“Shoot. No, I mean to say, we have fun together, but we always end our time with sex. And I feel like if we don’t have it, we’ll have a problem.”
She spoke so fast he had a hard time understanding her.
“Hold on. You’re complaining about the sex?” He couldn’t help staring in disbelief.
Last night he’d given her multiple orgasms, which she’d admitted to being a first. And she’d cried his name as if he’d taken her to heaven. Which he had.
“Not complaining,” she said with a blush. “I’m just worried that if we can’t have sex, you’ll…”
At her silence, he suddenly understood. And he grew angry. Really, really angry.
“You’re afraid I’ll what? Leave? That the only reason I hang around you is for your body?”
Shit. All the little gifts, the gestures, doing the fucking dishes, loving her until he felt he’d pass out? And she still didn’t get it?
“You don’t understand,” she said softly, her eyes clouding with tears.
At the sight of her unhappiness, his belly clenched and he forced himself to calm down. “What’s really the problem, Hailey?”
“I’m the same woman I was before I met you. And now things are different.”
“How?”
“I have never, ever, had an orgasm with a man every time we made love. But with you, I have at least one every time.” She threaded her hands through her hair and nervously gripped close to her scalp. “You’re making me different at work. People are listening to me, actually becoming friendly. And the obnoxious creeps are suddenly leaving me alone.”
He shook his head. “You’ve always been intelligent, gorgeous, and driven. But you’ve been so caught up in caring what others think of you that you’ve closed yourself off to everyone but your friends. Now, Hailey, you’re seeing yourself the way I do.
That’s why people are taking notice.”
She stared at him in shock. “That is the longest, most normal conversation we’ve had yet. And you sound like a psychologist. You, Mr. Hard Ass, are actually talking about feelings.”
He flushed and glared. “I told you my mother’s a shrink. It’s hard to suppress, but lately you’ve been pushing my buttons.”
“Me?”
“You.” He snorted and leaned back against the counter, ignoring the pots boiling over on the stove.
“Ah, Gage?”
“Shut up, Hailey. We’re going to have this out.” Anger fumed and built inside of him. He couldn’t believe they were having this discussion, when he’d envisioned a much different way to spend the night. Fuck. “You clam up when you become angry or hurt, and now that I think about it, you’ve been looking at me like any day now I’m going to kick your ass out. I hate to break it to you, baby, but as good as the sex is, that’s not why I’m with you.”
She blushed and scowled. “I notice you haven’t made any attempts to abstain, though, have you?”
“I’m not stupid. Making love with you is incredible. But if you want me to prove to you we’re about more than sex, fine. As of right now, we’re celibate.” His gaze narrowed. “That means no sex for both of us, with anyone.”
“I’m not planning to seduce the first guy I see on my way home,” she grumbled.
“And that’s another thing. You’re too eager to leave me every night. Why? What did I do that was so damned horrible?”
“Nothing. But eventually this is going to end, and if I get used to sleeping with you all the time, or staying here overnight, I’ll never be the same—”
“—When I leave?” His eyes glittered, and he yanked her to him, holding her in a steely embrace. “Forget what I said about intelligence. You are the dumbest blonde I’ve ever met.” He kissed her hard on the mouth. “No sex until you apologize for being so dense. And I’ll expect you here every day after work next week. No avoiding us.” He cursed under his breath. “You are going to be so sorry about this. I’ll expect one hell of an apology.”
On your knees, he added under his breath before the boiling water and splattered sauce caught his attention. As she helped him clean up the mess, he realized he had just agreed not to have sex with the woman until they cleared up her issues.
Sex—the one area in which they both had no problems whatsoever. Where he did his best work. Maybe he really was an idiot.
Their first fight. Hailey felt both bad and strangely relieved to have it over. The fact that Gage had been annoyed had been expected. What she’d hadn’t anticipated, however, was the hurt that had lingered briefly in his gaze, or the offer to abstain. To prove a point.
For her.
She hugged her pillow tight and fought the warmth pooling within her that Gage would even suggest such a thing. Her other boyfriends had simply broken off with her when sex had been in question, and Jerry had cheated.
At the thought, she paled. Maybe Gage intended to satisfy himself elsewhere.
Perhaps he had no intention of going without, but had made the grand gesture to look like the winner in their small skirmish.
But the more she thought about it, the more she disregarded that notion. For one thing, Gage hadn’t rehearsed his little speech. And the man who could barely boil water had been preparing dinner—for her. Not to mention that he’d looked as shocked by his pronouncement as she’d felt.
She wondered how he’d fare, and if he would actually try to enjoy their celibate time together, or punish her for it instead. Hailey distinctly hoped he’d choose the former.
The next night arrived all too soon, and she found herself knocking nervously on Gage’s door. After a minute he opened it, dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt. She had on the same, and entered, hoping their identical dress meant a pleasant evening lay ahead.
Gage cleared his throat, his eyes burning. “I thought about what you said last night.
And though I think it’s the most idiotic, moronic idea I’ve ever heard of, I rented a movie for us to watch.”
She’d narrowed her eyes at his insults, but widened them when she saw a movie sitting by his television. The cover showed two naked women and one man with a large, erect penis crawling all over one another. “Belinda’s Delights?”
He flushed and grabbed the video from her hands, tucking it into a nearby drawer.
“No. I rented Stargate and Prince of Darkness.” When she continued to stare at him, he scowled, “Well? SciFi or horror? Take your pick, I have more.”
She wanted to see that porno, but thought their vow of celibacy made the pick somewhat risky. She had a hard enough time focusing on anything but his luscious body when in close proximity.
Swallowing loudly, and noting the extreme attention he gave her mouth, she croaked, “SciFi.”
He offered a huge bowl of popcorn and insisted he sit right next to her so they could share it. To her surprise, and admitted disappointment, he made no overt moves toward her, and behaved like a perfect gentleman. After the movie, they talked about their favorite moments, whether they thought such a thing as alternate universes were even possible, and argued about which program was better, the movie Stargate, or the television series.
“Sorry, baby, but you’re wrong. The movie has it all over the series. Come on.
That’s Kurt Russell there.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. But the series is ten years strong. The public disagrees.”
“The public can kiss my ass.”
She grinned, having a blast. “Now that’s the Gage we know and love.”
He stilled for a moment. “What?”
“You had me worried for a while. So polite and so hands free.” As soon as she said it, she knew she’d made a mistake.