Read Online Lingerie For Felons by Ros Baxter - Free Book Online Page B

back to his place and he prepared another divine meal. A quickie this time: a Thai curry with herbs from his garden. We gulped it down like we hadn’t eaten for a week. I was just topping up with some excellent white wine when Wayne manoeuvred me over to the couch. And there we were again, sitting way too close. Déjà-vu .
    Except this time there was no internal battle about what the hell I was doing here.
    I knew. He knew. It was just a matter of time.
    â€˜So,’ he said. ‘You haven’t told me what you thought of my sign.’ He grabbed my hand and covered it with his. Then he lifted my hand to his face. ‘And, y’know, Rocket, I’m real sorry for how I handled things last time.’ He paused. ‘Not for Hunter Monroe.’ He grinned. ‘Or for...who I am. But I’m sorry I upset you.’
    I blinked, and nodded.
    And something hot and dark slipped its leash.
    First it was slow.
    He reached across and took my chin in one of those big hands. He watched me, eyes open, the whole time he leaned closer. Slowly, slowly. Then he raised one long finger and used it to press first one, then the other eyelid shut. ‘Don’t think,’ he said, pressing his fingertips to my temples. ‘Turn that busy brain off. Just for now.’
    Still slow, he pressed his lips against mine, and kissed me so softly I wondered for a second if I’d imagined it. My tummy flipped and dropped like I was perched on the highest point of the rollercoaster, contemplating the drop.
    And then we were lost.
    Lost in a jumble of arms and legs and lips and stomachs and clothes coming off faster than I could keep track. He picked me up and carried me to his bedroom like I didn’t weigh a thing. My mind wasn’t forming coherent thoughts, but I had just enough intellectual grip to croak out ‘Condom.’
    â€˜Eh?’ He was obviously distracted.
    â€˜Condom.’ I pulled at his heavy arm, pinning me to the bed as he burned a succession of kisses across my breasts. ‘Wayne. Condom.’
    â€˜Huh?’ He looked up from his task, eyes dark and unfocused. ‘Do we need one?’
    My body froze. I pulled away. ‘What do you mean?’
    He half sat up, positioning his weight on one elbow. ‘You’re not...er?’
    â€˜No, I’m not.’ Cold shivers laced my spine. He had no idea. The interruption made me start to shiver about what I was about to do. I began to babble. ‘Or what if I said I was and I really wasn’t? And what about you? What about diseases? You could have anything.’
    Wayne rubbed his hands over his eyes. ‘Oh Jesus, no, please not now, Rocket.’
    â€˜When then, Wayne?’ I sat up, covering my breasts ineffectively with my hands. ‘When would be convenient? Nine months time, at the maternity ward?’
    â€˜Alright, alright, bloody hell, I’m getting one…’
    But there was no way I was letting him get away with it that easily. For twenty minutes I explained that responsibility for contraception — and disease prevention — rested with both parties and that, while they were at it, men could clean up the mess too.
    Mostly because I was scared. So scared.
    â€˜Okay.’ He looked defeated.
    â€˜Okay what?’
    â€˜Okay can I go and get a condom now please?’
    I shivered again. My body was still hot from his attention, but inside I was starting to turn cold. My hands shook at the thought of this. Fear tasted bitter in my throat.
    He looked at me as I shivered. ‘You okay, darlin’?’
    He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt the impossible heat of him enclose me like a blanket. ‘It doesn’t matter, you know?’ he said, lying me back down beside him. ‘We don’t have to do this right now.’ He ran his hands quickly up and down my arms to warm them. ‘Or at all. I just like being with you. Being near you.’
    I looked into those green