“Feel better?” he asked after eating a few bites of the melon. “I know sex with me requires regular hydration. It’s like training for a marathon. Need to get you in fighting shape, Rush.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and then spit a watermelon seed at him with impressive velocity. It plinked off his shoulder and he laughed.
“But seriously, you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “I know I was . . .”
“If you say too rough, I’m shooting another seed at you.”
He lifted a brow. “I was just going to say rushed . . . and intense.”
“Sure you were. It’s been five days of longing looks at the office. If you hadn’t pushed me up against the wall the minute I walked in tonight, I would’ve been disappointed.”
“I might’ve left bruises.” In fact, he knew he had. She’d walked in, and every ounce of his self-control had flown right out of him. As soon as the back door had clicked shut, he’d had her pinned to the wall and his hands and mouth all over her. Once he was inside her, they’d come so fast, it’d almost been embarrassing. Only afterward had he realized how rough he’d been.
She licked juice off her thumb. “You know what word I know?”
“Hmm?”
“Blue,” she said simply. “I know how to pronounce it and spell it and everything.”
He nodded, loving how direct she could be. Marin played sex games with him. She didn’t play any others though. “Point taken.”
She set her bowl aside. “I’m not trying to be flippant about it. I appreciate your concern. I just would rather not overthink it, you know? Therapist me would love to pick it apart. Why do I enjoy that? What does it mean? I went through that in college when I first found myself reacting so strongly to the stuff on your recordings. But can’t a person just like things a little left of center simply because it’s fun and exciting and feels good? I don’t have some big dark reason for why I like how rough you are or why it was thrilling to fight back that night in the closet or why I’m not scared. I just know that you do those things and it turns me on and I go with it.”
He leaned back against the counter, considering her. “Some people like roller coasters and some don’t.”
“Exactly. Or skydiving. Or horror movies.”
“Did you just compare sex with me to a horror movie?”
Her lips hitched at the corner. “You know what I mean.”
He stepped over to her and parked himself between her knees. “I have to say. You’re sounding pretty shameless there, Rush. I wonder how that happened.”
She hooked her legs behind his back and fed him a piece of watermelon. “Be careful, West. Gloating is not attractive.”
He sucked the fruit juice from her fingers, nipping at her fingertip. “Liar. You love that I’m a know-it-all. You recognize your kind.”
She snorted. “I am no such thing.”
He took her hand and kissed her wrist, tasting sticky sweet watermelon there. “And a messy eater.”
“Shut up. That was an exceptionally ripe melon.”
“Mmm-hmm.” He pressed his teeth into the tender flesh of her arm, feeling her pulse against his lips. “And a girl who’s owed more than a quick fuck against the wall.”
“Don’t underestimate the power of a good wall bang. You don’t owe me anything.”
He smiled against her skin and looked up. “Good? Just good? Well, clearly I need to up my game. You’re not allowed to leave with just good. My entire reputation is at stake now. Things must be proven. Egos stroked.” He ran his thumb down the center of her palm. “Other things stroked.”
She licked her lips, giving herself away despite her protests. “We’ve got work tomorrow.”
“Sleep is overrated.” He leaned forward and kissed her neck, marking a path along her throat.
She closed her eyes and made a breathy noise that went straight to his dick. “Maybe so.”
“Plus, I have something in the bedroom for you.”
She lifted her head at that, playfulness in her gaze. “Is that something the hard thing that’s pressing against my leg?”