Page 28 of Cisco

“Sure thing. I look forward to it.”

Cisco wished it were sooner, but he wouldn’t complain.

Hilly, the subject of his fascination all day, was coming to see him.

He got up to dispose of the trash.

CHAPTER TEN

What had she done?

Upon waking, Hilly was instantly mortified.

She rolled over, moaned, and put her hands to her scalding cheeks. How was she supposed to face Cisco today if simply thinking about him had her face heating up like a teakettle? What in the world had possessed her to offer the man, lunch? She must be losing her mind…

Yeah. Over him.

Because the nearly twenty years since she’d last seen Cisco clearly hadn’t killed her childhood crush. Which was ridiculous, right? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t, over the years, found men who were more attractive than him?—

Okay. She hadn’t.

But she was no celibate, either.

She’d had a boyfriend. One in college, Brad, with whom things had been fairly serious. At least on his part.

Uh, huh. That breakup had been her doing.

Brad had looked at their relationship as a permanent thing; describing their destiny’s trajectory to her in detail. There’d be four years of dating, a two-year engagement, then a marriage followed by her spitting out three kids over the course of six years. He’d had it all planned, and…yuck. Besides the non-romantic, methodical way in which he’d laid out their future, he’d seriously been meh in the sack; down to business without foreplay, and strictly missionary position. The last time they’d engaged in the mediocre act, she’d been counting water spots on his ceiling.

Hilly knew, had known, there was better out there. Not that she had anyone else to compare Brad to because, yeah, he was her one and done in the sack. But a girl could hope for fireworks. Or hell, maybe even sparks. Had there ever been an incendiary moment on the sheets between her and Brad?

Easy answer. Nope.

Hilly understood what an orgasm was, but only because she’d taken things into her own hands. Literally. And no. Her clit wasn’t that hard to find.

After she’d tossed Brad’s ass, nicely of course, he—being Mr. Pragmatic—hadn’t mourned the loss of her for very long. He’d gone on to start another relationship, where his new girlfriend looked at him with stars in her eyes and did a lot of agreeable nodding, which—good for them—seemed to work for the bland couple.

Hilly’s trajectory post Brad?

Nada. Zilch. Zip.

It had simply been easier to remain single.

Being in a relationship where a partner took over and planned everything without input from the other party, had permanently crossed a bunch of men who’d subsequently approached her, off the list. She’d worked hard to get over her childhood insecurities and lack of control over her life, and as difficult as it had been to reinvent herself, she’d learned to speak up and advocate for what she wanted and needed. No relationship was worth going backward regarding her self-esteem.

So now what?

She tossed back the covers and swung her legs out of bed. Leaning down to give Nel, who was still sleeping, a distracted pat.

Seriously? She was thinking of putting herself out there with Cisco? A man she assumed was a big player? Maybe that wasn’t fair. Hilly didn’t have a clue as to what kind of man he’d grown into—except for a gorgeous well-built one—but starting something with him where she’d most likely be a single notch on his bedpost, could have the consequences of setting her back years.

But still…

What would it be like, just once, to have sex with a man like Cisco?

Padding to the bathroom to get ready for her day, she imagined him naked, all hard muscles and sinewy strength. His dark, velvety skin would be adorned with a smattering of soft hair, including his happy trail which would lead to?—

No. Just no.

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