Page 54 of Stuck Bayou

“So now we’re to the real reason why you agreed to this,” she said.

Theo gave her a slow grin. He knew exactly what she was thinking. “What would that be?”

“Another chance to get me into bed.”

“You think I need to go toNorth Carolinafor that?” he asked, his grin growing.

She was getting that haughty, sassy starch in her spine. He loved when she straightened up like that, lifted her chin, and her eyes shot sparks.

Her arms dropped to her sides, and she took a step closer to him. Now they were toe to toe. “You think you could do that right here, I suppose?” she asked.

“Happened before,” he said.

“Hasn’t happened since.”

“I haven’t given it one ounce of effort.”

Her eyes narrowed and Theo was pretty sure that, for just a second at least, she was wondering why that was.

He’d been giving her space. He wanted her to miss him too. As stupid as that was.

But yeah, right now, looking into her gorgeous blue eyes, andveryaware of her hard nipples, he was wondering why he hadn’t been pursuing her. She’d had time to cool off and think over how they’d parted. He should have pushed her to talk to him.

“You think if you gave it evenone ounceof effort,I wouldn’t be able to resist?” she finally asked.

He leaned in until their noses were almost touching. “City Girl, your sweet pussy remembers exactly what I can do to it and it’s wet right now thinking about it.” He lifted a hand and dragged a finger down her cheek. “And no matter what that brilliant brain of yours is telling you, your body wants my hands back on it so bad that I think it would take me ahalf an ounceof effort to get you begging for my cock again.”

There,thatwould piss her off, put some fire in her and, most importantly, make her agree to this trip—and the shared bedroom—because she would want to prove him wrong.

And winningthiscompetition between them would be so sweet.

Again.

Predictably she said, “You’re an asshole.”

“An asshole that knows how to make you come harder than anyone else ever has,” Theo said. Firmly. She could think he was an asshole, but she wasnotgoing to forget or blow off what had happened between them.

It had been more than sex, but while she came to terms with the subtleties of what she felt for him, he wasn’t going to let her hide from what was obvious.

She swallowed hard. “Maybe I don’t need you to come with me to North Carolina after all.”

“I’m coming.”

“You don’t know where I’m going.”

“I’ll find out.”

“You won’t be able to drive there in time.”

Low blow. Very low blow. Theo stepped forward. She stepped back. He kept going until she was backed up against the side of her car. Then he leaned in, bracing his hands on the car, caging her in.

“Look me in the eye and tell me that you haven’t gotten yourself off with that very same vibrator I used on you, at least three times since that night, thinking of me, remembering me,wantingme,” he said, low and firm, his mouth mere inches from hers.

It took her several seconds. He watched her fight with herself. But finally, she said, “It’s been more than three times.”

Triumphant, he leaned in and put his lips against her neck, then dragged his beard up the sensitive skin until his mouth was against her ear. “And tell me you don’t want me back between these pretty thighs. Tell me you don’t have some sweet-but-so-dirty Christmas fantasy about fucking in front of a roaring fire and a sparkly Christmas tree, or being fingered to orgasm while you drink hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps, or having Christmas cookie frosting smeared on your pretty clit and then licked clean.”

She was breathing fast now, but Theo was still surprised when she reached up and grasped the front of his shirt. She turned her face to his and said against his lips, “I am buying you a one-way ticket to North Carolina, and if you don’t make every single one of those things happen, I will leave you there to get back to Louisiana on your own. And I’ll hate you forever.”

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