He reached inside the drawer of the bedside table to get a condom, then wrapped her legs around his waist as he positioned himself. “You okay?” he asked.
She sighed, then nodded. “Never been better.”
He grinned. “Then hang on, Goldilocks, cause I’m about to take you on the ride of your life.”
It was a cocky thing to say, but it made her laugh, just like he hoped it would. And then he began to make good on his promise and she wasn’t laughing anymore, also, just as he’d hoped.
Awhile later, they were both sprawled out on the bed, too exhausted to move.
“The light’s still on,” she said right before she let out a huge yawn. “Can we turn it off now? I really need to get some sleep.”
He chuckled, then got out of bed and switched off the light and crawled back under the covers where she snuggled up against him. “Good night,” she said.
He was almost asleep when her words came flooding back to him, making his eyes pop open. Just this one time. So that we’ll both know.
Well, now they knew.
It had been his experience, especially in these kinds of situations, that it was best to be honest right up front.
“Sarah?” he said.
“Hmmm?” she asked in a sleepy soft voice.
“For the record, there isn’t going to be just one time.”
Chapter Eighteen
Luke was beginning to rue the day his mother had learned to text.
Luke, it’s your mother. Viola just told me that you and Jenna never went on your date! What happened????
He wasn’t about to text his mother back with an explanation. This required a phone call. He was in the process of trying to figure out what to say to her when another text came in.
Oh, and I just spoke to Victoria. Wonderful news! She has an old friend from law school who will be at the wedding and needs a date so you won’t have to go stag after all!!!
Stag? He hadn’t heard that term used in years.
He sighed heavily. Forget the phone call. This latest development called for a face-to-face with his mother.
* * *
The Whispering Bay Public Library shared a parking lot with the city municipal building where the mayor’s office was located. Sarah thought about popping over to say hi to Mimi, but she only had fifteen minutes before she had to get back to work and she needed to return her latest library book.
Will Cunningham stood behind the returns desk, looking adorably geeky. He was tall and gangly but his shoulders were nicely broad. His dark hair was tousled and he wore hipster style glasses. His blue eyes lit up when he spotted her. “Hey,” he said, smiling. “How’d you like the book?”
“It was great, although,” she hesitated just a fraction of a second because she really didn’t want to offend him, “I’m getting a little tired of the classics.”
“Yeah, Hemingway can be a real downer,” he admitted. He took the book from her and placed it in a pile on the counter. “So, what are you in the mood for now?”
Romance. Luke hadn’t been kidding when he’d said there wasn’t going to be just one time, and he’d spent the last three nights (and mornings) proving it. Just thinking about what they’d done last night made her pulse hitch.
As if he could read her mind, Will reached over to another pile of books and handed her one. “Have you ever tried Mae Daniels? She’s one of our most popular romance authors and this is her latest.”
“Do you like her?” Sarah asked, glancing down at the cover of an attractive couple smiling at one another as if they were madly in love. As the daughter of a librarian, she knew there was nothing better than a professional recommendation.
Will’s face went scarlet. “I’m not really a romance fan. I’m kind of more into thrillers and mysteries, but Lucy liked it.”
Sarah hid her smile. She wasn’t sure if his red cheeks were because of the romance novel or the mention of Lucy. “Sure. Okay, I’ll try this.”