––––––––

Hailey blinked into the clouded gaze of a satisfied male and couldn’t help sighing. The perfection of tonight would surely end if she told him the truth. Yet how could she lie to the man who made her feel like a real woman? Who stoked a normal, healthy desire that grew stronger with each moment they spent together?

“What can I say? I don’t have the best luck with men.”

He stared, his eyes narrowing, and said nothing.

“It’s me. Despite the blonde hair and the boobs, I’m a wallflower. I’m boring, dull, and quite frankly, until you, I didn’t really like sex. My friends call me a prude, and my coworkers treat me like the invisible woman, unless they’re the creeps who won’t take no for an answer,” she ended with a huff.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He grunted when she tugged at his chest hair.

“It’s one thing if you’re lusting after me and I return the favor, but

another—”

His grin made her realize what she’d said, and she blushed. “I’m attracted to you, obviously. But this is all just a fantasy, a sexual dream come to life.” The thought of stepping outside his apartment and ending it made her want to cry. “I’m not perfect, and you can’t possibly be this great, and tomorrow, this will all be a memory.”

“But a pleasant one. And if you think telling me you don’t jump every guy who wants you is a turn-off, think again.”

She blinked. “Ah, maybe you don’t hear what I’m saying. This—you and me—this isn’t real. I have a lot of sexual hang-ups. And the real Hailey Jennison doesn’t go to bed with a hot guy, a stranger.”

Would he even believe that, considering they’d had sex against his living room wall a day after meeting face to face? Her cheeks were on fire, and she struggled to put her thoughts into words.

“Hailey, relax.” His grin broadened, and the sparkle in his eyes made her want to melt. Such satisfaction and approval, and all directed at her. “I know this isn’t typical for you. I did some research before we met, and what I learned made me want to know more.”

“What did you learn?”

“That you turned down the jerk in 204B, who is a complete ass when it comes to women.”

Tell me about it. She cringed inwardly, remembering his crude comments.

“And you refused the guy in 313C because he has a girlfriend.”

“How did you know that?”

He cleared his throat. “I, ah, might have overheard you.”

“What?”

“I was eavesdropping around the corner from your unit when he dropped by. You think you have problems with the opposite sex?” He groaned and rubbed his eyes. “I suck when it comes to women, and I don’t mean in a good way. I work hard, and I enjoy working out. I know I have a good body, one that seems to attract the ladies. But when it comes to talking, to forming relationships...” his voice stumbled over the R-word, “I always seem to trip myself up, saying the wrong things, alienating my dates without trying. Hailey, when I first saw you, something in me clicked. I didn’t want to screw things up again, not with you.”

Her heart thundered, and she stared at him with an intensity that probably would have shaken him had he been looking at her when he spoke. But the flush on his cheeks and the way he avoided eye contact more than showed her how uncomfortable he found the topic.

“I’m good at sex. I’m not bragging. I’m just being honest.” When she chuckled, he quickly met her gaze. “Okay, so I’m bragging. Don’t I deserve it?”

“You don’t hear me complaining.”

“But after a while, sex isn’t the end-all it feels in the beginning. I wanted to get to know you. So I asked about you. A few guys who live in the apartments here work with you. We went drinking, and after a few rounds, they loosened up about Ms. Unattainable. Yes, you. Smart, funny, shy.” He nodded at her apparent disbelief. “They talk about you. And it’s all good. I swear, if you’d give one of them the time of day, they’d snap you up in a heartbeat,” he grumbled, clearly not thrilled with the prospect.

“But forget I said that. I kept trying to find the best way to approach you, and then you moved. About killed me ’til I saw you visit Faith one night. You showed up at her place the week after with a bunch of friends. And then I noticed you and your friends watching me, and I began to perform.” He gave her a wicked, shameless grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

Hailey groaned. “So you really did know all along.”

“No. The first time you saw me I figured it was a mistake. And I didn’t really take notice again until a few weeks later. But Hailey, just knowing you were looking at me made a huge difference in the way I was feeling.”

She glanced down, mentally agreeing with his huge assessment.

“Every Friday, I rushed home from work, doing my best to strut for you and your friends.”

“This is so embarrassing.”

“And so kinky.” He laughed, startling her into laughing with him. “Damn, Hailey. You had me so hard all the time. I didn’t walk around half-naked and fully frontal for your friends. I did it to entice you.” He frowned. “It took you way too long to come over here.”

“If you recall, you dragged me here. I didn’t exactly come of my own free will.”

“But you came all the same,” he said slyly, rubbing his stiffening erection against her. “And if you think I’m letting you out of here after one measly day of sex, you’re out of your mind.”

“One day? Try an hour.”

“So far.” He nudged her again, pushing her onto her back and prodding for entry between her thighs. “I suck at talking to women, you suck at talking to men. Seems like a match made in heaven.”

Her womb fluttered, and her heart jumped. “And don’t forget the sex.”

He chuckled and thrust hard and fast, groaning as he sank deep. “And the sex is unbelievable.’”

“Yes, it is,” she breathed, clutching him tight.

“So stop thinking and start feeling. Just wait, baby, and see. This show is only just beginning.”

She soon lost all train of thought and sighed his name. For now, she’d play along. But unfortunately, she knew that sooner or later, all good things must end.

––––––––

When Gage kissed Hailey good-bye Sunday night, it was with the promise of a dinner Tuesday night at her place. So much for wanting to take things slow. He watched her ease down the steps of the complex like a siren flaunting her power. Shit. That dress was killing him.

She reached the ground and turned back to wave shyly at him. Waving back, he finally shut the door. Taking a deep breath, he scowled at his still hungry, amazingly aching cock and shook his head.

“Woman’s got me addicted to her.” Hell, he’d never come so hard or for so long inside a woman. And he knew had she not been on birth control, he’d have done the foolish thing and more than likely knocked her up. As selective as she’d been, and as careful as he was, he didn’t worry about STDs. As much as he wanted her still, he wouldn’t have waited on a condom before fucking her. And that was just plain stupid.

Much as Gage wanted a family one day, he preferred to take it slow. Dating, marriage, a few years, then kids. But with Hailey, he could only think about sex, about the possibility of skipping all the work and cementing her to him right now.

With a kid?

He broke out in a sweat just thinking about it. Then cursed his foolish glands. Maybe it was a good thing she’d be busy Monday night. He needed a breather after a day and a half of steady, mind-blowing sex.

Unfortunately, he knew the woman had snared him with more than her body. For Gage, talking to a woman without offending her took an enormous effort. He always managed to say the wrong thing, not even meaning insult. But with Hailey, he made her laugh. When he called her breasts “tits,” she moaned in arousal. And when he talked even dirtier, she really got into it.

He grinned, recalling how limber she was in bed. Hot damn. Then he recalled how they’d both lost their loved ones, and how they’d talked about that loss cuddled up in his bed. Cuddled. He puzzled that he, Gage Warren, had cuddled with a woman voluntarily.

Hopping into the shower, he washed himself good, trying to clear his lovestruck thoughts. Who the hell knew Hailey of the delectable body liked horror and SciFi movies? That she read Koontz and King, as well as biographies about dead presidents? Shit. The woman even liked the way he decorated his place, not a hint or even a comment about how he might better it with flowers or artwork.

Gage remembered the moment he’d first thrust deep, the feeling of warm acceptance and utter lust that had shaken him to his foundation. And when he added all the other heartwarming bits about Hailey Jennison to the mix, he realized he’d fallen in love.

The water streamed over him as he wondered what to do about this mess, and why the thought of such deep feelings for a woman didn’t make him want to run the other way.

♥

“Sydney, I’m sorry it took me so long to call.” Hailey held the phone out from her ear. “Yes, I know it’s nearly ten. Look, I just got home.” She cringed and waited several moments before continuing. “Ah, you might say dinner went well. We spent the weekend together. And yes, I promise to fill you in on the rest of it tomorrow night. Come on over after work. Now I’ve got to get some sleep so I can function tomorrow.”

After hanging up, Hailey dropped her clothes along her path to the bed and slid under the top sheet. She could still feel Gage’s mouth against her flesh, and she shivered with pleasure.

How any man could do what he’d done to her and still make her want him, even now, boggled the mind. Had she not known better, she’d swear she’d become addicted—to Gage. The blasted man still hadn’t told her his last name, and had dangled the knowledge like bait to make her agree to a next date. As if she’d refuse him after their time together.

The sex had been one thing. A huge thing, actually. Never before had Hailey been so in tune with another—physically at least. She hadn’t had to fantasize to make herself horny, hadn’t needed a picture of another, or to ward off her many worries about the daily grind to simply fall in the mood. Instead, she’d been doused with lust just looking at the man. And the feel of him...his penis fit inside her as if he’d been built just for her.

She worried that her immense attraction was making her feel so much more about him. With the way she still wanted to crawl over his body and lay with him, well, forever, she thought she might be mistaking lust for love. A concept she’d mistaken once before, with Jerry the Worm.

Much as she truly liked Gage, she didn’t know him half as well as she’d known Jerry, and look how that relationship had turned out.

But wait, one day and night of incredible sex didn’t mean happily-ever-after. So why couldn’t she stop thinking about him?

Infatuation, Sydney would tell her. Sex and love are not the same thing at all. Repeating that to herself, Hailey tried to lull herself to sleep. Yet she continued to see how many things in common she and Gage held. How they liked the same television shows and books, how his crass comments amused her when, by rights, she should have felt offended. Anyone else telling her she had big bones would have made her want to cry. But Gage had said it like a compliment, and followed up his comment by sucking diligently on her breasts, those big tits that he loved so much.

She flushed with heat and tried to think peaceful thoughts, needing to calm her raging body. Who would have thought that while she’d been fantasizing about him, he’d been doing the same about her? She blushed, recalling the way he’d made her masturbate him, showing her the way he’d fallen asleep night after night, with her in his mind’s eye. She hadn’t the courage to share her experiences, but planned to the next time they met. And maybe, just maybe, she’d cater to that unspoken fantasy of his. The one that involved her mouth and his cock...

Six o’clock dawned bright and early, and she found herself immersed in work until the lunch hour. When she entered the small cafeteria downstairs, she bumped into Eddie the asshole. Remembering what he’d said about her on Friday, she smiled. Frigid bitch, hmm? Tell that to Gage.

Eddie stammered. “Hi, Hailey. Would you like to share a table?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, Eddie. I’m sitting with Amy and Beth. We frigid bitches have to stick together. Maybe some other time.”

Hailey reached her friends and saw them looking past her at Eddie.

“What did you say to him?” Amy asked. “He’s still standing there staring after you in shock.”

“Nothing.” Hailey took a few bites of her salad and smiled. “He’s probably surprised I called him on being a complete asshole for insulting me the other day. Though I guess he didn’t really know I was there.”

“Well, you aren’t known for friendliness around the men who work here,” Beth commented. “Not that I blame you,” she said hastily at Hailey’s questioning look. “But not all of them are out to seduce you, you know.”

“Trust me. I know. I’m just in the habit of letting people know I don’t screw around.” She frowned. “Maybe I’ve taken it too far?”

“Maybe,” Amy said, shrugging. “But who cares? Want to hear some real dirt? Anthony Fletcher is going to propose to Meredith later today. Here at work.”

Glad to hear some good news, and for the change of subject, Hailey and Beth peppered Amy with questions, and lunch passed by in a blur. While Hailey worked the rest of the day, she wondered why she hadn’t confided in her friends about Gage. Only Sydney knew she’d gone to dinner with him. And even that knowledge bothered Hailey on a strange level.

Perhaps she didn’t want to share him, she thought, though he wasn’t exactly an item she could keep a secret indefinitely. There was no way in hell she wanted to see him naked again, with her friends in tow. Uh-uh. No way. She would have to make that clear tomorrow when they met again.

She paused. But would that seem pushy? Too girlfriend-ish? Much as she liked that title, she realized she was supposed to be a modern woman. And sex, even marathon sex, didn’t mean commitment in the eyes of the everyday male.

“But he’s not an average guy,” she muttered.

“What’s that?” Joy, her assistant, asked.

“Oh, nothing. Just mumbling to myself.”

Joy studied her, a small grin on her face. “You know, Hailey. I have to say, you look really good today. Like you’re glowing. And rumor has it you didn’t glare and ignore Eddie like you usually do. You gave it to him but good. I have to ask, what gives?”

Hailey blushed. “I’m not that mean, am I?”

“You’re not mean at all. Eddie Flynn’s a jerk. It’s just that you seem, well, really confident lately. And...happy.”

She frowned. “I’m not normally happy?”

“You’re good at your job. You’re nice to me and the women around here. But you don’t, ah, glow. It’s hard to explain.”

Hailey nodded absently and made up some nonsense about winning money on a bet from a friend. Gage, apparently, had had more of an impact on her than just on her rampant hormones. The man was making her happy. She chuckled to herself and continued typing, wondering what Sydney would make of this.