Page 6 of Fool Me Once

“No.”

“Then why do it?”

“Sometimes it is a necessity.I’m sure you have had to go through things that are necessary, rather than anodd desire.”

She nodded her head. “But isn’tdancing kind of a luxury?”

“With the right person, itcan feel like a necessity,” he said.

“How?” she asked, morecurious than she wanted to be. There was that tempting smile again.

Why did he have to possesssuch a sexy smile? She knew it was why she was in the circumstances she was in.His smile was too much of a temptation. She’d even tried to think of him as afather, but there was no way that was happening. No daughter should ever thinkof a parent the way she felt about him. She certainly shouldn’t be droolingover him naked, and wondering if it would be a good idea to lose her virginityto him.

Pushing those messed-upthoughts to the back of her mind, she looked at Cain and tried to focus.

She’d never given in todesires before. Ben had once told her that succumbing to desires was a surefiresign of weakness, and that she couldn’t accept. To show any kind of weaknesswasn’t good. Not in her life.

Weakness always equaledpain, and she was never going to be at its mercy again.

****

There was a lot about Leahhe didn’t know. She was certainly an enigma, and she was so tense in his arms.More tense than she needed to be.

“Relax,” he said.

“This is no good. You musthave women you keep on standby who know the score.” She pulled her hand awayfrom him and stepped back.

This time, he let her.Whatever was bothering her, he saw she needed space.

“I could, but what is thepoint of having you around if I cannot use you?”

“Simple, if you choose oneof your other women who already know the score, then you can have sex with herat the end of the night.” She held her hands open, as if it was a problemsolved.

Did she even notice hernose wrinkled as she mentioned him having sex with someone else? Since Leahentered his world, he’d not been with another woman. There had been no causeto. Admittedly, he hadn’t crossed that line, even though on many occasions hewished to. Something held him back.

“I don’t want to,” hesaid.

“You don’t want to what?”

“Have sex at the end ofthe night.”

She frowned. “I find thathard to believe. I thought all men were supposed to be horndogs who can’t keepit in their pants.”

“Do you know a lot ofthem?”

“Not personally, butworking at your bar, I met a lot of men. Married ones as well as single whowere more than happy for a chance to sleep with a new woman.”

“You’re judging them?” heasked.

“I’m not judging anyone,but there has to be more to life than just sex.”

Cain chuckled. “And why doyou think that? Is this some kind of notion, that you can only have one womanor one man?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Look, I’mnot even trying to talk about monogamy, although it is something I do believein.”

“And you think the key tolong-term relationships has nothing to do with sex?” he asked.

Leah rolled her eyes, andthen she folded her arms across her chest. “Look, I get it, sex can beimportant, but what happens when you can no longer have sex?”

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