Chapter Sixty-Five
Dane might not be cut out for love, but whatever this was—this intense chemistry he had with Lena—he’d take as much as he could get. He’d never been with anyone like her. She was a true partner in his bed. Moving with him, matching him with her desire. Each time they were together was a new, unexpected adventure.
He’d needed a distraction from the tension of the mission. He’d wanted a connection with someone. He’d gotten more than he’d bargained for with Lena.
“When was the last time you had sex?” he asked as they caught their breath.
She grinned. “Three minutes ago.”
Such a smartass.
“When was the last time you’ve had sex with someone other than me?” he corrected.
She gave him an unreadable look. “I don’t think I ever had sex before you.”
He chuckled. She’d given birth, so he knew that wasn’t true. “Immaculate conception?”
“Suppressed memories.”
“The last time was with your ex?”
Damn. He should have backed off. Her jokes were an obvious attempt to brush off the subject. But Dane wanted to know if this was special, or if she responded this way to every man she’d been with. Why it mattered, he didn’t know…and he didn’t want to think too hard about an answer.
“Yeah, it was with my ex,” she said quietly. “But it wasn’t like this. It wasn’t even in the same category as this. It was like mowing the grass or doing the dishes compared to this.”
God, that made him feel good.
“A simple, ‘Dane you’re the best I’ve ever had’ would have sufficed,” he teased, and she slapped him playfully in the arm.
Her cheeks had turned pink, so he pulled her close so he could look her in the eye.
“It’s different for me, too,” he said honestly. “I just wanted to make sure you felt the same way.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything for a long time. He’d almost dozed off when she finally said, “Do you think it’s because we both need each other so much? To get through this?” Her voice was quiet, as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to be heard.
He thought it over. “Maybe?”
Was that what this was? Normal sex, ramped up by tension and desperation? It was certainly easier to deal with that interpretation than the alternative supplied by Garrett.
Dane grasped onto it, happy to have an explanation that didn’t hinge on love. “You might be right. Thank you for helping me get through this.”
“You, too. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”
But they still had a long way to go.