His gaze tracked her beautiful, moist, naked flesh. Pity he’d only kissed her mouth and between her legs. He crawled up her body, stopping to tongue her rosy ni**les.
“I wondered if you’d get around to that.”
“That’s my question.” Jack propped himself on his elbow beside her. “Do I indulge in every sexual scenario tonight because it’s a one-time only offer?”
Keely mirrored his position. “Is that what you want?”
“No. Not at all. Not even close.” His hand shook as he swept the damp tendrils from her neck. “Is it what you want?”
“No. Not at all. Not even close,” she mimicked.
Smiling, Jack stroked her hair, twining the dark strands around his index finger. “You didn’t ask what I want, Keely.”
“I don’t have to. I see it in your eyes, Jack.”
“Busted.” The woman didn’t have a clue what he expected from her. “I want all of you as long as we’re pretending we’re engaged.”
“All of me, meaning…just sexually?”
“Meaning I’ll be in your bed every night.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “I’m a bed hog. But I’m sure that’ll even out the fact you snore like a drunken pig.”
Jack grinned. She had the funniest phrases. “Sounds like a fair trade.”
“Snuggling up together is fine. However, I’m not doing the cooking, cleaning or pressing your snappy suits, GQ.”
“But sexually speaking, anything is fair game?”
“As long as it doesn’t hurt and we both are into it, yeah, I’m game to try it.”
He brushed his mouth over hers. Once. Twice. Longer the third time when she didn’t attempt retreat.
“That’s very refreshing. Most women aren’t so sexually open.”
“Really?”
“No lie. In fact, most women I’ve met are sexually repressed. They enjoy the tease and the chase.
They even like the first couple times of f**king, sucking and whatever. But I’ve always felt…” Way to toss it out there. “Never mind.”
Keely pushed his shoulder. “What? Come on. Tell me. You’ve always felt…”
“Like I’d been tricked. A woman will suck your dick a couple times and act like they love it. Maybe try the kinkier stuff once, but after that, no way. Women who truly enjoy all aspects of sex are a rare breed.”
“Speaking as a sexually open-minded woman, I like sex. All aspects of sex. A lot. Do I have sex with whatever man trips my trigger? Sometimes. Do I feel guilty about it? No. And I do not have sex with anyone besides my partner when I’m in a relationship—” she held up her hand and qualified, “—unless it’s a mutual decision. I’m not promiscuous. I’m selective and prefer a guy to have the same sexual appetites and expectations I do. I am not afraid or embarrassed of my sexuality. That upfront admission freaks some men out. They want me to be embarrassed about my sexual past even when they’re grateful for it.”
Jack ran his hand down her arm. “Tell me about these sexual appetites and expectations. What fuels them? What feeds them?”
She rolled her eyes. “You have such an analytical brain.”
“All the better to figure out exactly how I can give you what you need.”
“You did. Tonight was…great, Jack.”
Not the enthusiastic response he’d expected.
Maybe Keely thinks you suck in bed.
No. This wasn’t about him. Normally, he’d dissect every movement. Every position. Every suck and thrust. He’d be obsessed until he figured out if he’d used a faulty technique. Not tonight. Jack understood Keely’s response had nothing to do with what he did. But more what he… didn’t do.
“But it wasn’t enough, was it?” he prompted.
A shrug and then she obscured her face with her hair.
He pinched her chin between his fingers, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t hide yourself from me.
Ever. Your reactions, your anger, your pleasure, nothing, understand?”
She nodded.
“If this were a normal dating situation, say, we’ve been going out a few weeks. We have dinner or head out to the bar and come back here to have sex. Maybe I spend a few nights at your place. Maybe you spend a few nights at my place. The sex is good. We both get off on a regular basis. How long would you stay with me?”
Keely’s eyes were clouded with indecision. “Honestly?”
“Complete honesty.”
“A month. Maybe two.”
Something—despair or hope—fluttered in his gut. “Why?”
“I’ll have figured you out by then. Nothing will be spontaneous or exciting between us. I’ll know how you’ll react before you do.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder in a confident, female move. “I’m really good at reading people, Jack. All people. Men especially. I have been since I was a little girl.”
“So you’re saying you’d get…bored with me?”
“Yep. You could be the nicest guy on the planet, with a steady job, a great family, a fun personality.
You could treat me well, bring me flowers and chocolates, romance me, be decent in the sack and I’d still get bored with you.” Keely frowned. “Not you personally—you do realize I’m speaking strictly in generic terms, right?”
“Right.”
The truth sparkled like a secret gem he’d personally mined with his bare hands. Why Keely pushed him away. Why she insulted him. Why she lusted after him. Why she couldn’t make up her mind whether she loved him or hated him.
Her mixed up, inconsistent responses to him were in response to his mixed up inconsistent responses to her. She couldn’t get a bead on him. Jack never reacted the way Keely expected him to. She was both attracted and repelled by the idea he might actually be a…challenge for her.
That drove her absolutely crazy. And thrilled her to her toes.
Oh hell yeah. He’d push her. Prod her. Take her to sexual heights she never fathomed. He’d pull out all the stops to make sure Jack Donohue was the one man she never forgot.
“Jack?”
He smiled. “Sorry. Just thinking it’s good we won’t be together long. You’ll be ready to move on by then.”
Keely traced the ridge of his pectoral. “But I am looking forward to the time we’ll be spending together. Especially now I know how compatible we are in bed.”