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On the other side of the door, Tenley was mercifully silent. So, as aftershocks wracked his body, he cleaned himself off—again—and wondered if he’d ever be able to look her in the eye again without remembering…all that.
If he ever had any doubt, he was now 100% sure of a single truth.
This woman was going to be the death of him.
CHAPTER 6
Tenley was a good actress. A great one, really.
But it was taking every ounce of skill she had to not stare at Knox’s bare chest as he shoveled filet and lobster into his mouth like it was his last supper.
He’d strolled out of that bathroom after his shower like he didn’t have a single self-conscious bone in his body. Not that he had anything to be self-conscious about.
His abs had abs. His arms looked like he was flexing even when he was totally relaxed. He even had the perfect amount of chest hair, for Christ’s sake. Not too little, not too much. If Superman and Thor had an illicit love child, it’d look like Knox Wilder.
She knew he had T-shirts and at least one flannel in his bags, and for some reason (probably just to torment her), he’d opted to eat dinner in nothing but gray sweats. Commando.
Ask her how she knew that.
But his body wasn’t the worst of it. He’d scraped a majority of the scruff off his face, and with his wet hair slicked back, he was…stunning. Artists would probably fist fight each other for the privilege of painting or sculpting him.
And here he sat with butter dribbling down his chin like he wasn’t obnoxiously hot.
It was rude, really.
She thrust a napkin at him and gestured to his chin. “You eat like a five-year-old.”
He snorted. “Table manners haven’t been at the top of my priority list for the past five years.”
Tenley probably would’ve had a snarky, witty reply if he was wearing a shirt. But as it stood, she had nothing. So, they ate without saying another word until she excused herself to get ready for bed.
Which led her thoughts in another uncomfortable direction.
There was only one bed in the suite.
It was a huge bed. They could easily share it. But…he was a shockingly hot ex-con who hadn’t been with a woman in years, and she was a shockingly hot con artist/thief/career criminal who hadn’t been with a man in…Geez, how long had it been? She might’ve even been revirginized by now.
Sex just didn’t fit into her lifestyle neatly. She’d tried a few times, but never figured out how to completely separate the orgasms from intimacy. Opening her body to someone was dangerously close to opening her heart to someone, and that just wasn’t a risk she was willing to take. Avoidance was safer.
For years she’d made do with the vibrator she stashed in her go-bag. Risking it all for a man lacked appeal when she had battery-powered magic wrapped in silicone to fulfill her every need.
But Knox…phew. He was the first man she’d seen in a long time who looked like he’d give her vibrator a run for its money.
Tenley scrubbed off her makeup and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, then slipped into an oversized T-shirt and boy-cut sleep shorts from her go-bag.
She wondered if Knox would try anything with her. He could. He was twice her size. Even though she was well versed in self-defense, he could probably overpower her without too much effort.
The thought should terrify her. But it didn’t, as evidenced by her rock-hard nipples and slightly damp panties.
It was stupid to be thinking that way, she told herself. Knox wasn’t violent. He definitely didn’t give off rape-y vibes. So, she seriously doubted he’d try to overpower her or hurt her in any way.
Which didn’t rule out the possibility that he’d at least ask if she wanted to bang it out before they went their separate ways.
The only real question was what she wanted.
Smoothing some coconut and lime scented lotion over her arms and legs, she decided she’d just do what she did best. She’d go with the flow and play whatever cards she was handed.
Feeling more centered and in control than she had since Knox strutted out of that shower like an extra from Magic Mike, Tenley shut off the bathroom light and made her way to the ginormous, fluffy bed and the 1500-thread count Egyptian sheets. She ignored Knox, but she could feel the heat of his gaze on her ass as she slipped under the luxurious white comforter.
