“Oh Shit.”
As I lie on the bed, basking in the pleasure racing through my body, Zander’s worried voice cuts through me and reality comes crashing back. I push up on my arms, turn over and find him on his heels, scrubbing his chin. Gorgeous blue eyes brimming with worry seek mine, his brow furrowed.
“What?” I ask, that one word catching in my dry throat. I try to swallow but can’t seem to produce any saliva.
“Shit, Sam. I didn’t use a condom.”
“Oh my God,” I say, but the responsibility isn’t his alone. Protection falls on both of us.
“I can’t believe I forgot.” He looks to the door, to the bathroom where we stripped. “I have one in my pants.” He pushes to his feet and begins to pace.
“I’m clean,” I blurt out.
“I am too,” he says. He paces some more, going to the window then to my side of the bed. “To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone.”
“Over a year for me,” I admit.
“Yeah?”
I reach for him, take his hand. I need him to stop pacing, it’s making me anxious. When I’m anxious, my stutter comes back.
“But you’re more worried about me getting pregnant, aren’t you?”
He casts me a quick look. “I don’t want any more surprises,” he says. “I used a condom with Daisy’s mother, but it broke.”
I put my hands on his face. “I’m on the pill, Zander.” I open my nightstand and take out the packet. “See? No tricks.”
He shakes his head and briefly pinches his eyes shut. “Shit, I didn’t mean to imply—”
“I’m on the pill for menstrual cramps. No babies in my future,” I say, injecting a lightness into my tone that I don’t feel. There is a part of me that would love to have kids, but I suck at relationships, ruin them all, and had given up hope of ever having a family my own.
Or have I? In the back of my mind, I know I can go to a fertility clinic.
He shakes his head. “I didn’t mean to suggest you were trying to trick me. You must think I’m a total asshole.”
“I don’t, and I honestly understand where you’re coming from. You’ve been tricked and hurt, and have had a lot of loss in your life. You don’t really know me that well, Zander. I get that you’d be concerned, but I’m not trying to trap the Hard Hitter. I’ve got a happy little life of my own, and a business to nurture. That’s all I want or need.”
He lifts those blue eyes to mine and puts a hand on my thigh. “The Hard Hitter?”
I grin at him. “Yeah, I know a thing or two about you.” I roll my eyes. “You do have a reputation.”
“Oh, really?” he asks, his mood mellowing. “What do you think you know?”
I swallow, then wince at my scratchy throat. “I need a drink.”
He stands. “I’ll get you a glass of water.”
“I have a better idea.” I touch his arm to stop him. “Let’s do something fun.”
“I’m always up for something fun.” He glances down at his cock. “But I might need a minute. I’m not eighteen anymore.”
“What are you talking about, you’re already getting hard.”
“Okay, maybe all I need is thirty seconds.”
I laugh and whack him. “Come on.” I jump from the bed, pull on a pair of yoga pants, and a T-shirt. Zander stands there and watches me the whole time, his hot gaze locked on my body.
“I prefer you naked,” he says.
I glance at his cock, which is full-on hard at this point. While I’d like to go another round, I need more than thirty seconds. “Put some clothes on and meet me back here.” I tap my mussed sheets and fix my pillows.
“Look at you telling me what to do. When did you get so bossy?”
“Hey, listen, you can’t bring that out in me and then complain about it.”
Stepping up to me, he runs his hands along my arms, and he goes serious. “I like that I bring that out in you. You need to be who you need to be.” His head dips and, catching me by surprise, he plants a warm kiss on my lips. When he breaks it, I’m a little breathless.
“Ah, okay…I, uh…”
“Lose your train of thought, Sam?” he asks and tucks my wet hair behind my ear.
“Yes, and you don’t have to be so proud of yourself for that.”
He lets out a big laugh, turns me around and gives me a slap on the ass to set me into motions. I dart to the kitchen, grab a bottle of wine, and two glasses. I get back to the room, and he’s standing there tugging on his jeans. My heart gives a little flip as I watch. This is a purely physical relationships, so maybe playing this game with him isn’t such a great idea.
He turns and eyes the bottle and glasses. “You trying to get me drunk, have your way with me?”
I hold up the bottle. “I hardly think this will do it? I’m a bit of a lightweight though.”
His face goes serious once again. “Just so you know, I’d never take advantage of you if you’d been drinking.”
My heart swells. “I know.”
“Really, and how do you know that since you really don’t know anything about me at all? Other than what my sister told you and that was probably all lies.”
I shake the bottle in my hand. “That’s what this is for.”
“Ah, I get it, you’re trying to loosen me up with alcohol.”
“Not really.” I jump on the bed and sit crossed-legged. Zander stretches out on his side, his body long, hard and lean. It’s all I can do to take my eyes off him. I open the bottle, pour some into our glasses and set the rest on my nightstand. “You’ve played Never Have I Ever before, right?”
He grins. “Yeah.” He gestures to my nightstand, where I set the bottle. “But I’d rather play spin the bottle.”
“One track mind much?” He laughs. I toy with the rim of my glass, and think. “Okay, I’ll go first, and no lies. Never have I ever watched a hockey game.”
His eyes go wide, incredulous. “That’s blasphemy.”
I crinkle my nose and say, “Sorry. Dad watched all the time, along with my cousins and uncles, and I mean, I’ve glanced at the TV when walking past, but I’ve never watched.”
“Well, we’ll be changing that,” he says, and since he’s done it, he takes a sip from his glass. “Never have I ever parachuted.”
My eyes go wide, and I take a drink. “And never do I plan on it,” I say.
“We’ll see,” he says, giving me a mischievous wink.
“Yeah, we will.” I take in his sexy grin. “Never have I ever watched a scary movie.”
He shakes his head. “Sam, you have a lot of living to do.” He salutes me with the glass and takes a drink.
“What’s your favorite?” I ask him.
“It’s a toss-up between The Shining and Jeepers Creepers. I watch them every Halloween.”
“I watch Hocus Pocus.”
He slants a look my way. “Isn’t that a kids’ movie?”
“No,” I say defiantly. “And now I’m going to make you watch it with me.”
“Only if you watch my favorites with me.”
“Probably not going to happen. Your turn.”
“Mmm, let’s see. Never have I ever been engaged.”
I take a sip, and note he’s veering into the personal here. “Quinn told you?” I ask.
“Nope. Just had a feeling some douche bag really hurt you.”
I think about that for a long moment, and he goes silent waiting for me to elaborate. “You’re right about two things. He did hurt me, and he was a douche bag.”
“Want me to fight him?”
I laugh at that and shake my head. “To be honest, Zander. I’m glad I found out what kind of guy he was before we married.” I exhale and think about that. In the end, it was a blessing. I was finding it harder and harder to keep my wants suppressed. Did I really want to be in a marriage where I couldn’t be myself?
“What happened?” he asks.
“Let’s just put it this way, when it comes to relationships, I’m a screwup. I end up ruining everything.”
“You screwed up your engagement?” he asked, surprised by that.
“Something like that.” I grab the bottle and put another splash into our glasses.
“Do you still love him?”
“No. I’m not sure I ever did. We worked at the same clinic, had the same interests, and I guess we fit as a couple in the outside world. But we didn’t fit everywhere,” I say, and then go quiet. Zander does not need to know about my past bedroom experiences.
“I see,” he says and nods, and I get the sense that he can see right through me, and knows exactly what I’m talking about.
“Never have I ever had such amazing sex,” I blurt out without thinking it through.
I toy with my glass, and wait for him to take a drink. This guy has a reputation, he’s been with numerous women who are a lot hotter than me, no doubt. I’m what one would classify as the girl next door, not a drop-dead gorgeous knockout.
He sets his glass on the nightstand, and a little thrill goes through me as the blue in his eyes changes from a sunny afternoon sky, to a thunderstorm brewing nearby. The chemistry between us is insane, really, and not something I’ve ever experienced before. But eventually that fades, as it will with us, and I’m sure come the end of our month, we’ll have gotten this out of our systems.
“Never have I ever sent a naked picture of myself to someone,” he says.
I laugh, and don’t take a drink. “Well, we’ll be changing that.”
“You’re right, we will.” He quickly takes his phone from his back pocket and hands it to me. “Put your contact information in.”
I do it quickly and hand his phone back.
“Alright, never have I ever gotten drunk playing this game.” We both take a drink and then laugh.
“Never have I ever gone skinny dipping,” he says.
“Of course you have,” I blurt out.
“How do you know that?”
“I don’t, I guess. I just assumed.” I angle my head. “Don’t you have a pool? I’m sure Quinn said something about you having a big pool.”
“I do, and I swim naked all the time,” he says, and takes a drink.
“Well, I’ve never been skinny dipping,” I say.
He nods. “Another thing we’ll be changing.”
I eye him. “I’m beginning to think you’re a bad influence on me.”
“I believe that’s why you came to me, Sam,” he says, his tone lower, deeper.
A fine shiver moves through my body at his blatant observation.
“Before you, never have I ever had a one-night stand.” I say.
He takes a drink, and nudges my glass until it’s at my lips. “You’re not having a one-night stand. You’re having a one-month stand,” he says.
“True enough.”
He looks past my shoulders, then zeros in on me, one side of his mouth curling up, making him look so damn adorable. “Never have I ever watched porn.”
I hold my glass out and salute him before taking a drink.
“No way,” he says.
“I might not be as innocent as I look, Zander,” I say.
He laughs at that. “How did I get so lucky?”
“I might be the lucky one here,” I admit.
He leans in to me and presses his lips to mine. I melt into him and he takes my wine. He puts our glasses on the nightstand, and pulls me on top of him. He kisses me long and hard and when he breaks it, he pushes my hair off my face and angles his head to see the clock. “I should go. Daisy will have me up in a few hours.”
“Okay,” I say, missing his warmth before he’s even left my bed. Damn, that’s not a good thing.
“Next time, I get to pick the game.”
I roll my eyes. “I guess I should prepare for spin the bottle.”
He smiles at me, but there is a seriousness about him once more. “When can I see you again?”
“Tomorrow night. I’ll bring a pie by, and since there are pie rules, I guess I’ll have to stay and eat it with you.”
“Daisy will be asleep by seven.”
“I’ll be there five minutes after.”