“So what am I to you, Tara?” he asked, the southern lilt in his speech suddenly more pronounced. The sound drew her to him like a moth to the flame.

She dropped her lids, avoiding his intense gaze. “I enjoy your company.”

“Is that all?”

Slowly she shook her head from side to side. “We’ve only just met. I don’t want to read too much into it.”

His breath blew against her skin as he moved his head closer. “But you enjoy being in my arms,” he coaxed.

“I love it when you touch me.”

“And kiss you?”

“Yes.”

His lips were almost touching hers. “Everywhere?”

“Yes.” She sighed. “But that’s not all of it.” It wasn’t the only reason why she was still here—though it was a damn good one.

“You mean there’s more than just wild, passionate sex you want from me?”

She nodded. “I feel I can talk to you.”

“Isn’t that what relationships are supposed to be like?” he asked.

“Yes, after you’ve known each other for a long time. Those things don’t happen right away.”

Jay combed his hand through her short hair. “Sometimes people just connect right from the start. I’m not saying that it has to mean anything, or that it’s a guarantee that things may lead to something, but it’s promising.”

A hesitant smile formed on her lips. Jay didn’t have to say things like that in order to get her into bed. He didn’t have to give her any hope that the fling they had could turn into something else. But she liked that he was open to the possibility.

Encouraged by his words, she asked, “So you think it was okay for me to tell my mother I had a boyfriend?”

“I wouldn’t want to brand you a liar.” He chuckled. “But you know, of course, that boyfriends want certain things from their girlfriends.” He put his hands on her hips and drew her against his groin where the hard outline of his erection made an unmistakable statement. “In fact, some boyfriends can be quite demanding.” He ground his cock against her center. “And they don’t like to share.”

She drew in a breath. “Share?”

“Yes, a boyfriend likes to know that he’s the only one who gets to make love to his girlfriend.”

Jay was asking for exclusivity?

“Is that a two-way street?”

A smile burst from his lips. “Trust me, even if I wanted to touch somebody else—which I don’t—I doubt I’d have any energy left after satisfying your ravenous appetite.”

As if to underscore his words, he slipped his hands underneath her short summer dress, stroking along her outer thighs to the G-string she wore. He slipped both thumbs underneath the triangle of fabric and caressed her bare mound. Automatically, she lifted herself up by an inch to give him better access.

“We should probably go inside,” she murmured.

“I’ve always wanted to make love under the setting sun,” he replied.

She motioned toward the shore and the houses that lined it. “People will see us.”

“We’re facing west here. The sun is behind us. All they’ll see is a silhouette. Nobody will know who we are.”

Jay’s thumb stroked along her drenched folds, making it hard for her to think clearly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Besides, you’ll keep your dress on. And your panties, too. There isn’t much to them anyway.” To prove to her that he was right, he pushed the fabric to one side, holding it there with one hand, while he caressed her with the other. “See? You won’t even have to get naked. Now all I need you to do is get that condom out of my pocket and take my cock out.”

His voice sounded hoarse all of a sudden, evidence of his arousal. She couldn’t resist the temptation, slipped her hand into the pocket of his shorts and pulled the condom from it.

“Do you always walk around with condoms in your pocket?”

“Now I do.” He rubbed his thumb over her clit, sending a hot bolt through her core. “Put it on me.”

Tara opened the button of his shorts and pulled the zipper down. His cock sprang free, hard and heavy. When she touched him, he froze for a moment.

“Fuck, Tara!” His eyes bored into her.

She loved the smoldering look he gave her and quickly went to work to sheath him with the condom. “There.”

“Good!” He shifted his position while he gripped her hip with one hand and urged her to lift herself higher, while the other hand still held her G-string to the side. “Guide me inside,” he demanded, voice gruff and almost unrecognizable.