Page 28 of Legal

I took it out on the poor red onions, planning to eat the whole lot after I pulverized them, just so I wouldn’t be tempted to instigate that next kiss.

It was up to me, was it? This coming from the man who told me point blank that he wanted to fuck me. Whodidfuck me, and thoroughly, as I fucked him right back. Who filled my body with an intense pleasure it hadn’t experienced in so long, if ever. I gritted my teeth; it was time to reel it back in.

Screw the one-beer limit.

We ate our fajitas on separate couches. Me, cross-legged with the plate on my lap and him, leaning over the living room coffee table. Keeping it casual. It wasn’t as if I was going to get all fancy and break out the china and candlelight.

It was probably the best meal I ever had.

“This is so delicious,” I said, wolfing it down. I wasn’t going to eat dainty little bites when it was this frickin’ good.

“It’s my specialty. Glad you like spicy.”

“Love it.” I took a swig of beer, which complemented the meal perfectly. I adored hot, spicy food, but Mike couldn’t stand it. I would have made something like this every night if he’d shared the same tastes as me.

“You have to give me the recipe.”

“It’s a secret.”

Hmm. I narrowed my eyes at him. The easy-going vibe was back between us now that we had some distance. I didn’t worry about drinking too much because I had a heap of food inside me, and I was definitely no lightweight.

The wind howled through the open windows, and I watched my tall oaks swaying back and forth. There was no doubt the fireworks would be canceled. Even if the rain held off, the cloud coverage was too thick.

“Ever lost a tree?”

I set my plate on the table and leaned my head back, fully satisfied. At least in my stomach. “No, I’ve been really lucky. The neighbors have, but so far in the sixteen years I’ve lived here, there have only been branches down. I must do a pretty good job taking care of things.”

Chase stood up and walked to the window. I was getting better; I didn’t even look. “You take care of this entire yard by yourself? I’m impressed.”

Yeah, it was a bitch, but I loved it. Two acres with mature trees made for a lot of yard work, especially in the fall. “Along with my business, it keeps me busy.” I paused when I noticed him staring at me. “It wasn’t always that way. I used to have help. I’m… divorced.”

“Better than being married.”

He didn’t even miss a beat. Part of me wanted him to react negatively, even though at my age it was assumed I’d have a past with some ratty old baggage thrown in. It’d be unrealistic to think he believed otherwise. But just like when I told him my age, he didn’t even flinch.

That bothered me for reasons I couldn’t even begin to figure out.

“And I was married for a long time, Chase. Seventeen years. Almost as long as you’ve been alive.” Still nothing. He looked like a damn statue. Sculpted marble. Would it hurt my teeth to sink into it? Another calming breath. “Do you understand what I’m saying? You’re the first one I’ve been with since my divorce. And I’veneverslept with someone so quickly before.”

I was throwing it all out there now, and if he couldn’t take it? Oh, well, not my issue. But I did draw the line at Daniel. I couldn’t take that next step and mention my twenty-year-old stepson, and I couldn’t explain my reasons for that either.

“I don’t recall us doing any sleeping.”

“Do you think this is a joke?”

“No, it’s most definitely not a joke to me.”

I got up and brought my plate into the kitchen, pulling out another beer, even though I hadn’t finished the last one yet. I snagged another for him too, just in case. The course had taken another turn, and I wasn’t sure where it was leading.

When I returned, he was kicked back on the couch. I handed him the bottle, and he nodded, popping it open. I went back to my couch and plunked down.

“Do you make it a habit of having sex with unfamiliar women?”

Because my repertoire didn’t include banging strange men. I’d been with others before my marriage, but I could hardly count that as sexual experience. It was more like fumbling and trying to get something to stick.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a habit, but I have, yes.”

Okay, I could definitively strike the virgin/not virgin question off my list. I knew there was no way he could have been that good for a first time. Why did I ever let Perry put that into my head to begin with? All it did was make me crazy. Check that—crazier.

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