Page 55 of Reckless

Tori pants, laughing, the soundmusical.

Wiping my mouth with my forearm, I slide down next to her and pull herclose.

She nestles into me, wrapping her arm around my neck and throwing her leg over my thigh. I caress the smooth expanse of her back, enamored by her soft skin and the sweet scent of herhair.

Clearing my throat, I tell her the truth. “I’m not sure if messing around in my truck in the back pasture is the most romantic thing ever or supremely low-class.”

She hums. “That’s easy. Super romantic and adventurous. And I loveadventures.”

I chuckle, completely charmed by her free spirit. “Noted.”

Tori is so unlike the women I’ve been with before. I wasn’t lying when I told her she wasn’t really my type. Why I’ve always dated high-maintenance women is beyond me, because being with this girl who is laid-back and fun is fucking addictive. Allison would’ve died twice had I suggested cuddling in the back of my truck under thestars.

Tori shivers in my arms, and I rub her shoulders to warm her. “I’m an ass. Here you are freezing to death. We should goinside.”

But her immediate reaction makes me smile. “No, I love it out here. Let’s staylonger.”

Through the back window of the cab, I reach for another blanket, toss it over us, and pull her close. When her bare chest touches mine, I have to bite back a groan because she feels so damngood.

Completelyaddictive.

Threading my fingers through her thick hair, I whisper, “So I guess this means you’re reconsidering that whole ‘not even if you’re the last man on earth’ speech you gave me a few weeksago?”

“Oh, God.” She presses her lips to my chest as she snickers. “You have to know I’ve always thought you were hot as hell, even when we werearguing.”

I like to think of myself as a fairly confident guy, but I’d be lying if I said that compliment doesn’t feel good coming fromher.

She glances up at me, her hair tumbling over her chest like she’s my own X-rated mermaid. “If you hadn’t opened your mouth that first day we met, I’m pretty sure I’d have taken you on your kitchencounter.”

Smirking, I kiss her. “And if you hadn’t openedyourmouth, I’m pretty sure I’d have letyou.”

Crawling on me, she nibbles on my neck. Bites my ear. Licks my bottomlip.

I’m praying for some restraint when she says, “We should do this all the time. I bet we could squeeze in a quickie during the seventh-inningstretch.”

Have I mentioned I love that she watchesbaseball?

“Baby, I’m impossibly hard right now, so I’m not sure I can handle you talking baseball and sex in the samesentence.”

“Then maybe we should get to thesex.”

As her hands go to my belt, I reach for her wrists to stop her. Call me old-fashioned, but when I do things with this woman, I want to do themright.

“What’s wrong?” Those big eyes turn up tome.

“Nothing’s wrong. Just…”Damn, how do I say this?“I didn’t find you tonight so I could get laid.” Though heaven knows I’d really enjoyit.

“Okay, but… you don’t wantto?”

I’m wrestling with how to say what’s on my heart when she starts to pull away. But I’m too fast for her, and I wrap my arms around her tiny waist and fit her against mychest.

“Fuck, yes, I want to.” I stroke her hair and press a kiss to her forehead. Clearing my throat, I blurt it out. “In exactly three days, my divorce will be finalized.” Tori stops breathing, so I kiss her again. “And while I’d love nothing more than to fuck you until you can’t walk straight, when we do eventually take that step, I don’t want shit from my past hanging over me. Does that make sense?”Please, let that make sense.I barely understand why I’m turning her down right now, except I want things with Tori to beperfect.

A long, quiet minute passes, during which half of me wants to kick my own ass for not being one of those guys who can shut down the shit in his head and fuck like it’s a recreationalsport.

“No, I, um, I get it.” Another awkward silence ensues until she pushes off me and reaches for her top. “You know, Ethan, if you didn’t want to do this with me, you didn’t have to. I feel stupid, like I just threw myself at you,and—”

She doesn’t get to finish those words because half a second later, she’s pinned underneathme.

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