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“I didn’t use one in the closet either.”

“I know,” she said. “That’s why I mentioned it. Usually we do.”

He lifted the blanket and got under next to her. “I always wear condoms. So you have nothing to worry about as far as cleanliness. I just . . . don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable situation. Are you on anything?”

Seconds ticked by. Well, this was awkward. “No.”

He stiffened but slid his arms around her, and she cuddled to his side. “No, huh?” His tone lacked judgment. “I guess that’s what condoms are for.”

She licked her lips, and heat settled into her cheeks. He probably had a different girl in his bed every night of the week, but she didn’t bother with birth control because there was only one man she let herself get entangled with.

“You’re quiet.” Dallas shifted and glanced down at her. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just . . . I don’t worry about using birth control because I don’t . . .” She cleared her throat. “Uh, sleep around.”

The air turned thick. “You mean to tell me that you don’t have casual sex between our yearly activity?”

She winced and squinted at him. “No . . .”

Dallas whistled. “Damn. I didn’t see that coming.”

She shot up to lean on his chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He held his free hand up in surrender. “Nothing at all. Except I took you for a very sexual woman and figured you had a string of guys panting behind you.”

She screwed her lips to the side and lowered herself back down. “Well, I don’t. Not like you do.”

“Hey, I never said I didn’t.”

She poked him in the ribs.

He flinched and caught her hand. “Didn’t say I liked any of them very much.” His words fell into the space around them.

So he liked her very much? Interesting.

His hand moved up and down her bicep. “I’ve got condoms in my bag. We’ll use them from now on, okay?”

She nodded, but a knot of uncertainty filled her belly. Yes, she wanted to be responsible. No, she didn’t want a baby at this point in her life. But being intimate with Dallas, feeling every ridge and swell of his manhood—it was a closeness she’d craved since their escapade in the closet.

“We should get some sleep,” she said.

He shuffled into a sitting position. “We will. After you let me check out that leg.”

She groaned and pulled the covers to her chin. “It’s too cold. Let’s do it in the morning.”

Dallas stood and grabbed the first aid kit then lowered back down to the mattress. “That’s a good way to risk an infection.”

“I just got dressed,” she whined. But as if on cue, her wound began to throb.

He lifted the bottom of the blanket, exposing her legs. Before he could strip her from the waist down, she huffed and sat up. After wriggling out of her pants, she turned her leg so he had a view of the outside of her thigh.

He tsked. “Blood came through the bandage.”

“I mean, I did jump out of a plane and walk through the jungle all day.”

“Yeah, you did,” he said, his tone pensive.

He unrolled the gauze and peeled off the strip closest to the wound. She winced as her skin stuck to the bandage. “Ouch.”

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