Page 67 of Chasing the Dream

“And we’re both mature adults, well, mostly.”

“Hey!”

He chuckled again, glad that they were able to find some humor in the situation. “So, let’s look at the facts.”

“Is this your version of foreplay?”

Ignoring her, he forged ahead. “We both want this, but we don’t want any unnecessary complications.”

“Agreed.”

“We don’t want this”—he motioned between them—"to have a negative impact on us working together or your relationship with Maria.”

“What about your relationship with Maria?”

“That too, although we’re related, so she’ll eventually have to forgive me.”

“That’s comforting.”

“Moving on. Neither of us wants the messiness that comes with a long-term relationship.”

She studied him for a few beats and then slowly nodded like she wasn’t quite sure what she was agreeing to.

“Since you’ll be leaving in a couple of months, we can’t get too involved. It wouldn’t make sense.”

“Right. So, where does that leave us?”

“So, we focus on the here and now, and we let the rest go.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“It can be if we want it to be.”

“So, just sex, then?”

“You said you didn’t want any complications.”

“Yes, but you’re making it sound so…clinical.”

He pulled into the driveway, shut off the engine, and turned toward her. “Believe me, if we do this, nothing about it will be clinical.”

He reached out and cupped her cheek, and she leaned into his palm. “It’s your call,” he added.

He forced himself to sit still and wait for her response, although his patience was running thin. He’d been in a state of arousal since they’d kissed earlier, and he thought he might explode if he didn’t get some relief. A man could only talk about sex for so long before he needed to do something about it!

Suddenly she shifted away from him, opened the passenger door, and stepped out, all without giving him an answer!

“Hold up,” he called as he followed her up the walkway.

She didn’t stop until she’d reached the porch, and then she stood and waited for him to unlock the door. After they’d stepped inside and he’d locked the door behind them, she took his hand and pulled him toward the stairs.

“Where are we going?” he asked, although he had a pretty good idea.

“To your bedroom.”

His heart started beating wildly. After all that talking, they were really doing this.

They went into his room, and he locked the door. “What made you decide?”