“I’d like to have sex with you,” he admitted gruffly, withdrawing his finger and stepping closer. “I’d also like to get to know you better, because I like you. The friends part is good, too.”
“Friends with possibilities,” she said, sounding happy.
He felt a surge of something he decided to label as lust, and reached for her sarong. The little bow-tie knot had been driving him crazy. Thank God she tied lousy knots. One firm tug and the fabric parted, pooling around her so she just sat there cross-legged in her bikini.
“You want to have possibilities right here?” She sounded slightly scandalized. Good. Usually he was the one off balance around Maddie. It was nice to return the favor.
He flashed a grin. “Are you offering?”
“Maybe.” Her eyes darted around the restaurant. “But it seems kind of unhygienic to have sex on a table where people eat.”
He couldn’t help it. He laughed. “You really don’t have a filter, do you?”
“Hey, I call it like I see it.” She leaned back on her elbows, propping one foot up on his shoulder. She had a tattoo inked over her left hip. He’d noticed it before, but he’d never been close enough to read the words hidden in the delicate swirl of flowers and...feathers. She had freakin’ feathers tattooed on her hip. Feathers that were excessive and bold and one flourish after another. He liked it.
He liked her, and damn if that wasn’t a dangerous thought.
“You have a tattoo.” He brushed his thumb gently over her ink. She felt just as silky and warm there as she did elsewhere. The only difference was on the surface of things.
“Uh-huh.” She twisted to look down at the pink-and-black words scrolling over her hip. “‘More than a catbird hates a cat.’”
“Two questions.” Hooking a chair with his foot, he drew it closer and dropped down on it. This gave him the best-ever view of her inner thighs. Plus, her bikini bottom barely covered her generous curves, and just knowing that only a few inches of nylon separated him from her pussy drove him crazy. He was pretty sure she knew it, too.
“Really? You want to ask questions now?” She definitely sounded breathless.
Apparently he did. He slid his hands underneath her ass and her whole body quivered in response. “Why?”
“Why get a tattoo?” She leaned up farther on her elbows. “Because...I...uh...could. Because sometimes people do things in college because there may have been too many beers and too much encouragement. Because...I have a thing for Ogden Nash.”
He untied the left string of her bikini. “Are any of those reasons true?”
She flushed. “All of them. Have I ever lied to you?”
No. That was him.
“Never,” he said, shifting closer and running a thumb over the silky soft skin of her inner thigh.
Her husky moan was followed by yet another question. They needed to work on the whole keeping-quiet thing. “How about you? Any ink on you?”
“Never.” He must have stiffened because she made a sympathetic face and patted him on the arm. As if he was five. Jesus.
“Not a needle man?”
He’d seen horrific injuries and kept right on doing his job. But show him a 28-gauge needle and he got light-headed. He puked. After getting his jabs as an enlisted man, he’d actually passed out on the nurse. So yeah, he got more than a little green just thinking about her tattoo.
Deflect. “Did it hurt?”
“If I say yes, are you going to kiss it better?” She sounded breathless again.
“No,” he said. “I’m going to kiss you.”
“Works for me,” she purred.
That made two of them. He undid the right string, and, God, he loved her swimsuits. The silky panel fell away and he’d never seen a prettier sight than her landing strip of dark red hair. He didn’t have any words for the scent of her, but she was amazing. She didn’t seem to mind that he had his face inches from her pussy. He liked that confidence. She planned to enjoy him, and apparently had no problem with letting him in on her anticipation.
“Like what you see? FYI, I’m a natural redhead.” Her voice sounded even huskier than usual, which he decided to interpret as approval of their game.
“You’re gorgeous.” If he couldn’t be honest about who he was or why he was on Fantasy Island, he didn’t want there to be any doubt about this. She was damned beautiful and he wanted to make this memorable for her. If she wanted to play erotic games, he’d do his best. Hooyah.