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“Like nipple play. Is that important? I mean, to you getting where you need to go?”

Where the hell am I going?she asked herself, and then it stuck. “Oh! Um, yeah. I like that.”

“Okay. Lots of kissing? No kissing?”

“Kissing. I like kissing.”

“Got it. And I’m guessing you’d rather that I got you off with a finger to your clit than just penetrating. I mean, before penetrating you.”

Oh, god, this is embarrassing, her brain moaned. “Yeah.”

He tipped his head to the side and squinted at her. “You okay?”

“I, uh, I’ve never talked about sex with a guy before.”

“How am I supposed to satisfy you if we don’t talk about it?”

“Nobody’s ever cared about satisfying me before, I guess.”

His eyebrows shot up, but his look was stern. “Well, I’m not nobody. I’m somebody who cares. Anything you really don’t like?”

How do I say it? Oh, just go ahead, Cherilyn. Spill.“Um, I really don’t like butt stuff too much.”

“Nowwe’re getting somewhere! Okay. No butt stuff. That’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” It had been really important to Frankie.

“I’m positive. Not that important.”

Wow! He reallydoescare about what I want!“Well, I guess that’s good.”

“Yeah, so where are your erogenous zones?”

What the hell was he talking about? “My what?”

“Erogenous zones. You know, where can I touch you that makes you, I dunno, shiver? Or give you goose bumps? Or send little lightning bolts to your lady bits?”

She almost laughed, but caught herself before she did. He was really trying, and she needed to be respectful of that. “Uhhhh, the sides of my neck? And the backs of my knees. But I really hate it when anybody touches my feet.”

“Okay. No feet. I’m not crazy about it either. But I do want you to touch me, grip me, fondle my balls. And I like my nipples tweaked.”

“Really? That’s a thing?”

Shaw’s chuckle was low and rumbly. “Oh, yeah. Does the same to me as it does to you. Except different body parts. You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I think so.” Then something crossed her mind. “You know when you put your hands on my face before?”

“Yeah?”

Warmth flooded her core. “It felt good.”

He reached for her, pulled her to him, and pressed his palms to her cheeks again. “Then I’ll do it over and over.”

The instant his lips touched hers, Cherilyn felt like she’d been reborn. Her hands instinctively rested on his shoulders, and she could feel the hardness of the muscles under the smoothness and softness of his skin. With his uniform on, he looked… ordinary. But without his shirt, he looked powerful, muscles flexing here and there, and it was hard to take in the totality of the man he was. And, holy hell, he smelled amazing. She ran her fingers down the center of his chest and let them stop in the patch of dark hair there, its wiriness tickling her hand. He broke the kiss and before he could speak, Cherilyn blurted out, “I really like you.”

His smile was almost impish. “I really like you too. I’d like to more than like you, if that’s what you want.”

Could she be that vulnerable? Was there anything about him that had told her he wasn’t safe? That he was a liar, or a no-good, or a do-nothing? Not one thing.If ever there’s anyone you could say anything to, I think it would be him, she heard a voice sing in her head. “I’d like it if you fell in love with me.” The minute the words were out, she regretted them. He’d run, and she wouldn’t blame him.