"Ye donnae want to hear."
She shifts her hands to my thighs. "Yes, I do."
I make a pitiful noise that's sure to convince her I'm the sort of man she needs, and I twist my mouth into a tight expression. "Lachlan didn't want a wife, but he found one. Thought if I did what he'd done, I could change your mind about me. But ye still donnae want me, not the way I want you."
"Did Lachlan propose to Erica after one week?"
"No." I fidget in my seat. "First, he broke her heart and left her for two months. Then, he begged her to marry him."
"Uh-huh." She taps a finger on my chest. "Why would you want to reenact that? Sounds like the Amazing Lachlan fucked it up with Erica and then got lucky when she generously took him back. Is that really how you want things to go with me?"
I roll my eyes up to meet hers, and my lips curl up at the corners. "You said fuck."
"That's what you took away from what I said?"
"No, I understood the rest." I bend one arm to prop my chin on my knuckles. "But I've never heard you say 'fuck' before. Kind of like it, though I'd rather hear it from you when we're both naked."
She sits back on her heels, giving me a sardonic smile. "Getting back to Lachlan…"
"I do see your point," I say. "Lachlan made a mess of things, but I was hoping some of his methods might work for me. This is the first time I've tried to win a wife. No bloody idea what I'm doing."
"Oh, I'd say you're doing fine all on your own."
"You still don't want to love me."
"Sure, but you don't love me either."
"I want to. That's the difference. Deep down, though, I think you want to love me too."
"Give it up, Kilt Boy. I am not falling for you."
Dropping my hand, I let it dangle over the chair's arm onto my lap while I frown. "Then you won't be sleeping with me."
She spreads her palms on my thighs and leans in, pushing between my legs to get closer. With our faces so near each other that I swear I can almost taste her breaths, she meets my gaze head-on. "I've already decided to have sex with you."
My eyes fly wide. "You what? Why?"
Laughing softly, she squeezes further between my thighs until my stiffening cock presses against her. "I like you, Aidan. You're sweet and funny and smart, and you make me feel good." She moves her hands to my chest, toying with the neckline of my T-shirt. "And you're the sexiest man on earth."
"Sexiest? Do I get a trophy for that?"
"No, but you do get a prize." She slides her hands down my torso. "Me."
"But—ah." I flinch as she cups my erection. "You know I want you. Badly. But not like this, I need to prepare."
She plasters her body to mine, running her hands up my arms. "Prepare? I have condoms. Bought them at the store today when you were contemplating the avocados."
"Not that." Her body glued to mine is rousing myslat, and I grip the arms of my chair in a vain attempt to short-circuit my lust for her. "Need to set the scene, make it special."
"How long will that take?" She nips at the flesh at the juncture of my jaw.
I suck in a sharp breath. "Might need a day, maybe two."
"A day or two?" She pulls her head back. "You're kidding, right? I offer myself to you, and all you can say is let's wait two days."
"Donnae want to."
She scrutinizes me for a moment. "Is this what Lachlan did with Erica?"