Page 21 of Tempt Me

I chuckled. “Yes, I think.”

Henry sat and ran his hand through his gray-peppered hair. “That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard all year.”

I sipped my tea, listened to the crashing waves, and tried to ignore the sexy heat emanating from the suave silver fox.

“So, you finish your shift in about”—he glanced at his watch—“an hour. Is that right?”

“About that.”

“Want to join me for breakfast?”

Oh God, did I really want to do that? Henry was good-looking, kind and considerate, fun to talk to, and he’d taught me some incredible moves, but did I really want . . .

“Okay, not breakfast.” He must’ve sensed my hesitation. “How about lunch?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, Henry. It’s just a little too?—”

“Okay. Here’s the plan. You have a nice relaxing day. I’m staying in room forty-seven; I couldn’t get the penthouse this time.” He tilted his head at me. “Why don’t you come up to my room after sunset? We’ll have a glass of wine together, and . . .” he waited until our eyes met, “See what happens.”

My insides clenched as I remembered the incredible orgasm he’d given me on his rooftop terrace last time.

“You’re smiling. So, is that a yes?”

“It’s a maybe.”

“I’ll take the maybe.” He stood. “I’ll be waiting. Oh, and don’t worry about Memphis; she can stay home.”

My jaw dropped.

Did he really want me as me?

“Bye, Jane. See you this evening.” Henry strode back across the lobby, and I admired his broad shoulders and toned bottom. For a man just over twice my age, he was incredibly fit.

I wanted to stay in that seat and contemplate my crazy situation for hours, but thedingof the reception bell forced me to race back to my job.

The minutes whizzed by and before I knew it, Needledick had arrived, and after the necessary shift handover to him, I headed for the elevator. Thoughts spun through my head like a tornado, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

When I stepped into my room, the sun cast a long golden stripe through the break in the curtains. I tugged them farther apart, opened the glass sliding doors, and stepped onto the balcony.

The Gold Coast had put on a magical day.

I made a snap decision to go for a run along the beach. Five minutes later, I was back downstairs and jogging along the path that ran parallel to the breaking waves. I headed away from the bustling Surfers Paradise mall, and with the sun burning into my left cheek, I picked up my pace and concentrated on my body rather than my scrambled mind.

The waves were quite big today, and that meant surfers were out in force. Every shower station I ran past was flanked with young men and women with supple tanned bodies that smelled of suntan lotion and sea salt waiting for their turn to wash.

Last year, I wouldn’t have given the men so much as a glance, but now, after sixteen weeks on my crazy sexual challenge, I found myself actually perving on them. I had always admired a man who looked after himself, but I’d learned that the quality of his body didn’t always translate to his prowess in the bedroom.

My mind drifted to Henry. He was one year shy of sixty, and yet I found him very appealing. Not just his body either. There was a confidence about him that screamedsexy. And if our last session together was anything to judge by, he was an expert at knowing how to please a woman.

A hot flush hit my neck at dangerous speed, and it had nothing to do with the intense pace I set. I took a wooden pathway down to the beach and tiptoed across the soft sand so I didn’t get any in my shoes. Once I hit the firmer sand from the outgoing tide, I picked up my pace again.

Ahead of me, an elderly couple walked together in the shallow water. They were holding hands and looked about as relaxed as any couple in love possibly could. The woman said something that had both of them laughing, and a wave of jealousy washed through me. That lovely couple had what I wanted. . . love.

I picked up my pace and sped past them in a blaze of arms and legs.

In the near distance yellow flags fluttered in the breeze. I was approaching Mermaid Beach Surf Lifesaving Club and that meant I’d run about two miles. As I slowed my pace, I checked my watch and nearly died. I’d only been running for fourteen minutes. That was a record for me. Lolita always told me that exercise and sex were the perfect remedies for anger.

But were they also good for confusion?

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