She wanted more. It was suddenly clear how much she wanted more, but also evident was that she’d have to give him time to ease into it. The smallest bit of pressure and he’d shut her out. She was beginning to understand how right Hayden was about playing it cool.

“Maybe you should tell me exactly what you’re asking for then,” he said, and it felt like a victory that he was even asking. If she could lay it out as facts, not feelings, maybe he would feel okay about this. About them.

“Well,” she said, trailing her finger over his chest, back and forth, reveling in the textures of muscle and masculine hair, “sex is good.”

“I can’t argue with that. I could have sex with you every night, but then it starts to seem like a relationship.”

“And we can’t have that,” she said, making her tone light. “So sex but not every night. And maybe dinner sometimes so we don’t start feeling cheap.”

Another quiet laugh rumbled out of him. “Maybe I should write this down. Put a list on my phone.”

She flicked his chest. “Don’t you dare. The whole point is it’s casual. It’s no-obligation. All we have to do is communicate. If you don’t feel like spending time with me, tell me. If you do, tell me. Let’s just take it one day at a time.”

“One day at a time and communicate,” he repeated, seeming to consider. “I think I can do that.”

“You’re pretty smart,” she said, grinning, relaxing a little for now, though she wasn’t under any illusion that getting what she wanted, more of Cole, was going to be easy. She herself wasn’t all about jumping into something serious, but she liked him a lot. Wanted more of him. A lot more. If she really thought about how much she wanted him in her life, it could get scary fast, so she didn’t think about it.

One day at a time.

“Today is yes to sex,” he said, the lightheartedness creeping back into his voice.

“Definite yes.” She moved her hand down his abdomen to his man parts and found the main attraction stirring, already semihard. “And if you can make it through the whole night without kicking me out, tomorrow morning is looking pretty good too.”

He groaned as she grasped him, a sexy, drawn-out sound that checked in directly with her hormones. “That’s a pretty good incentive.”

“Pretty good?” She took her hand away.

“The best,” he rumbled, his smile evident.

A girl couldn’t ask for much more than that. For now.

Chapter Twenty-Four