“Red.” Christ. He was only human here. “We have a past. That makes it impossible to do the no strings thing.”

“Hey, I can make a no strings night work with just about anyone.” Her smile turned self-mocking. “It’s a special talent of mine.”

He’d held the same talent. In fact, in a true ironic twist, the last person he’d had any deep, emotional ties to had been her. Knowing that, there was no way for him to make just talking to her casual, much less a physical intimacy.

If they slept together, she’d do him in for sure.

“You know what I want?” she asked softly.

His body leapt in spite of himself. Yeah, he was pretty clear on what she wanted. To escape, to forget. She’d just never wanted it from him before. “The oblivion of a good orgasm.”

She closed her eyes, hiding. She was good at that too. “Besides an orgasm. I want to go home, Joe.”

“That’s easy enough.”

“I need a ride.”

No. Don’t offer. Don’t say a word. “I’ll take you,” his mouth said, clearly disconnected from his brain.

She smiled at him, the kind that used to grab him by the throat and squeeze until he couldn’t breathe. Then she nudged his shoulder with hers, an old gesture that brought him back years.

He nudged her back, and with a laugh, she staggered toward the water, laughing, losing her balance. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her upright, knocking her right into his body.

Bracing herself with a hand to his chest, her fingers curling into him, her grin slowly faded. “You know what gets me?”

“Um…” His mind raced. “The ridiculous price of gasoline?”

“No.”

“The amount of crumbs at the bottom of a box of cereal?”

“Silly.” She smiled, but it was a sad one. “What gets me is that you sound the same.” Her fingers tested the strength of him, from pec to pec. “But you sure don’t feel the same.”

Her touch made him want to roll over like a puppy and expose his underside. He stepped back so that her hand fell free. “We’d better go.” He turned toward the way they’d come, flinching when he felt her hand on his arm.

She just danced her fingers to his shoulder, down his spine, slowly but not tentatively, tearing away his defenses as only she could. “Don’t,” he managed.

Her other hand joined the fray.

God, don’t. “Red—”

“You feel good, Joe. Warm. Strong.”

Not strong enough to resist this, but he gave it a valiant effort. He had to, or lose it, because with her, only with her he felt far too vulnerable.

Take that, Kenny, he thought. I did it. I found the woman I could actually let in.

Only I can’t really do it because she can’t be trusted to stay in.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7