Page 62 of Beauty and the Bayou

“I expected you to be…” She stopped talking.This was not a time for talking.

“You expected what?”

Yeah.She hadn’t really thought he’d let that go.“Just…” She swallowed and pulled back a little to look at him.“I expected you to just take over and go for it and be…dominating.”

He gave what sounded like a gruff half laugh-half groan.“Yeah.That’s what I do.”

“So, why not now?”

“Because you need to time to go through the What-Ifs.”He was still holding her hip and had his fingers sunk into the back of her hair.He was also looking at her with a combination of heat and amusement.

He knew her and he was accommodating her quirks.Wow.

“And you’re going to reassure me about each one?”

“I’m going to make sure you get them all and add the ones you miss.”

She grinned.

“You do the What-If thing with sex, right?”he asked.

Juliet nodded.

“Do the guys play along?”

She shook her head.“When I think a relationship is maybe to that point, whenever we go out, I just make sure I’ve shaved my legs, I have on nice panties, I have the birth control thing handled—IUDandcondoms—and I have a toothbrush in my purse.I also make sure I don’t drink so I’m fine to drive home if I don’t want to stay after.”

He blew out a breath.“Wow.”

“I happened to shave this morning, I’ve got the IUD and condoms, my toothbrush is, obviously, upstairs, and since this is where I’m staying, I guess I’m not the one leaving after.”

“You’ve got condoms?”

“In my purse.I’m pretty sure.”

“And the panties?”His voice was rough.

“Definitely no worries there.I’m not wearing any.”She gave him a mischievous grin.

His fingers gripped her hip again.“Then I guess that’s all set.Anything else?”

Her heart was hammering and she really just wanted to take her clothes off.But she also wanted to play with him.This whole thing felt intimate.He understood—and tolerated—her in a way no one else had before.“What if someone walks in?”

“That’s a very real possibility,” he admitted.“Though I doubt they’d be surprised.”He glanced around.“I’d grab that dish towel to cover you up.”

She glanced over at it.“That’s not very big.”

He looked down at her breasts.Her nipples rejoiced at his attention.

“Yeah, we’re going to need a couple at least.”

She grinned.“What if this table isn’t sturdy enough?”

Heat and humor flickered in his gaze.He glanced at the table then back to her.He nodded.“It’s old,” he agreed.“Might need to just stay here on this chair.Or I could put you up against the wall.”

Want washed through her and Juliet had to take a quick breath.Her inner muscles clenched and the urge to press hard against his cock was nearly overwhelming.

“Or we could go upstairs.Closer to your toothbrush and”—his gaze flickered over her—“the condoms, unless you have a hidden pocket in there somewhere.”

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