After dinner, Davey suggested a drive. He’d had a really nice time with Nora and he didn’t want the evening to end. He also wanted time to talk through her comment about men leaving. It had been clear that she hadn’t meant to make the statement, but he was glad she had.

Even though that had been her experience, he wanted her to know that not all men were like that. As he headed out of town, a little voice in his head poked at him. Who was he to refute Nora’s statement? He didn’t know shit about relationships. He’d never been in a long-term relationship; he’d always walked away.

Even so, he squashed the nay-saying voice. He may not have had a lot of relationship experience, but he knew there were good men out there. Like Cruz, the man Davey was striving to be.

As he drove, they listened to music on the radio—jazz, pop, then country—because Nora liked to change the station frequently. As he neared one of his old dirt tracks, he was drawn toward it. They ended up on the bleachers there.

Davey took Nora’s hand as they studied the track, lit only by a half moon and a star-studded sky.

“How old were you when you raced here?” Nora asked him.

“Sixteen.” He slid closer to her. “We’d just moved here.” The move had been bittersweet. He’d been highly successful at this track and it had propelled him to even bigger tracks which had led him to the professionals. But the move had also caused his breakup with Lynn. He glanced at Nora, wondering if he was on her list of leavers because of it.

“Lynn and I broke up because I moved here,” he said. “It was a good move for me professionally. My success at the tracks here ultimately got me into the Xfinity Series.” He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. “But at the time, it was damn hard to leave. Had my dad not pushed me, I probably would have stayed in Serenity.” He let out a half-laugh. “I was pretty into your sister.”

Nora didn’t respond, but her pretty green eyes widened as if she’d been surprised by his statement.

He straddled the bleachers so he was facing her and patted the space in front of him. Nora hesitated, but then she straddled the bleacher facing him. He took both of her hands. “Nora, not all men leave.”

“The men in my life do,” she said, glancing down at their joined hands.

“Maybe you just haven’t found the right man,” Davey said, shocked even as the words rolled out of his mouth. Where had that come from? But it got Nora’s attention.

“Maybe.” Her response was tentative but her head lifted and her shoulders relaxed as she spoke.

“How about we just take this one step at a time,” he suggested, touching a hand to her cheek.

Her green eyes widened and sparked with surprise. “We have a this?”

“I sure as hell hope so.” He leaned in and skimmed his lips over hers. When she let out a soft moan, he kissed her, sweet, intense, and lingering. He drew back only when he needed air.

“We can’t do this,” she said. But as she protested, she nibbled on his lower lip.

“Really?” he asked, half-amused. On a hunch, he waited her out. Sure enough, a couple of beats later she tugged his mouth to hers for a smoking hot kiss.

When she drew back, she slid back. “We gotta stop doing that,” she said, even though her actions indicated she wanted something entirely different. She rubbed her fingers over her lips like they were still burning from his kiss and her eyes glinted red hot desire.

While she was still a little disoriented, he pulled her in closer. “I’m gonna come back you know.” He rested his forehead on hers. “As much as I can in between races.”

“I want to believe,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

He rubbed his hands up her arms. “Give me the chance.”

“But I don’t really know you,” she said, her voice low.

Straightening, he caught her gaze. “What do you want to know?”

She tipped her head skyward and stared at the moon for a long moment, as if seeking guidance. “What was it like growing up with your dad?” she asked after lowering her head.

He never talked about his childhood. Living with his dad had had more ups and downs, forwards and backwards, than Dollywood’s FireChaser Express rollercoaster. But he’d made the offer and he was going to see it through.

“My dad was very strict and very focused.” He absently drew circles on the top of Nora’s hand with his fingers. “He was a good race coach. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.” He paused to give credit where credit was due. “But I didn’t have a normal childhood. Dad frowned on friends—male or female—and on anything in my life that wasn’t tied to racing.”

“That must have been hard.” Nora’s look of empathy made him continue, even though the worst was yet to come.

“A lot of athletes have that kind of childhood,” he said. He’d read many stories of Olympians, hockey and baseball players, who had dedicated their childhood to their sport. “That wasn’t so bad. Racing kept me off the streets and kept me out of trouble.” He tightened his hand into a fist, then loosened it. Nora had been open and honest with him earlier when she’d shared details of her childhood. He wanted to do the same. “But Dad drank. A lot.” He wrapped his arms around Nora’s waist, and instantly felt her nurturing comfort. “When he drank, he got mean.”

Nora’s eyes were pained. “Did he hurt you?”

For a split-second Davey’s mind flashed back to the beatings which had begun after his mother had left, but he cut the memories off. “He mostly just smacked me around.”

“Oh, Davey.” She snuggled her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry you didn’t have anyone to stand up to him.”

“I did,” he said quietly. “I had Cruz.” Cruz had rescued him more than once. Afterward, Cruz would take Davey to his place. Davey remembered those nights well. He hadn’t had to worry about his father’s state of sobriety nor did he have to fear what violence the night might bring. Cruz’s place had been peaceful and loving, and he’d always slept like a baby.

Nora raised her head and pressed a soothing kiss on his cheek. “I’m glad you had Cruz.” She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands around his head, then kissed him. Her lips were scorching hot. As they made out, his hands trailed her curves and cupped her ample ass.

He usually dated models and actresses, who by virtue of their profession, were pencil thin. Nora had lots of curves and he took great pleasure in putting his hands all over them. As his forehead broke into a sweat, she drew back even though her pretty emerald gaze looked every bit as heated as his felt.

“What else do you want to know?” he asked, his voice huskier than he had intended.

“Did you always want to race?” Her voice was gratifyingly low and breathless.

“Nah.” He rested his forehead on hers again. “I love driving, but racing was my dad’s dream.” He rubbed his palm on her thigh. “My youthful passion was working on engines with Cruz.”

He had never admitted that to anyone before…not even himself.

Later that night, Davey reflected on his evening. He’d had a lot of fun with Nora. She’d been open and honest, and he had surprised himself by opening up to her too.

He had no idea what to do with the strong feelings he had for her. He could admit that for the first time, his feelings went far deeper than basic lust. As much as he wanted to push these uncomfortable emotions under the rug, they wouldn’t be suppressed.

He had no experience with relationships but even with no experience, he recognized he wanted to be with Nora for reasons other than sex. Of course, he wanted to have sex with her too, almost as much as he wanted to win the Monster Energy Series. But for the first time in his adult life, he wanted more.

The next morning, Davey met Nora in the hotel’s restaurant for breakfast. He ordered the Sunrise Wake-Up special while Nora ordered oatmeal with no milk, fruit, and a vegan english muffin, hold the butter.

They talked about their race experience and tossed around ideas for their outing with Ben and Lucas, settling on pizza and arcades.

Food arrived quickly. As he eyed Nora’s less than appetizing meal, he raised a brow. “When did you become a vegan?”

“After my Pap died,” she said, sipping her hot tea. “Because my mom was crazy.”

She had a sad look that he wished he could make go away. Even so, he didn’t get the connection.

Nora took a bite of cantaloupe and spread strawberry jam on half of her muffin. He didn’t think she was going to expand, but she glanced up at him with glossy eyes. “Animals helped me through my childhood. The animals and Ella were my only friends, the only souls I could count on after Pap died.”

He simply nodded, because there wasn’t anything to say. No one deserved to have as shitty of a childhood as she’d had. He admired the hell out of her for becoming a kind, nurturing woman considering what she’d been through.

“I had a Pitbull, Astro, who would rush into the closet to be with me when my mom locked me in, even though he knew it would be for long periods of time. He was my best friend in the whole world.” She sighed wistfully. “Astro made everything better.”

Davey ate his eggs and bacon in silence, but his jaw tightened as he listened to Nora talk. No one should have to put up with that shit, especially not a kid. Thank God for Astro, who Nora seemed to think had reincarnated into Cosmo. He made a mental note to give Cosmo a big kiss when they got home, on the off chance that she was right.

“When my mom got real crazy, I’d go to the farm next door and sit with the cows.” She stared at him for a long moment in silence, as if deciding whether to continue. “This might sound silly, but I connected with the cows. When I would cry, the mother cows would nuzzle their noses against me and offer comfort. They’d promise that the bad stuff would pass, and it always did.” Nora had a far-away look but the sadness had been replaced with wistfulness. While the idea seemed outlandish, somehow it fit Nora. He imagined the dog and the cows helped form the person she was today. Even though she had lived in hell, they had shown her compassion and they’d taught her how to love in spite of it.

“Then Wilma, one of the Kent’s pigs, had babies,” Nora said, “and I was there to help.” Her eyes turned thoughtful. “After being consoled time and time again by the mama cows, after gazing into the eyes of the newborn piglets, I realized that animals were living souls. I haven’t eaten meat since that epiphany.” She glanced at his plate with shimmering eyes.

Well, damn. “How old were you?”

“Nine,” she said, dabbing at her tears with the corner of a napkin.

On a quiet sigh, he pushed his plate aside, bacon and all. He really loved bacon. But how could he eat it after Nora’s heartfelt story?

“Did you mom support your choice?” he asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

“She told me I’d eat what we had or I’d get nothing.” Nora lifted her chin. “I picked nothing.” Sipping tea, her lips curved into a half smile. “Lynn would sneak me candy, which was my dinner more often than not.” Her smile faded. “It was also the start of my chunky issues.”

His eyes scanned Nora’s figure or what he could see of it with the table in between them. She sure wasn’t chunky now. She was curvy and sexy as hell. “You aren’t chunky now,” he said, his voice husky.

She gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him, then blew her nose noisily. “My mother was a nightmare,” she said, ignoring his compliment, “but your mom’s amazing. You should give her a chance.”

He wanted to continue with their prior conversation but Nora’s head was cocked to one side and she was staring at him expectantly indicating she had moved on.

Resigned, he took a slow sip of coffee. “I’m trying,” he said a little defensively. “But she left me and didn’t look back.” Are you really trying, asked a voice from deep inside of him. Stupid voice. Of course he was trying. Sort of. He shifted uncomfortably. “That’s hard to get over.”

“But she had a—”

He raised a palm. “I know what you’re gonna say.” Nora adored his mother and would make any excuse for her. The little voice in his gut returned. Hear her out. Both Nora and Cruz see something in your mother that you don’t. Jesus, he was losing it. He shook his head, shaking off the voice along with it. “You know her now. I’ll admit she seems okay now. But as a kid, it sucked having her leave.” He took another gulp of the steaming drink to push down the lump of hurt that had lodged in his throat. “I had friends whose parents got divorced but they still saw both of their parents. I got nothing from my mom, she just disappeared. Obviously, she didn’t give a damn about me.”

“You told her that you hated her,” Nora challenged. “And that you never wanted to see her again.”

Davey’s chest tightened. He had said those things, but he’d been a stupid, angry kid. “I was fourteen. Kids say shit.” His jaw clenched. “I’m trying, okay? But it’s hard.” He sucked in some air and attempted to maintain a calm voice. “I get why she left my dad. He could be a real asshole. But it’s hard to forgive her for leaving me and for moving away.”

Nora fidgeted with her silverware. “It’s not really my place to tell you, but….” She paused and took a drink of her tea. “You know what, never mind. Not my place.”

“Oh, no.” He reached across the table and put a hand over hers until she lifted her gaze. “You can’t start something like that, then leave me hanging.”

She nodded. “You’re right.” He liked that Nora played fair. “Me and my big mouth,” she muttered, pushing food around on her plate. “She moved away because she had cancer.” As Nora’s gaze met his, Davey’s heart stuttered to a stop. “She’d been given less than a year to live.”

His mother had cancer? The ongoing anger and resentment that roiled in his gut came to an eerie standstill. “Is she okay?” he asked, with genuine concern.

“She’s okay now,” Nora said gently.

Maybe Nora had been mistaken. Surely his mother would have told him if she’d been diagnosed with cancer and if she’d only been given a year to live.

“Are you sure?” He clutched his hands around his mug, drawing in its warmth.

His mother and Cruz waltzed into the restaurant sporting big fat smiles. Irritation slithered into Davey’s jaw. He wasn’t sure if it was because of their we-just-had-sex glows or the notion that his mother might have had cancer without telling him.

Nora got up and greeted them.

A muscle in Davey’s jaw twitched as he rose and spun toward his mother. “You had cancer and you didn’t bother to tell me?” His hand curled into a fist at his side. “I’m your son!”

Nora’s mouth dropped open and Cruz’s smile turned into a frown.

Davey’s mother, on the other hand, appeared to be pleased. One corner of her mouth actually ticked up. What the hell? Why was she happy when he was all pissy?

Cruz gave Davey a calm-the-fuck-down look and then moved in between him and his mother. “Is this true?” he asked quietly, his hands clasped around Davey’s mother’s face.

“Yes, but—”

“Are you okay now, Steph?” Cruz asked, running a hand through her hair.

Cruz’s quiet compassion worked its way through Davey’s system, making him feel like a real jerk. He’d practically attacked his mother because he’d been worried about her. Clearly, he had communication issues. He ran a hand over his face, ready to apologize.

“I’m fine. I’ve been in remission for nine years,” his mother said, and relief flooded Davey like a tidal wave. Apparently, it had the same impact on Cruz because he tugged her into a long hug.

Afterward, Davey stepped around Cruz and put a hand on his mother’s arm. “I’m sorry for being an ass.”

She opened her arms and he stepped into them. As she pulled him in close, warm, loving sensations gushed through him. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“That’s the first time you’ve called me mom since you were a kid,” she said, her voice unsteady.

Yeah, he’d caught that too. But it was time for him to leave the past where it belonged—in the past.

When his mom drew back, she had misty eyes and a happy smile. She wiped a tear from her cheek as Cruz patted him on the back.

“Please join us,” Nora said, waving a hand toward their table.

Cruz pulled another table over. After they were all seated, he leaned across the table toward Davey’s mom. “You’re one-hundred-percent okay now?”

“Yes.” She lifted her head. “I appreciate the concern, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before—both of you.” She glanced across the table at Cruz, then at Davey. “You were mad as a hornet at me back then. I went to a couple of your races and your dad told me you didn’t want to see me.”

Davey didn’t remember that, but he’d been crazy mad at his mother for leaving. Maybe he’d suppressed it. Or maybe his father hadn’t told him. He pressed two fingers against his temple.

“Then I started chemo and was too worn out to do anything else. When the doctors gave me less than a year to live, your Aunt Julia invited me to Arizona to try a different process. I figured I’d heal there or if I didn’t, I’d reach out again before I passed.” She took a sip of coffee that the waitress had just delivered. “After I healed, I moved back to Serenity, but you had already moved to Alabama.”

Davey nodded, once again feeling like pond scum for jumping all over her. For the first time since she’d left, he put himself in her shoes. Her relationship with his father had hardly been rosy. His dad had yelled at her belittling her and making her cry on a regular basis. Davey had been a self-indulgent little shit who’d basically told her to fuck off when she’d tried to reach out to him. She had been diagnosed with cancer after losing her husband, her son, and when she moved to Arizona, her friend, Cruz too. He couldn’t imagine facing cancer and a one-year life expectancy with no family or support system. After Davey had rejected her, his aunt was the only family she’d had left.

Davey clutched his hands together. He wanted to improve their relationship, he wanted to develop a real mother-son connection. But he’d harbored resentment for so many years, he wasn’t sure how to get there from where he was.

But he had time to think because Cruz apparently wasn’t done. “Why didn’t you tell me, Steph?” he asked, his voice wounded. “I hate that you had to go through that. If you’d told me, I would have come to be with you.”

“I know you would have.” She patted Cruz’s hand. “Knowing that helped me through my darkest days. But I couldn’t let you leave Davey. He needed you more. Being my friend and helping me keep track of my son was enough.”

Infuriation pummeled Davey, but this time it wasn’t directed at his mom; it was directed at him. While he’d been hell-bent on pushing his mother away, she’d been every bit as zealous about staying connected to him even though what little connection he’d allowed had cost her having Cruz with her during her cancer ordeal.

Over the years, Cruz had tried to get Davey to soften toward his mother. It had been the one subject that the two of them had vehemently disagreed on, and they’d finally agreed to disagree. He wished he had wised up and paid attention to the one man who had never steered him wrong.

Davey’s throat thickened with shame. Unable to face Cruz or his mother, he stared at his hands folded together on his lap. As Cruz quietly spoke with his mother, Nora reached over and took Davey’s hand.

He glanced at her expecting to find disappointment, maybe even scorn. Instead, Nora’s eyes shone with understanding. “It’s not too late,” she whispered. “Just tell her that you want to start over.”

Could it really be that simple? He’d blown his mother off for over a decade. Maybe she had reservations about him now. She sure as hell should.

Reading his hesitation, Nora leaned in and whispered, “Trust me.”

“Thank you.” He scooted his chair over and rested his forehead on Nora’s. When he straightened, his mother and Cruz were staring at him.

He blew out a breath. He needed to figure out what to do about his feelings for Nora, but first things first. He needed to set things right with his mother. “Mom, I’ve acted like a self-centered jerk. Can we please start over?”

His mother beamed, proving Nora right. “There’s nothing I’d like better.”

Nora spent the next day with Davey, Ben, and Lucas. They’d taken the boys to a kid’s escape room and to an interactive arcade. Over the course of the day, she had enjoyed watching Davey interact with the kids. He had played right along with Ben and Lucas, but he had also modeled responsibility, like reminding the boys to say please and thank you.

On the drive back to the hotel, Ben and Lucas excitedly recapped their adventures while Nora studied Davey’s profile. She had to admit that she liked hanging out with him. Her belly did a little jig as she reminisced about their date last night. Davey could make her breath stutter with a single look, her body tingle with a single touch, and her insides flutter with a single kiss. She could only imagine the havoc he would wreak on her system if they took their relationship to the next level. She’d never before felt this kind of response with a man, not that she’d had much experience. Matt had been the only guy she’d ever slept with.

Sex with Matt had been ho-hum. She couldn’t help but wonder if it would be different with Davey. Last night she and Davey had just made out, but it had been hot and steamy. If they had sex, would they achieve the same level of heat and intensity? She shivered at the thought.

Pulling into the hotel parking lot, Davey turned to her. “You cold?” He put a hand over hers. “Want my jacket?”

No, I want your body.

She let out a little snicker, thankful she hadn’t blurted that out loud. “I’m fine, but thanks.”

Jamie and Melissa were in the lobby waiting for them. They greeted one another, then Lucas told them about the escape room which entailed a race to the finish line and about the interactive games they’d played—car racing, horse racing, wakeboard racing.

“I see a theme here,” Jamie said, and they all laughed.

“We raced all day!” Lucas said with an ear-to-ear smile.

“It was epic,” Ben added, his grin as big as Lucas’.

Melissa ruffled Lucas’ hair. “Want to cap it off with a movie night?”

“Yeah!” Lucas said. “Can Ben come too?”

“I don’t know—” Nora began, but Melissa cut in.

“We’d love to have Ben.”

“Are you sure?” Melissa had to fly back to her overseas post tomorrow night. “Lucas could stay with us instead,” Nora suggested, thinking Melissa might want a night alone with her husband.

“Nah, I want to spend my last night with my whole family,” Melissa said. “And Ben’s practically family.” She winked at Ben, then exchanged an intimate look with her husband. “Jamie and I had our couple time this afternoon.”

Nora smiled. Melissa and Jamie sported the same intimate glow that Steph and Cruz had earlier. After she agreed, Ben scampered off leaving her alone with Davey.

“How about a drink?” he suggested.

She lifted a shoulder. “Sure.”

He put a hand in the small of her back and led her down the hallway toward the lobby bar. A sensual awareness arose in her lower back where his hand pressed against her body. When he slid two fingers underneath her shirt and skimmed them along her bare skin, her breath caught.

Disoriented, she didn’t notice they had passed the bar and gotten into the elevator until they stepped onto the twentieth floor.

“But, the bar….” she said, her voice thick.

“I thought we’d have drinks in my suite,” Davey said, flashing a badass smile. “I have gorgeous views of the city.”

That was probably a bad idea. But her girl parts fervently disagreed and a few minutes later she was in Davey’s room.

“What’s your pleasure?” he asked, moving behind the bar. His voice was husky, his eyes were sultry…and she knew exactly what he wanted.

But what did she want? She knew what she wanted. The real question was should she or shouldn’t she?

“Having second thoughts?” Davey made his way over and wrapped his arms around her. “We can just drink if that’s what you want.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head, turning her brain into a jumble of mush. “Or we could think of other things to do,” he said, his voice rough.

He grazed his lips across her cheek. When she shuddered, he backed her against the kitchen island and put a hand on each side of her. “So what’s your pleasure?” he asked again, his eyes heated.

Maybe she could indulge just a little and then go back to the safety of her room. She tugged Davey’s head to hers and kissed him long and hard. He took over, slowing the pace but dialing up the steam. As his lips devoured hers, his hands twirled through her hair, trailed the outline of her breasts, then moved to her ass.

Still sensitive about her butt, she wriggled uneasily. When they came up for air, she glanced over her shoulder at his hands.

He slid them up to her waist and gave her a lazy grin. “Sorry, but you have a great ass.”

He had told her that before, but she hadn’t believed him then, and she didn’t believe him now. What kind of game was he playing? She pushed her way out of his embrace.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She nodded but moved away.

Davey stared at her for a long moment, then went behind the bar and poured a glass of champagne and a Coke.

As he made his way back, she studied his expression. There was concern, confusion…and a boatload of desire. Maybe she’d been mistaken.

He pushed the glass of champagne into her hands. She considered whether she should drink the champagne or keep a clear head, ultimately deciding on the former. She tossed back the entire contents, gave Davey a sheepish look, and extended the glass. She would need a lot more champagne to open this kimono.

On a low chuckle, Davey stepped to the bar and refilled her glass. This time he put it on a table next to the couch, then sat and patted the space next to him.

She eased down, took a gulp of the bubbly drink, then turned toward him. “Here’s the thing…I’m a little sensitive about my butt.”

“Why?” Davey’s voice was one-hundred percent surprise. He gave her another badass grin. “You have a great ass.”

His gorgeous blue-green eyes brimmed with raw desire. Damn. She took another long drink.

When she put down her glass, Davey pulled her onto his lap. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she said. She shook her head, unable to look him in the eye.

“Why would you be sensitive about your ass?” He slipped his hands around her waist. “Where’s my honest girl?”

It did her in when he called her his girl. Sighing, she rested her head against his shoulder.

“I was a chunky kid,” she said after a long moment. “The other kids made fun of me, especially my butt.”

“Kids can be mean,” he said. “But you look amazing.”

She lifted her head. Did he mean that or was he trying to be nice so she would have sex with him? She knew she was overly sensitive, but Matt hadn’t liked her butt. He’d never come out and said so, but she had caught him looking and it wasn’t a wow kind of look.

“Matt suggested I should work out more,” she admitted.

“He’s a moron. His opinion doesn’t count.”

It was kind of him to defend her, but her mother had also called her a fat-ass. She decided not to go there. Instead, she thought about the online pictures of Davey with women who looked like stick figures. “If you like a little meat, why do you date women who look like they’re starving?”

He wrapped a strand of her hair around two fingers. “In my world, I meet fans, models and actresses. I love my fans, but I don’t want to date them.” He twirled her hair as he spoke. “That leaves the women I meet at charity and promo events. Had I met you earlier, I would have pursued you instead.” He gently pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Like I’m doing now.”

She sucked in a shocked gulp of air at the idea of him pursing her. “Why?” she blurted before she could stop herself.

He let out another low, sexy laugh. “Let’s see, where should I begin? You’re an amazing mother-figure to Ben. You’re kind and nurturing. You love animals and they love you.” She shifted on his lap, a little uncomfortable but at the same time completely flattered by his words. “Dogs are a great judge of character and Daisy adores you. You’re honest, fun, and you have a great sense of humor. But what I like best of all,” he said, gazing into her eyes, “is that you’re real.” He gave her a slow grin. “All that and you’re smokin’ hot too.”

Too stunned to speak, she gaped at him. He framed his hands around her face, leaned in, and brushed his lips over hers. Then he kissed her slowly, taking her on a soft, tender journey that reinforced every word he had just spoken. When he drew back, her insides were soft and gooey, her breasts were aching, and she was hot and moist between her legs.

“Tell me what you want, Nora,” he said. “If you don’t want this, say the word.”

Oh, she wanted it, and she wanted it bad. But only the sex part. She was in no way willing to get involved in a relationship. She didn’t want Ben to get hurt, and she didn’t want to get hurt, either. She wasn’t sure what Davey wanted, but she assumed he only wanted sex too. Just in case, she decided to spell it out. “I want this,” she said. “I want you. But just for one night. That’s all I can give.”

His eyes flashed disbelief, then resignation. “I’ll take it,” he said, rising with her in his arms. He carried her down the hall and into the bedroom.

The corner-suite bedroom was enormous. There was a large bed along the far wall with a lot of open space around it. Windows covered three-quarters of the walls and showcased the beautiful city skyline. Davey gently placed her on the bed, then stepped over to pull the sheers across the windows.

When he returned, she was ready to get this show going. She reached up and tugged at his shirt, but he was no help. Fully clothed, he rolled onto his side and pressed kisses through her hair.

She lowered her hands to the snap on his pants. Chuckling, he lifted her palm to his lips. “It’s not a fire,” he said, skimming his lips over her fingers.

Weren’t they supposed to peel off their clothes and put part A in part B? Matt had been an in and out kind of guy. Looking back, it hadn’t helped that she and Matt had been more buddies than romantic partners. Still, she had assumed that outside of her novels, all men operated that way. “But we can’t do it without being naked.”

He flashed a grin. “We have all night.” His voice was voice low and deep, and full of wicked promise. He pressed his lips to the side of her neck, making her forget everything else. “Foreplay is the best part.”

She had never really experienced foreplay, other than basic kissing. But she had to admit what Davey was doing felt amazing. He trailed tiny kisses along her jaw, nibbled at her earlobe, and flicked his tongue down her neck.

When he slid a hand underneath her shirt, her breasts heaved with anticipation. As she arched toward him, he gave her a lazy smile.

“Patience my dear,” he said. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

He already had and they’d barely gotten started. She lifted up on her elbows. May as well be honest. “It’s been a while.”

“Can’t be that long,” Davey said, propping up on one arm. “You and Matt just broke up a couple of months ago.”

She let out a rough laugh. “We didn’t do it much.”

Davey’s eyes widened. “He was a moron. If you were my girlfriend, we’d be doing it all the time.” His eyes widened, as if he’d surprised himself with his words. But he couldn’t have been more surprised than her. “How long has it been?”

She dropped her gaze, not wanting to share the embarrassing details. Then again, Davey should probably know that she was rusty and didn’t know what she was doing. “Four or five months.” With Lynn’s issues and Nora having Ben frequently, it had been hard to find the time. Besides, she and Matt had had more fun going out than they’d had staying in.

“What the….” Davey muttered. “Why?”

Anxiety swirled in her belly. She had no idea what she was doing. She and Matt had gone through the motions, but they hadn’t had any chemistry. Their relationship had been based on shared interests, not passion. One night after several drinks, Matt had admitted that he’d had off-the-charts chemistry with an ex-girlfriend. Because he’d experienced that kind of attraction and she hadn’t, Nora had assumed that their lack of spark was her fault. Matt had been her first, but he’d been with other women before her. From what she could tell, Davey had tons of experience too. She wasn’t good at this and based on what Davey had already done, he was really good. When they got to the main act, he was probably like a sex god.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said. Her anxiety transformed into a full-fledged panic and she shot upright. “I can’t do this.”