Page 12 of Hot Stuff

Dan

“That’s my favorite one,” she noted. She was going to kill me with how sweet she was. How open and giving. “I mean…” She shrugged like she was embarrassed. “The yellow just pops even more against all the white and bright blue,” she explained. We’d just made out and were now talking color schemes and shit that caught her eye.

I liked that.

No, I more than liked it.

“That still doesn’t change the fact we just met,” she pointed out. I was coming on strong. I needed to be careful. I didn’t want to spook her.

“You’re right.” I nodded, knowing what I was about to suggest was going to give me the world's worst case of fucking blue balls. But I didn’t give a shit. I was a grown man. I knew how to take care of it until I had her. “How about a change of plans?” I suggested.

“Oh?”

“I walk you home, and tomorrow, after you work?—"

“I’m off tomorrow,” she quickly shared, and I relaxed. It killed me to change the idea of bringing her home with me. But she was right. We didn’t know each other. I liked that she was smart enough and had enough self-perseverance to pump the breaks on this. At the end of the day, I was practically a stranger, and even though I knew I would rather cut my dick off than hurt her, she didn’t know that.

“Call me when you wake up, and I’ll pick you up,” I quickly amended. Yeah. This way, I’ll get to see her first thing in the morning. I could rent a boat and take her out on the water.

“Pick me up? I could just walk—” I shot her a look, and she pressed her lips together. Good girl.

“I’ll pick you up.” I stood firm. It was better for her to know the kind of man she was dealing with right now. Before things got too carried away and there would be no walking away. You really think you can walk away from her now? that voice perked up.

I couldn’t.

“I wake up kinda early,” she warned. The smile on my face, the one I wasn’t used to sporting, broadened. I pulled her into me and stroked the side of her face with the outside of my fingers.

“That works for me, Kare Bear.”

“Kare Bear?” Her lips twitched. “No one’s ever called me that.”

“Good.” I liked being the only one to call her that. I could see her trying to figure out a way to argue with me. About her nickname or calling me in the morning, I wasn’t sure. But I saw the moment she decided she wasn’t going to.

“You sure you want me to call you that early? You’re on vacation. You should sleep in—” My hand tipped her head up by the chin, and those pretty, dark eyes widened.

“That works for me because it means I get to see you earlier and hopefully means I can spend the entire fucking day with you. Which only makes my day that much better.” Her body melted further into mine, and I liked it. It seemed like I liked everything about her. The feel of her against me, giving me the weight of her body, trusting me not to hurt her, her kiss.

“I might bore you after an hour,” she said softly. There was something in her gaze that made me think she really believed that could happen. What kind of idiot guys has she dated? Not that they mattered anymore.

She was mine now.

Mine to love and protect and take care of every which way she needed caring for. Even if it was only for the time I was in town for.

“Somehow, Kare Bear, I don’t think that’s possible.” I leaned forward and kissed her lips then the top of her forehead before pulling away, making sure her hand slipped to mine before we started to walk. We took a couple of steps before she stopped.

“Just so you know…. I really did want to go over to your place tonight. I wasn’t playing games or—" My groan cut her off, and her pretty brows bunched.

“You’re killing me, Karolina.” I liked the way her full name sounded off my tongue. I rested my forehead against hers and picked her up again. Much like we were a moment earlier, her legs wrapped around my waist, and when we pulled away, we were at eye level. “I’m gonna have you over soon. It's not an if but a when. But I don’t wanna fuck this up by rushing you. You don’t know me yet. I’m a stranger you just met, and you gotta be smart.”

“Fuck what up? I mean…” She licked her lips. “You said you were here for two weeks, Dan. This thing between us isn’t... I just mean, it’s a fling, right?” Her eyes searched mine.

I didn’t like the sound of that. A fling. No, a deep voice in my head took over, the very same one that called her mine when I had spotted her out on the sand just last night. Jesus, had I only seen her back last night? The stark reminder of how fast I was falling was enough of a reality check for me to grunt noncommittally.

“I gotta go back home eventually.” The words sounded wrong. Somehow, home no longer felt like home.

“Right.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She wiggled out of my arms, and I set her back down on the ground carefully. “Okay, Hot Stuff, walk me home, then.” She slipped her hand into mine. I had a feeling a wall was being built around her, and I couldn’t blame her. This magnetic pull was out of this world, but we had to be real. I didn’t live here. You could, though.

“Ready.” I nodded, and we started to walk, side by side.

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