Page 71 of Tease Me

He cocked his head. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

I nodded and gulped thefullglass of champagne. Henry reached for the bottle, topped me up, and then turned to me, waiting.

A big sigh rumbled off my lips. “My girlfriend, Lolita, challenged me to have a sexual experience every week for a year.”

“What?” He slapped his hand on his thigh and burst out laughing.

“You don’t think that’s weird?”

“Yes, it’s weird.” Hecontinued chuckling.“But it’s also fabulous. So how are you going with the challenge?”

I spread my hands apart. “This is week thirty-five. I haven’t missed one yet.”

“So what . . . you need to have sex fifty-two times in fifty-two weeks?”

I shook my head. “No, not sex. Just a sexual experience.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So, you haven’t had sex with any of them?”

I plopped my elbows on the table and covered my facewith my hands. “Please don’t ask me that.”

Henry wrapped his hand around my wrist and eased my left hand away from my face. “I’m only asking to see if there’s hope for me.”

I turned with my jaw dropped. “You’re not grossed out?”

He reached for both my hands and held them in his. “No, I’m not grossed out as you put it. I’m fascinated. I certainly don’t see anything wrong with it. You’re single; I assume the men are willing. It’s not like you’re drugging them before you have your wicked way with them.”

I huffed and rolled my eyes. “Of course not.”

“Iactuallythink it’s fantastic. You get to explore your sexuality, and you get to meet different men. It had always bugged me why you’d picked an old bugger like me.”

“I told you, you’re not old.”

His eyes bulged. “Have you had someone older than me?”

I gasped and was two seconds off saying no when I stopped. “I’m not going to kiss and tell.”

“Awww, that’s no fun. I’d love to hear all about them.”

“That’s a little weird, don’t you think?”

“I’m weird? You’re the one with the split personality.”

I pouted. “I don’t have a split personality.”

“Well, I, for one, am truly grateful that you do. And to your friend and her challenge. Otherwise, I would never have met you. We wouldn’t be having this lovely lunch on a deserted beach.” He spread his hands at the view. “And I certainly wouldn’t be experiencing you and your delicious body.”

My heart fluttered. This conversation had gone much better than I expected. Maybe there was hope for me once this crazy journey was over.

“So, what happens at the end of this year?” He read my mind.

I shrugged. “I have no idea.”

We were silent for a while as we nibbled at the antipasto platter.

“I’m glad you told me this, Jane.”

“Really?”

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