“Making noise would defeat the purpose of sneaking, wouldn’t it? I wasn’t totally sure it was you until you ran into me. It could have been someone else with your pendant. Anyway, consider it payback. You scared some years off my life, too, chasing you all over the country.”

She touched the pendant he’d given her. “It works, I guess.”

“Yeah.” His breath eased across the skin of her cheek and he pulled her against him. “Fancy meeting you in a cave in central Kentucky.” He nuzzled her hair for a moment before stepping back a little.

“You saw the limo, right? You must know why I’m here.”

“Yeah, we met Eric down by the road. Everything he had to say was very illuminating. Of course, most of it was about how hot you are.” There was something in his voice that shouldn’t be there. It was dry, brittle, a bit sarcastic.

“Ha! He waited for me. What a guy.”

Silence. Theo didn’t respond, but his body stiffened. This time his silence spoke louder than words.

“You’re jealous!” The realization washed over her like cold water, waking her up and making her gasp. “You were jealous when you thought Darren was interested in me and now Eric—”

“I’m not jealous.”

She laughed. “Yes, you are, Theo. I know jealousy when I hear it. Listen, buddy, you have to let me know you’re interested in me before you have any right to be jealous of other men.”

He pulled her up flush against him and lowered his mouth to hers. “And those couple nights in bed? They didn’t prove my interest in you?”

“Sexually, maybe.” Her breath hitched in her throat. “They showed me you want to fuck me, and you’re conflicted about it, nothing more.”

“Yeah, I want to fuck you.” He let his lips brush hers. “I want to keep you in bed with me all night long, make you come so many times you can’t see straight.”

Oh . . .

Sarafina swallowed hard and steadied herself in his grasp. “So what’s stopping you?” Her voice came out breathless.

“I forget.”

He nipped at her lower lip, sending a wave of gooseflesh over her body, then crushed his mouth to hers, hot and hungry. Theo parted her lips and slid his tongue inside, making a low sound in his throat as though she tasted good. It made her shiver.

When they broke the kiss, Sarafina was breathing heavily and a little shaky on her feet. “Uh, when we get to a hotel or somewhere with a bed—actually a couch will do, even a futon—remind me to remind you that you forget.”

He laughed, a low rolling sound. It was the first time she’d heard him do it, and it filled her with a deep joy. “I won’t need reminding.”

Outside the cave she heard movement. Footsteps. She stiffened.