Her body felt good against his. She was soft and yielding in all the right places. He liked how she smelled and tasted and responded. He liked pretty much everything.

She reached between them and touched him.

“Oh.”

Oh? He was about to ask what was wrong when he realized he wasn’t hard. Until maybe three seconds ago, he’d been a rock. Now…nothing.

“Give me a second,” he said and reached for her breast.

He was fine, he told himself. Everything worked. Everything always worked. He was a f**king machine.

He tried to find humor in the play on words, but couldn’t. Then he focused on how great her breast felt in his hand. Then he did his best to remember a p**n movie he’d seen. Any p**n movie. Crowds and crowds of people doing it. A whole stadium humping.

It didn’t work. He wanted her. He wanted her bad. He wanted to be in her and coming and feeling great. But his body refused to respond. If anything his dick shrank down to the size of a grape.

He rolled onto his back and swore. Humiliation made him rest his forearm over his eyes and wish to hell he was anywhere but here.

“Reid?” Lori’s voice was soft and tentative.

He raised his other hand. “Don’t,” he told her. “Whatever you’re going to say, just don’t. I want to totally be in the moment, so later, when I’m asked, I can point to this as the official low point of my life. I know it’s the newspaper article. I know it’s pressure. But knowing doesn’t help.”

“There’s a bright side.”

He lowered his arm and looked at her. She was bent over him, her long hair teasing his arm.

“There’s no damn bright side,” he said, trying not to sound angry at her. “This doesn’t happen to me. I know guys say that, but for me, it’s true. It sure isn’t you. I enjoyed what we were doing. It was all I could do to let you come first and not just take you in the first five seconds. I’m better than this.”

She smiled. “Better doesn’t come close. Right this minute, you’re the best sex I ever had. Seriously. So what does that say about my life? Talk about putting things in perspective.”

Against his will, he started to smile. She grinned, then began to chuckle.

“I’m pathetic,” she said, still laughing.

“No. Never. You’re beautiful.”

And she was. Naked and flushed and smiling at him. Without thinking, he kissed her. She parted and then he was in her mouth.

God, she felt good. He touched her body, stroking her everywhere. He reached between her legs and she parted for him. She was so wet and hot. He wanted to be there.

Without thinking, he shifted so that he could push inside of her. He had a moment of panic, knowing he couldn’t possibly, but then he was filling her. He was hard, he thought with relief. Then being hard didn’t matter. Not when he could thrust into her and take them both the long way home.

CHAPTER TWELVE

LORI DID HER BEST to slow her breathing. It was kind of embarrassing to still be panting ten minutes after the fact. But considering all her body had been through in the past half hour, maybe it was to be expected.

She still felt boneless and incapable of actual movement. Every part of her groaned with satisfaction.

Reid shifted so that she lay next to him. He wrapped an arm around her and ran his hand down her side.

“Amazing,” she breathed. “Seriously, that cult thing? I’m totally there.”

Instead of answering, he kissed her. There was tenderness in the gesture and without warning, she felt tears in her eyes.

Tears? After sex?

That got her attention. She sat up and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was nearly five—a full hour after her shift ended.

“I should be going,” she said, mostly because of the unexpected emotion, but also because she rarely arrived home much later than this. “Madeline will wonder what happened to me.”

“Let her get her own guy,” Reid said, pulling her back into his arms. “Call and let her know you’re not going to be home for dinner, then stay with me.”

Several thoughts filled her brain at once. In no particular order they were the fact that Reid seemed to want her to stay. Didn’t guys want to do the deed, then cut and run? She would have bet a lot of money on the fact that he was one of them. A guy who was only in it for the sex shouldn’t want company after. So was he just an anomaly or was this a different situation?

She knew which she wanted it to be but it wasn’t like she was going to be asking the question.

Second was the “let her get her own guy” comment. As in he was her, Lori’s, guy? On what planet?

Finally the fact that she wanted to stay but was afraid. Afraid of caring, afraid of feeling, afraid of him crushing her like a delicate girl bug overwhelmed by feelings.

A strong, self-actualized woman would face her fears. A smart woman interested in survival would disappear into the night.

He handed her his cell phone and then he smiled.

The smile got her. They were na**d, in his bed and she’d just had the most incredible sexual experience of this or any other life. Why would she want to walk away from that?

“Hi, it’s me,” Lori said when her sister picked up.

“How interesting,” Madeline said, a smile in her voice. “According to the caller ID, I should be talking to Reid Buchanan.”

“I’m, ah, using his cell phone.”

“Are you going to tell me why?”

Lori knew she would confess everything later, but right now she didn’t want to get into the details. “I wanted to let you know that I’ll be a little late tonight.”

Reid pushed her onto her back and began licking her breasts. Despite the liquid fire pouring through her, Lori did her best to keep her breathing totally normal.

Madeline laughed. “Who would have thought my totally straightlaced sister would fall for a bad boy baseball player? Have a good time.”

Reid grabbed the phone, said, “Don’t wait up,” into it, then disconnected the call and slipped his hands between her legs. “Where were we?”

Thirty minutes and two orgasms later, Lori resurfaced. She lay on her side, facing Reid and lightly traced his features.

“You’re very good-looking,” she said.

He frowned. “Don’t say that.”

“Because it’s a bad thing?”

“Because it’s one of the things you don’t like about me.”

“That’s not true. I like that you’re pretty.”

He winced. “No guy wants to be called pretty. I’m not pretty.”

“You’re close.”

He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “You think I’m shallow and that I’ve skated by on my talent and good looks.”

“A little. Do you want to tell me that you’ve done any differently?”

“I want to, but I’d be lying.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “Now this is pretty.”

“Gloria wants me to cut it.”

“What do you want?”

“I don’t know. I’ve always hated my hair. When I was younger, it was a hideous color of red. I was teased all through school. It’s gotten better in the past few years, but with the waves and everything, I don’t know what to do with it. So I ignore it.”

“Ignoring something doesn’t make it go away,” he told her.

“If you’re going to get all deep and sensitive, a lot of women are going to be disappointed.”

“What about you?”

This was the second time he implied that she mattered in some way. Lori hated how much she wanted that to be true.

“I’m open to change.”

“Except when it comes to your hair.”

He had her there. “Maybe I should get it cut.”

“You should do what makes you happy.”

Being with him made her happy, she thought as she pressed her hand against his bare chest. She liked the feel of warm skin and the way the hair there tickled. She still couldn’t believe that she was here, na**d, able to touch him however she wanted.

He stroked her cheek, then rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. “Why nursing?”

“I wanted to help people and I wanted to be needed.” She drew back slightly, startled by her own honesty.

“Good reasons,” he said.

“Partially altruistic, partially selfish,” she admitted. “I also wanted a career that I could count on. I knew that I would have to take care of myself financially and nursing has made that happen.”

He smiled. “No plans to marry a rich guy?”

“No plans to marry anyone.”

“Why not?”

She had a fairly clear understanding of why not. The bottom line was she didn’t trust any man enough to believe he could love her.

“I’m not the marrying kind. I’m okay with that.”

“You don’t believe that humans have a biological need to pair bond?” he asked.

She blinked at him. “What did you say?”

His smile turned smug. “I went to college.”

“Where you majored in cheerleaders and being charming.”

“I got a degree in cultural anthropology.”

The surprises kept on coming. “Why?”

“I thought it sounded cool and would get me women.”

She laughed. “At least you’re honest.”

“I try to be.”

“Okay. Back to your original and slightly startling question. Yes, I suppose most people need to pair bond. But the need is stronger in some than in others. It’s not a big deal for me. I just want to be able to take care of myself. Buying my house put me on that road.”

“Your whole face changes when you talk about your house.”

“Does it? I guess because I really love the place. I love that I can decorate it however I want. I love the size and the location. I love that I have an emergency fund in case I need a new water heater or there’s a plumbing problem. I love that every month I add a little extra onto the mortgage payment so I can pay the place off in fifteen years instead of thirty. I feel safe there.”

His dark gaze never left her face. “Feeling safe is important to you.”

He wasn’t asking a question, which was fine. He was plenty smart enough to figure out her issues.

“I grew up in a double-wide in Tacoma. It was no one’s idea of a great life,” she said.

“Madeline mentioned your mom was difficult.”

“Oh, really?” She flopped onto her back. “What else did my sister tell you?”

“That you were the one your mother took things out on.”

That was true, Lori thought sadly. “My mother used to drink. A lot. She was a pretty mean drunk.”

“And now?” he asked.

“She’s been sober seven years.”

“So that’s good, right?”

“I guess. She’s trying to put the pieces back together.”

Reid leaned over and lightly kissed her. “Are you going to let her be successful?”

She looked up at him. “Don’t get too insightful. It will change my opinion of you.”

“I can handle it. Are you going to answer the question?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted slowly. “Sometimes I really want her to make this work. I want her to be successful.”

“But?”

“But I’m still mad as hell at her.” She wrinkled her nose. “I know that’s awful. She’s my mother. She’s putting her life back together and I’m still pissed because of how she treated me when I was twelve. I should get over it and move on.”

“That’s your head talking. Not your heart.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Excuse me, but a degree in cultural anthropology doesn’t mean you get to play pretend psychologist with me.”

He grinned. “What if we play it na**d?”

“We are na**d and the answer is no.”

He kissed her again. “You’re not easy.”

“Thank you. It’s been my life’s ambition to not be easy.”

“So really. Why aren’t you married?”

He had a streak of tenacity she hadn’t expected. There was no way she was going to admit the real reason, so she settled for truthful but slightly off the mark.

“No one ever asked,” she told him, not bothering to mention she didn’t let anyone get close enough to think about asking.

Nothing about Reid’s expression changed. “Any near misses?”

“Not one.”

“So did you not meet the right guy or were you scared?”

Okay, now they were getting a little too personal. “Hey, what about you?” she asked. “All these questions apply.”

“I don’t date many guys. Sure, I tried for a while but it was just a fad.”

She laughed. “You know what I mean.”

“I fell in love once, remember? I was willing to do the marriage thing.”

With a woman who didn’t want him, Lori thought sadly. Life was nothing if not perverse.

DANI WALKED INTO the Daily Grind and glanced around for Gary. Sometime in the past couple of weeks they’d established a standing coffee date. She waved when she saw him already seated at a table in the corner. What did it say about her life that the best guy she’d met in years turned out to be gay?

“How’s the job search going?” he asked as she took the seat opposite his.

“Okay. I’ve had a couple more interviews, but nothing I’ve really clicked with. The problem is I love working with Penny at The Waterfront. Sure it’s hard work, but we’re all part of a team.” She grimaced. “Could I sound more like a cliché?”