“You’ll see a whole lot more of it if you don’t take me back to my car right now.”

“Look me in the eye.”

She shook her head.

“Turn around and look me in the eye when you let me have it.”

Such a condescending… She whirled around and stood toe to toe with him. “Happy?”

“Not even f**kin’ close to happy right now.”

“Good.”

He lifted the one eyebrow that managed to be both sexy and annoying. “Why’s that good?”

“Let’s just forget tonight ever happened.” Although I doubt I’ll ever forget how mad you got when I threw myself at you.

Then his hands circled her upper arms and he yanked her close enough to get in her face. “That’s what you think? I got mad at you because you asked me to have sex with you tonight?”

She’d said that out loud?

“Well?” he demanded.

“Well, what else was I supposed to think when you yelled at me and stormed off? I don’t have any experience with this, Carson.”

“You think I don’t know that? You think maybe I’m feelin’ guilty for lettin’ it get that far out of hand in the first place? When I said you could set the boundaries as to how far you were willin’ to go with me? Then the second I put my hands on you I lost my goddamned head. The next thing I know, you’re askin’ me to fu—make love to you. And I see you—this perfect, beautiful angel, layin’ there half-dressed, with love bites on her chest and I got pissed off at myself. Not at you—never at you.”

Totally bewildered, she asked, “Why?”

“Because you deserve more for your first time than me rutting on you on top of a rickety picnic table and getting slivers in your ass.”

“Oh.”

He pulled her against his chest. “With the way I look at you and the way I was touchin’ you tonight can you honestly tell me you thought I didn’t want you?”

“I thought you did…then I wasn’t sure.”

“That’s one thing you can be very sure about.” He kissed the top of her head and smiled at her. “You ready to go?”

She nodded.

They walked back to the truck in silence. Carson held her hand but she could tell his mind was elsewhere.

The silence continued on the drive back to her car. After he parked, he kissed her—more chastely than she was used to from him. “I want to see you tomorrow night.”

Her mouth opened before her brain engaged. “Where and when?”

“This same parking area around seven?”

How would her father react if she told him she was going out again?

Do you really care?

No.

Can he stop you?

No.

Carolyn wreathed her arms around Carson’s neck and kissed him greedily. He had the skills to seduce her completely, but from this moment on she’d be a full participant in that seduction. He didn’t get to call all the shots. She didn’t relinquish his mouth until she’d had her fill of it.

For now.

She smiled and kissed that spot on his throat that made him groan. “See you here tomorrow night at seven. Don’t be late.”

Chapter Six

Carson

Carson leaned against his pickup, his elbow resting on the box, trying to look casual as he waited, even when everything inside him was wound tighter than a ball of baling twine.

Goddamn he had it bad for her. So bad he’d damn near sliced off his finger today. He’d been so lost in thought, remembering his hands roaming over the smooth expanse of Carolyn’s belly, that he’d nipped his knuckle with the wire cutters and it’d bled like a sieve.

After he’d returned from the lake last night, he’d suffered through a lecture from Cal about slowing things down with Carolyn. Which Carson had taken to mean break it off with her. That hadn’t gone over well; until Cal explained he’d meant slow as in proceed with caution, not as in come to a complete stop.

Which just proved how f**king antsy and touchy he was about her. How crazy in love he was with her.

After six f**king days.

Her car appeared on the horizon. He remained in place, watching as she parked, his pulse quickening when she climbed out.

Grinning, he held his arms open and she launched herself at him.

As soon as she’d wrapped herself around him, nestling her face in his neck with a soft sigh, Carson closed his eyes as he squeezed her tight. Yeah, this woman was his.

They remained locked together, not speaking, just…being.

His fingers twined in her hair and he tugged her head back to get at her mouth. He focused on tenderness with her. Brushing his lips over hers. Teasing and nibbling. Sucking her sweet breath into his lungs.

Impatient, Carolyn tried to wrest control. Framing his face in her hands and pulling him closer.

But Carson wrapped his fingers around her wrists and gently removed her hands. “Sugar, what’s the rush?” he whispered against her lips. “All day I’ve been lookin’ forward to takin’ my time to enjoy this.” He lightly licked the seam of her lips; his tongue followed the bottom of her teeth. She tasted like sweet sin.

When Carolyn released a shuddering sigh, he slowly kicked up the heat level of the kiss from warm to molten. By the time he broke the seal of their mouths, sweat dampened his skin and his c**k pressed against his zipper.

Whoa. Her hands were on his ass, holding his pelvis to hers, forcing the teeth of his zipper to bite into his c**k as her lips trilled over every hot spot in his throat.