Baddest Bad Boys by Shannon McKenna, Cate Noble, E. C. Sheedy Page A

my come. I’ll take care of it.”

    “No, you just lie there like a strand of overcooked linguini,” she said. “You’ve put out quite enough for the moment.”

    She trotted into the kitchen and took care of it. Then she took the opportunity to answer the call of nature, splash her face, rinse her mouth. When she came back, she gazed down at his sprawled body.

    She wasn’t the linger-in-bed type. She was up before six, out of the shower and about her business in ten minutes or less. But it wasn’t every day she had the man of her dreams in her bed. And it wasn’t going to be for long, either. She forced herself to swallow that down.

    It went down hard, but she was disposed to be appreciative of what she’d already gotten. Already more than she’d dared to hope for.

    She climbed into bed, and snuggled down into the crumpled nylon nest with him. His arms tightened, dragging her into his force field of scorching heat. “So?” he said, his voice almost apprehensive.

    She draped her leg over his muscular, hairy thigh. Her skin prickled with delight at the contact. “So what?”

    “So what’s the verdict? As a first sexual experience, how did this measure up to your fantasies?”

    She considered her reply, her face going stupidly pink. “I’ve been wondering how anybody lucky enough to have a lover ever gets anything done. Why aren’t they all boinking like bunnies, day and night?”

    He laughed, and for the first time the sound was relaxed and unforced, not a harsh, cynical bark. “It’s not always like this.”

    “It’s not?” She studied his somber face.

    He shook his head. “Almost never. Sometimes it’s hot and sometimes it’s fun. But a lot of the time, it’s a lot of pounding and sweating, and then just…a quick shudder. And afterwards, you look at the woman, and you just don’t know what the fuck to say to her.”

    Robin didn’t know how to respond. She sensed that it was the kind of admission he was unused to making. It was so bleak and lonely.

    She ran her fingers through his silky hair. Caressed his scratchy jaw. “Do you feel that way now, with me?” she asked.

    His eyes widened, in shock. “Fuck, no! Not in the least.”

    “Good,” she whispered, relieved.

    “On the contrary. Sex this good…it’s not normal,” he said, in a halting voice. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had sex this hot in my life.”

    She swatted his shoulder for his extravagant silliness. “Oh, get out of town. With a total beginner? Tell me a better one.”

    “I swear. It’s like we’re in each other’s heads. The feedback loop is out of control. I thought sex like that only happened when you’re in—”

    Love. He cut the phrase off before the word sneaked out, but she heard it, hanging between them. She felt his tension rise. “Uh, I—”

    “Don’t sweat it,” she said softly.

    He looked miserable. “Robin, I—”

    “Shhh.” She put her finger to his lips. “I told you yesterday no strings. I meant it. I was prepared to leave first thing this morning.”

    “Robin, it’s not like that—”

    “Hear me out,” she said. “I’m having an excellent time, and I want to stay, at least till tomorrow afternoon. I have a clown gig tomorrow evening. So let’s make a magic bubble. We don’t say the L-word, or talk about the future. We just enjoy this, and when it ends, it ends. You’ve got your life and career, and so do I. What plays in Vegas, and all that.”

    He looked disgruntled. “You’re cool about this, for a virgin.”

    She blinked. “I’m no longer a virgin. Or didn’t you notice?”

    “I noticed.” His eyes narrowed. “I’m warning you. You let the beast out of its cage. There’s no putting it back in. Not without a dart gun and leg shackles. If you stick around, I’ll be at you all the time. I’m talking a wild boar in rut.”

    “I was counting on it,” she said demurely.

    There was a charged silence, and his eyes took on that hot glow. He