That made him frown. “Um, by soft skin, clearly you mean rugged, manly skin.” He held up his hands and waved his palms. “Calluses.”
She just laughed and placed her whole hand on his chest and rubbed slowly up, then back down. “Sorry, buttercup, but you’re a softy.”
“Nope, no way,” he said, and flexed his pec for effect while her palm was resting over it.
“Yep,” she argued. “Your hands may be rough, but your skin, like right here”—she placed her hand over his heart—“is super, super, soft.”
“I can guarantee there’s at least one hard thing about me,” he teased.
She didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, I know. You’re hard everywhere,” she agreed. Her hand trailed lower until she reached the waistline of his shorts. “Especially your…” He took a deep breath, but right when he thought she’d grab his straining cock, she said, “Head.”
She pulled away and started to walk toward the door.
What the hell? She’d gotten him worked up on purpose and was now walking away?
“Whoa, that’s pretty rich coming from the stubbornest woman I know,” he called.
“You have a hard head, Easton. That’s not my opinion, that’s a fact. And I’m not stubborn, I’m just usually right. There’s a difference.”
“Where the hell are you going?”
“Home, to get ready for my date. Call me when you find the van keys.”
She went to open his front door, but he was on her in two seconds flat and kept her inside. He whipped her around and pushed her back against the wall.
“You’re toying with me, baby. And that’s not nice.”
“Just like you toyed with me at that CPR class?”
“I did not…” Okay, he did. A little. But not to embarrass her. He did it to be near her. “I just wanted you for a second.”
“In public? With all the women staring?”
“Yes!” he admitted. Because deep down, he wanted everyone to see him with a woman like Natalie, to pretend, for a single stolen moment in time, that he deserved a woman like her.
“I want you, Natalie.”
She shoved at his chest and lifted her leg to his hip to keep him close at the same time. She was hot and ready, and he was, too.
“That’s an awful thing to say,” she snapped.
“That I want you? Jesus, woman, you’re so damn frustrating. You don’t want me to want you?”
“No! And I don’t want to want you.”
“But you do,” he growled. He cupped her thigh and tugged her so close that her skirt hiked up, and he pressed his hard cock against her core. “Admit it. You want me.”
“I do,” she said. “But I also hate it. And this is just another moment, and nothing can come from it. So what’s the point?”
Good question. He had his best friend, his family, and Natalie herself on the line, and all for what?
He looked her dead in the eye and knew the truth right then. A small taste of her was better than nothing. And the risk, he was realizing, was like chasing the drug he couldn’t have. It didn’t change the fact that he’d keep chasing, consequences and all.
“I’ll take the moment over nothing,” he admitted. He felt a little shocked by it. He glanced down and saw a flash of red lace between her legs and thanked whatever God was listening.
“I’ll take the moment, too,” she said, and pulled him close for a kiss. He was gone for her. He didn’t think of anything but needing to be inside her. Reaching between them, he ran his thumb along her panties and felt a small square. It almost felt like a…
“Condom?” he asked, grabbing the tiny package from her panty line. “You totally played me. You were ready and wanting me the whole time.”