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He boosted her up and she wrapped her legs around him and kissed him, long, wet and deep. Her breasts pressed against his chest, her sex rubbed up and down on his cock, which had gotten even harder. “I can’t wait any longer.”

“Then don’t.”

Grasping her hips, he drove inside her. She gasped and cried out, pressed against the tiles, her arms holding him tight, her body gloving him. They stayed like that for a long moment, gazing into each other’s eyes. When he could wait no longer he pulled out and thrust back inside her. Did it again, and again, the crescendo building each time. He drove inside her a final time, felt her coming apart, heard her cry and exploded endlessly, deep inside her.

“Damaris,” he said, long moments later when he could talk.

“Hmm.” She was draped bonelessly on him, her arms clasped loosely around his neck, her body still supported by his hands on her butt.

It seemed like the perfect time to confess his feelings. That hadn’t been only about sex. There had been a much deeper, emotional aspect to it. She’d felt it as much as he had. Or was he deluding himself because that’s what he wanted to believe?

“Nate? What is it?”

“Nothing. Just Damaris.”

Be patient, he told himself. The only thing that will happen if you rush her is you’ll get shot down that much faster.

*

After they got out of the shower they dried off and Damaris asked, “Can I borrow one of your T-shirts?”

He looked at her and grinned. “If you must.”

“Unlike you I don’t like to go around naked.” She wasn’t entirely comfortable naked, unless she had a reason. She didn’t think she was overly modest but eating naked wasn’t something she enjoyed. Nate, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind a bit.

“Which is really a shame.” He opened a drawer, pulled out a shirt and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” It was soft and well washed with—what else—a Devil’s Rock Airport logo on the front. She pulled it on. Sans underwear, which made Nate grin again. “I’m starving. Let’s go eat that pizza.”

Once in the kitchen Damaris asked, “Should we reheat it?”

“Only if you want to. I’m good either way.”

“Room temperature it is.”

Nate got a couple of beers out of the refrigerator and they dug in. After they’d both eaten several pieces, he said, “No wonder you flipped out when you thought I’d cheated on you. You’d just gotten the IUD so we wouldn’t have to use a condom.”

She raised her gaze to look at him. “That was one reason. I got it for convenience, plus they’re very dependable, according to Tobi.” She needed to tell him something about her past, even if she didn’t give all the horrible details. “Anyway, remember I told you I hadn’t had sex since college?”

“I remember.”

“My boyfriend cheated on me. That’s why we broke up.”

“Damn. I wondered if something like that had happened. He was an idiot.”

“Thanks. He was worse than that. He was a total slime. I got tested for everything after that and I was fine. But I’ve had a hard time trusting people about sex ever since.”

“Obviously that’s why you waited eight years to try again. But you trusted me. Why?”

“You told me before we made love the first time that you’d been tested. We used a condom every time. I didn’t…I told you I thought we were exclusive, and I didn’t believe you’d cheat on me, especially considering this was your idea and you wouldn’t want Grandma K to hear rumors.”

“True, but it’s not the only reason. Or even the most important.”

“We’ve known each other for a long time. I thought I knew you and that you wouldn’t do that to me. So, when I thought I’d made another mistake, I didn’t handle it well.” To say the least. But it had really hurt when she thought she’d done it again. Made another stupid mistake and trusted the wrong person. And the thought that it was Nate who betrayed her trust had hurt even more.

“I’m sorry, Damaris. I know you think I’m a player, but I’ve always been a one-woman man while it lasted.”

“I know. At least, that’s what I always thought.”