“So what are your rules?”
His words interrupted her thoughts and she glanced over at him. Even sitting there as casual as he wanted to be, he still looked dominating, far more powerful and commanding than she liked.
The sooner she told him just how things would be between them, the better. Then he could take her proposal or leave it. She was inclined to think he would leave it, because a part of her refused to believe he could put total control in her hands.
The next few minutes would tell.
“I want to share an affair with you, Cameron, for the remainder of the time I have left on the island. Twelve days to be exact. During that time I will forget my dislike of you, and I want you to forget your dislike of me.”
“I don’t dislike you. In fact I like you. A lot.”
His words gave her pause, and it took a few moments to regroup her thoughts. “Okay, maybe your feelings for me are not as intense as my feelings for you, but even you would admit we really don’t get along.”
“That was your choice. You turned me down each and every time I asked you out. You refused to get within ten feet of me.”
Glancing down, Vanessa rubbed the bridge of her nose, wondering how they had strayed off the subject. She decided to use the opportunity to make him see that, unlike in the past, she wouldn’t be putting distance between them now…not as long as she was in control.
“Forget about the past, Cameron, because I’m within ten feet of you now, aren’t I? I’m sitting so close to you, I’m practically in your lap.”
A naughty smile touched his lips when he said in a low voice, “If you want to ease over into my lap, I won’t have a problem with it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you won’t, but I need us to finish our discussion.”
“All right.”
“Like I said, we will put the past and our feelings behind us and start on that adventure you alluded to. But at the end of the twelve days, whatever we’ve shared will come to an end. No future. No promises. You will go your way and I will go mine, and if our paths cross again, which I’m sure they eventually will, given your close relationship with other members of my family, we will act as though nothing ever happened between us. There won’t be any repeat or any suggestion of such a thing. When this affair ends, it’s over. Totally and completely. Understood?”
He stared at her for a long moment but she refused to back down or wither under his gaze. She remained quiet and still while he considered her proposal.
Finally he spoke. “Yes, I understand but what happens if—”
When he stopped in midsentence she arched a brow and asked, “If what?”
“If we become addicted to each other. What if the intimacy is so good and we get so embodied into each other’s systems that we don’t want things to end? What if—”
Not wanting to hear any more, Vanessa reached out and pressed her fingers to his lips to silence his next words. She wished she hadn’t when the tip of his tongue lightly flicked across her fingers.
The action made her gasp, nearly took her breath away. But for some reason she couldn’t pull her hand back. She stared at him, felt those same inner muscles clench again at the heated lust forming in his eyes. Then she wondered if such a thing was possible. Could she possibly become sexually addicted to him? Or was he thinking too much of himself? There was no doubt in her mind that he probably could whip up some delicious sexual fantasies, but…an addiction? She shook her head. That couldn’t and wouldn’t happen.
She moistened her lips as she pulled her fingers away from his mouth, but not before his tongue flicked out for one more quick taste. She watched as he took that same tongue and licked his lips as if he had enjoyed the taste of her.
“It won’t happen,” she finally said, barely getting the words out. “I’ve never gotten addicted to anything in my life.”
“Maybe the reason you’ve never gotten addicted is because you’ve never overindulged. For the next twelve days, with me, you will.”
She saw something flicker in his eyes and for some reason she suddenly felt on her guard. “It doesn’t matter. I won’t get addicted.”