“You should go in,” he said a little desperately.

“It’s such a beautiful night.” She leaned back, tipping her face up to the night sky, apparently in no hurry to go anywhere. The white sundress glowed in the night air, her expression open and caring. “We could just talk.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Maybe a bag over her head would help.

“We used to talk for hours,” she said. “Remember?”

Yeah, he remembered. He remembered lying with her in the warehouse eating, laughing. Being. But he wasn’t that kid anymore.

“Did you go to San Diego State on your scholarship as planned?”

“Red—”

“Play along, Joe. Talk to me. Unload.”

“Why?”

She laughed. “Such a guy. Come on, it won’t hurt.”

He sighed. “Yes, I went to State.”

“Did you love it?”

He shrugged. “I worked a lot. Studied a lot. It’s all a blur now.” He sighed into her expectant face. “Yeah, I loved it.”

“Now you,” she said.

“Now I what?”

“Now you ask me a question.”

Do you really use orgasms as a stress relief? “Were you happy out there, doing your thing?”

She smiled. “I was.” The smile slowly faded. “And I figured I could be that happy here, too, but I can’t seem to quite manage it. I think it’s because all those years ago, I left wrong. It’s like I have to fix that before I can go on.” She met his gaze. “I was young and stupid to leave here the way I did. I honestly didn’t realize what I had, with my mom, with you. That relationship of ours…the truth is, I’ve never been able to replicate it.”

Going there was a bad idea. “Red—”

“I hate that I hurt you, Joe.” She put her hand on his. “Come inside with me. Please? Let me make it up to you.”

Her soft, sensuous voice slid right through him, cut down his defenses as effectively as her sad smile did. “Why?” he asked. “Because we’re both lonely?”

“Yes, because we’re both lonely. A good orgasm banishes loneliness, I promise you.”

“How about pain? Does a good orgasm banish pain too?”

Her eyes lit, and her soft laugh echoed around him. “Absolutely.”

Good Lord, the woman looked like sin personified. He wanted her so badly his jeans were cutting off circulation to some critical parts, but she’d been right. He had learned quite a bit about control over the years. Slowly, with great effort, he sat back until the door handle cut into his spine. “I’m not going to be the scratch to your itch, Red.”

“You’re not?”

“And I most definitely don’t want to be your pity fuck.”

“Your pity—” Her eyes flashed. “Maybe I just wanted to be with someone tonight.”

“I’m not that someone. I can’t be.”

“Because it’s me and I once hurt you?”