t deny herself any more. Desire finally outweighed fear. Some sleep had restored perspective. Besides, given how hard he felt now, she felt confident in her ability to bring him home quickly.
He looked at her closely. She felt his body tense up even more and he smiled, bending forward to close the last inches between them. She closed her eyes, anticipating a full passion blast of a kiss.
Except he merely brushed his lips on her forehead, her cheeks, her nose. So gently, too softly. ‘We have the most insane chemistry, Penny.’
She opened her mouth to downplay it.
‘No.’ He put his fingers across her lips. ‘Don’t play games. Just be honest. Always be honest with me.’
‘Okay.’ She could let him have that. ‘We have chemistry.’ Actually they had more than chemistry. They had some experiences and likes in common. And they also shared no desire for any kind of a relationship.
‘And we’re going to experiment with it.’
Except there was still that niggling suspicion it might blow up in her face. ‘What, like a science project?’
‘Pretty much.’
‘You weren’t kidding about not being romantic.’
‘You don’t like flowers. You don’t like chocolates. You hate romance too,’ he teased, pressing even more intimately against her.
‘I don’t hate diamonds.’ She shifted sassily.
He snorted. ‘And what would you do if some guy produced a diamond ring?’ He ground his pelvis against hers in a slow circular motion. ‘You’d run so fast you’d break the sound barrier.’
She bit her lip to stop her groan of defeat.
‘We’re going to have an affair,’ he told her.
They’d been on this trajectory from the moment they’d laid eyes on each other. All she could do now was try to manage how it went. ‘Yes.’
To her surprise the relief hit as she agreed. It was closely followed by excitement. Now she’d admitted it, she wanted it immediately. The sooner she could have, the sooner she could control.
‘Tonight.’ He levered up and away from her.
She sat up—unconsciously keeping a short distance between them. ‘Tonight?’
He grinned at her obvious disappointment. ‘No condoms in here.’
Oh. She hadn’t thought of that. Thank goodness he had.
‘Won’t you let me help you out now?’ She longed to feel him shaking in her arms. She could stroke him to glory in seconds.
‘Will you let me do the same for you?’
She blinked rapidly and ducked his fixed gaze.
‘Tonight,’ he reiterated, amusement warming his authoritative tone.
She nodded. ‘Just a little fun.’
‘Can you handle that?’ All hint of humour had gone.
Hopefully. If she could stay on top. She looked back into his eyes and waved her independence flag. ‘Sure. Can you?’
TWENTY minutes later they heard the door lock click. They hid in the dark corner for another moment and dashed when the coast was clear.
‘Get changed quickly,’ he whispered.
Giggling in the women’s, Penny tossed her skirt and top on straight over her togs, scooped up her bag and was out again in less than a minute. Carter was standing in the little foyer, his shirt water-stained and creased, his jaw dark with stubble. He looked sexier and more dangerous than ever.
He held out his hand. ‘Let me take your bag.’
Penny walked quickly. ‘I’ve got it.’
Already people were arriving to use the gym and swim facility and she wanted to get out of there before anyone saw the state she was in.
‘No, let me take it,’ he insisted, blocking her path.
She frowned but he came even closer, speaking through gritted teeth.
‘Look, if you want everyone to see the size of my hard-on, sure, you take it. Otherwise let me just hold it while we get out of here, okay?’
Penny’s jaw dropped.
He put a finger under her chin and nudged it closed again. ‘Don’t act the innocent. You know exactly what you can do to me. Just like I know what I can do to you.’ His gaze imprisoned hers and pierced deep. ‘If you’ll let me.’
Penny felt as if an adrenalin injection had just been stabbed straight into her heart. The feeling flickered along her veins, molten gold—sweeter than honey yet tart at the same time. Tantalising.
He smiled.
Excitement rippled low in her belly, blocking everything—nerves, memories, fears. All were swallowed in the rising heat. She shook her head but smiled back. Him wanting her felt good. He grabbed her hand and stormed them up the stairs and through Reception.
‘Hell, you’re not here already, Penny?’ Bleary-eyed, Jed looked up from behind his desk.
She
