Apparently, those were the exact words I needed to hear, because I growled something unintelligible and pounded into her mindlessly, her cries of encouragement driving me over the edge. She came again almost right away, clinging to me and chanting my name until I had no choice but to follow. The orgasm blinded me for a solid minute, my entire body clenching into one hard spasm as I released myself into her.
When I could breathe again, I gathered her close, pressing her head into my chest. “Samantha, I’m sorry. I never—I’ve never done that before with anyone. And I would never do it without asking first—but God, I did. You make me lose my mind.”
To my relief, she smiled up at me, her eyes lazy with sated pleasure. “If you hadn’t pushed me up into the wall at that point, I probably would’ve done it for you. Maybe thrown you onto the floor right here and ridden you hard. So please don’t apologize. I promise you, I reallyamclean, and I reallyamon the pill. I haven’t slept with anyone for ...” She paused. “A very long time. And like I said, never without a condom.”
I slicked her wet hair back from her face. “But you let me inside you naked, without even hesitating.”
She lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “I get a sense about people. I can tell that you, Max Remington, are a man of responsibility and principle. You’re not the kind who makes impulsive moves.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Except maybe under extreme circumstances.”
“You’d be right ... both about me and the extreme circumstances.” I dropped a light kiss on her lips. She returned it, but I felt her shake a little as goosebumps rose on her arms. “You’re cold. Are you done in here, or do you want me to get out and let you finish?”
Samantha laughed. “I don’t think I can be much cleaner than I am, and I’d already washed my hair. You just caught me enjoying the hot water before I got out.”
“I do have impeccable timing.” I reached up for the shower head and tilted it to spray against the wall before I opened the door and retrieved the towel hanging just outside the stall. “Here you go. Step out and dry off. I’ll only be a minute more.”
I finished my own shower in record time, my eyes never leaving Samantha as she toweled off, moving in that indescribable grace that women seem to have. She ran the thick terrycloth over her long legs, down along her slender arms, across her full boobs and the curve of her butt and then dried her hair.
Samantha had just wrapped a second towel around her head turban-style when I turned off the water and stepped out, too. She didn’t attempt to hide her frank perusal of my body as I dried it. She gave a little snort when she saw my semi-boner.
“Dude, really? What kind of superhero are you? We spent most of the night screwing each other’s brains out, and thentwicemore just now in the shower ... and you’re ready to go again?” She shook her head. “Damn.”
“Hey.” I snagged her arm before she could turn to head back into the bedroom. “This isn’t the norm for me. I don’t ...” I searched for the right way to say this. “I don’t make it a habit to do random hook-ups, and I definitely don’t do girlfriends or relationships.”
Something akin to hurt flared in her eyes, but she blinked it away, swallowing. “I get it. Don’t worry, I’m not going to push you into anything. I don’t have expectations—”
“Flower child.” I cupped one hand around her cheek. “That wasn’t my point. What I was trying to say is that normal for me is a quick bout of sex with one of my friends with benefits. I have a couple of those, and none of us is looking for more from the other. Those women don’t want anything other than a quick and satisfying tumble. We never spend nights together, and we sure as hell don’t do shower sex the morning after.” I brushed my mouth over hers, nibbling at her bottom lip. “But you ... you’re a game changer. I can’t seem to get enough of you, and I don’t mean just the sex. I want to get to know you better. I want to have breakfast with you and discuss politics, and I want to take you to dinner and hear all about your life up to now. I want to fuck you mindless before we go to sleep together, and I want to wake up next to you in the morning.”
She stared up at me, her forehead wrinkled. “Why? We only just met. I mean ...” She touched her own lip with one finger. “The sex was amazing. If I didn’t think it would make you conceited, I’d say it’s the best I ever had or could ever imagine having. But we’re not exactly compatible, Max. A couple of conversations and your own words last night told us that.”
“I know.” I swiped the towel over my short hair. “I know all the reasons why this shouldn’t work, but I can’t get the idea out of my head. So, let’s say this. I want to explore all the possibilities with you. I don’t want to miss out on anything because I was too bull-headed to see what—or who—might be right in front of me.” I smiled, skimming one finger at the top of her towel. “I want to try out the dance, like you said. I want to risk the pain for the pleasure.”
She nodded slowly. “Okay. I guess I can get behind that. What does this look like in practice?” She cocked her head, tossing the proverbial ball right back into my court.
“It looks like ... both of us keeping open minds. Today, it looks like both of us getting dressed and you driving me to work.” I paused. “If you can? Do you have time? I don’t even know what hours you work.”
“Today I work eleven to seven, so yes, I have time to drop you off on post. But unless you want to wait a while, you’ll need to find another ride home.” Samantha tucked her towel more securely between her breasts.
“I’ll get Kade to give me a lift, so it’s no problem.” I slipped an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “Want to have a late dinner? If you like Italian, I know a really good place.”
I watched the shifting expressions cross her face as she considered. “I love Italian. And I’d really love to have dinner with you.” Her eyes darkened slightly, and the corners of her mouth drew down. “But Max, seriously. Are you sure about this? I’m not the kind of woman you’re used to. I don’t fit the Army mold. I might end up being more trouble than I’m worth.”
My heart melted a little more at the concern and apprehension etched on her face. She was truly worried about me and about the potential conflict my feelings for her might mean to my career. That meant more than any words she could have spoken aloud.
“Flower child, I don’t doubt for a minute that you’re trouble with a capital T. But I also have a feeling you’re just the kind of trouble I’ve been missing in my life.”
