Baddest Bad Boys(29)

She nuzzled his jaw. “If it touches you, it touches me.”

“Like hell. Leave it.” He averted his face. “Get yourself dressed.”

She pulled her clothes back on, bewildered. His mellow, blissed-out energy was gone. And just when she’d gotten all strung out on it.

He punched into his cell phone while she struggled with her shoes. He found no signal, and his explosion of profanity jolted her.

He stared up at the cut made by the torrent of water. “We’ve got to get out of this gully to get reception. Get your shoes on. Fast.”

She did as he commanded and trailed after him in forlorn silence. The spell was broken. The walls were up. He was armor plated again.

Party’s over. Everybody out of the pool.

It was extremely silly, but she had to struggle not to cry.

“Mr. Borg? It’s Cassie Kelly, from Tax and Finance? I’ve been waiting for your call.” Julia shaded her voice with gentle reproof.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Kelly, but I’ve been trying to call you all afternoon!” the man blustered. “That number you gave me was busy every time!”

Julia softened her voice. “Well, we’ve been busy. The phones were really hopping today. Anyway, I have you now. Did you find anything?”

“Yes, indeedy. Daniel MacNamara is on file for a hundred and sixty acre plot that fronts on Kerrigan Lake, with a small hunting cabin. The property is currently valued at a hundred and forty thousand.”

“Ah. One moment while I jot that down…and this is the Yardley Creek Road property, right?” she murmured distractedly.

“No, ma’am, it’s on the Horsetail Bluff Mountain Road. Thirteen point six miles from the junction at Route 4.”

“Oh! Yes, of course,” Julia said, contrite. “Silly me, I was looking at the wrong piece of paper! Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Borg. You’ve been just a treasure.”

“My pleasure, Ms. Kelly. You have a good evening, now.”

“Oh, I will,” Julia promised him, with utter sincerity.

6
It took the rest of the afternoon and evening to get comfortable with each other again. Robin showered while he fried fish, and tried, with limited success, to chill out. Twilight fishing on the lake had helped a little, as had the four big flopping silver trout. And the sunset was nice, reflected off Robin’s face. A nice meal should clinch it.

He was making a big effort to be civil. Robin didn’t deserve to get her head bitten off. She’d been nothing but sweet to him. She’d been a freaking wet dream. There was no reason not to be wallowing in bliss.

He knew exactly what it would take to push him into the realm of perfect bliss, but they didn’t have any more latex. But hey. They hadn’t tried sixty-nining. His dick throbbed at the happy thought.

Robin had gotten sun that afternoon, so her face glowed pink in the big, raggedy white bathrobe. She tucked away fried fish with her usual appetite, but her eyes darted nervously to his. Her blush deepened, her gaze dropped.

They were back to shy silences again.

“There are a few games in the kitchen drawer,” she ventured. “Know how to play backgammon? Or poker? Or spit?”

“No,” he said. “I had a different game in mind.” He loaded butter onto a second baked potato and shook salt and pepper over it.

“Well. Actually,” she murmured, eyes downcast. “That gives me an excellent segue for, um, something I’ve been meaning to mention.”

His fork froze halfway to his mouth. “Mention away,” he said.

“A couple months ago, when I got the call from the Circo, I, um went to my doctor, and got a contraceptive implant.”

Jon abruptly stopped chewing. Or breathing.

“So I’m baby-proof,” she rushed on. “For the next few years.”

He cleared his throat. “I thought you weren’t…”

“I wasn’t, but I hoped that would change,” she said. “I wanted to erase the issue. While, of course, taking all due safe sex precautions.”

He couldn’t speak. She gave him an encouraging smile. “So? You know every single detail of my sexual history intimately at this point.”

“What exactly are you saying?” he asked slowly.

Her brows twitched together in irritation. “Isn’t it obvious?”

They stared at each other. Robin looked perplexed. It made him angry, the thought of Robin, baby-proofing herself so she could hook up with some as-yet-to-be-announced * in some goddamn circus.

Like hell. He wanted to smash his beer bottle. Have at his imaginary rival with the jagged end. “You’re inviting me to f*ck you with no condom.”

She flinched at his crudeness. “No,” she said. “I’m asking you if there’s any reason why we shouldn’t. Because it would be lovely.”

Lovely. Hah. He was sweating at the mere thought. And furious.

Bad combination. He swallowed, put his fork down. His appetite was gone. “I’ve had safe sex since I was old enough to know better. I was negative for everything on my last physical.” His voice felt metallic. “I haven’t been with anyone since then. I was too busy with this case.”

Her face brightened. “Oh. Great. So, then?”

“What do you mean, so, then?” His voice was getting harder.