“I don’t have a skirt,” she blurted out for a greeting, though she had wished with every ounce of her being that she did after their arousing phone conversation.
Houston smiled, his teeth very white against his lips, and she was aware of how infrequently he smiled. Good thing though. Because when he did, she was ice on a hot skillet.
“That’s okay, as long as you’re wearing the lip panties,” he said.
He had quite the fixation on those underwear. Not that she minded. “They’re still on.”
His eyebrow went up. “For now.”
Hello. Josie fisted her hands in the hem of her tank top. “Do you want to come in?”And take my panties off?
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to grab some dinner. I haven’t eaten, and I know a little out-of-the-way place that the tourists haven’t found.”
It would prolong her agony and horniness, but maybe she could order a glass of wine to loosen up a little. Right now steel was more flexible than she was. It was one thing to talk sexy on the phone with her eyes closed, but not so easy staring Houston in the gorgeous face.
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Her flip-flops made little stick-and-slap sounds as she walked with him towards his car and Josie was acutely aware of the silence between them. She hated silence, had always been a talker, and truthfully, something of a babbler. Her mother claimed it was from being an only child, where she had to provide the majority of conversation with herself.
Whatever it was, silence made her nervous. When people were happy, they talked, and Houston rarely pried his lips apart. Except when he was kissing her. They’d been wide open then.
She fanned herself discreetly. “So how was surfing?”
“Fine. Good waves.”
Waiting for him to expand on that, she nodded politely. After sixty seconds she realized no expansion was forthcoming. He unlocked his Jeep and she climbed into the passenger seat, tossing her backpack purse on the floor.
“So...I’ve never been surfing. I always thought it sounded fun, but you know. I’m not very athletic at all, and I’ve heard so many horror stories about swimsuits being knocked off and shark bites and sunburns that it just never seemed like a good idea.”
Oh, good. She was babbling. Glancing to the right, she studied the fast food restaurant in front of her as they drove and rolled her eyes at herself.
“I’ve never had my trunks knocked off.” Houston didn’t take his eyes off the road. “And if you like the water, you should try it sometime. It’s like being on a roller coaster.”
“Yeah?” She stole a long peek at his profile. Yep. Still a god. His nose hadn’t suddenly grown a bump. His eyes weren’t muddied. And his jaw hadn’t softened like she kept hoping it would so she would get over this insane crush. “Maybe you can teach me how to surf.”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t volunteering. I have no desire to accidentally drown.”
“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” She could surf if she wanted to surf. She had just never thought standing on a board over water, suspended in the air, was a particularly good idea.
He pulled into a parking spot and turned to her. The corner of his mouth lifted into the tiniest of smiles. “It doesn’t mean a thing. I’d love to see you surfing. I would paymoneyto see you surfing.”
Well, well, was he actuallyteasingher? She grinned before she attempted to look stern.
“Then I’ll go next week and you can pay me fifty bucks.” Then she stuck her tongue out at him. To her surprise, he reached out and caught it, holding her tongue captive between his thumb and index finger.
“Ahmm,” she said, before she realized that talking without tongue mobility was impossible.
“You’re worth more than fifty bucks.” Those ice-blue eyes watched her with equal parts lust and humor. “And I can think of better things to do with your tongue than sticking it out at me.”
He released her, but before she could close her mouth, he drew the tip of her tongue between his lips and sucked. A shudder raced through her, desire sharpening below her belly. She let out a breath on a sigh, feeling out of control already, dominated by the position as he drew on her. Josie wanted to both push him away and pull him in further.
Her arms came up, hovering in indecision, her eyes drifting shut. Speaking of drowning.
Houston let go of her and moved back. “Do you like crab?”
Sucking huge gulps of air in, her hands pressed against her stomach, Josie just stared at him. “Huh?”
His thumb pointed to the weather-beaten restaurant in front of them. A swinging sign proclaimed Barnacle Bill’s Crab Shack. It could have said Our Food Sucks for all Josie cared. She was still pondering that odd mating game he had just played with her tongue.