What I Did for Love (Wynette, Texas #5)(44)

She pretended not to understand. “Neither of us has killed the other one yet, so I think we’re doing pretty well.”

“Now you’re the one playing games.” His glass clinked as he set it on the tiles and uncoiled from the chair. “You have to admit I’ve been patient.”

“We’ve only been married a week.”

“Exactly. An entire week without sex.”

“You’re a maniac.” She turned toward the door, but once again he stopped her.

“I’m not bragging, just offering up information. I don’t expect sex on a first date, but it usually seems to happen that way. Second date max.”

“Fascinating. Unfortunately for you, I believe in establishing a relationship first, but, hey, marriage is all about compromise, so I’m willing to compromise.”

“What kind of compromise?”

She made a play out of thinking it over. “I’ll have sex with you…after our fourth date.”

“And exactly how do you define ‘date’?”

She waved her hand breezily. “Oh, I’ll know it when I see it.”

“I’ll just bet you will.” He ran his thumb down her bare arm. “Frankly, I’m not too worried. We both know you won’t last much longer.”

“Because of your overwhelming sexiness?”

“That, but also because—let’s be honest—you’re ripe for the picking.”

“You think so?”

“Baby, you’re an orgasm waiting to happen.”

Her skin prickled. “Oh, really?”

“You’ve been divorced for a year. And the Loser is half girl, so nothing will make me believe he was any kind of lover.”

She predictably—pitifully—jumped to Lance’s defense. “He was a great lover. Gentle and considerate.”

“That’s a bummer.”

“Naturally, you’d say something sarcastic.”

“Fortunately for you, I’m neither gentle nor considerate.” He slid his thumb into the crook of her arm. “I like my sex rough and dirty. Or does the idea of getting it on with a full-grown man scare our little Scooter?”

She pulled away. “What man? All I see is an overgrown pretty boy.”

“Cut the crap, Georgie. I’ve given up a lot for you, but I’m not giving up sex, too.”

She’d known she could only ignore this for so long. If she didn’t give him what he wanted, he’d have no qualms about dialing up someone who would. She hated feeling trapped. “You cut the crap,” she retorted. “We both know the odds of you staying faithful are smaller than your bank account.”

“I’m not Lance Marks.”

“That’s right. Lance only cheated with one woman. With you, there’ll be legions.” She pointed her finger at his perfect face. “I’ve been publicly humiliated once. Call me overly sensitive, but I don’t want it to happen again.”

“I can stick with one woman for six months.” His eyes drifted to her breasts. “If she’s good enough in bed to hold my interest.”

He was deliberately baiting her, but his words stung just enough so her sarcastic comeback didn’t sound sarcastic at all. “Then obviously we have a problem.”

He frowned. “Hey, I’m the only one who gets to put you down. It takes all the fun out of our relationship if you do it to yourself.”

She hated having him witness even a moment of self-doubt. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

He looked annoyed. “I can’t believe you let that jerk-off do such a number on you. It’s his problem. Not yours.”

“I know that.”

“I don’t think you do. Your marriage fell apart because of his character, not yours. Guys like Lance will always gravitate toward the woman they think is the strongest, and the Loser decided that was Jade.”

Georgie’s control snapped. “Of course it was Jade! She does everything! She’s beautiful, she’s a great actress, and when it comes to giving back, she walks the walk. Jade is out there saving lives. Thanks to her, little Asian girls are going to school right now instead of being forced to sell their bodies to sexual perverts. She’s probably going to win the Nobel Peace Prize one of these days. And she deserves it. It’s a little hard to compete.”

“I’m sure Lance is starting to figure that out.”

All the emotions she tried so hard to control boiled to the surface. “I care about people, too!”

He blinked. “Okay.”

“I do care! I know there’s suffering in the world. I know, and I’m going to do something about it.” She told herself to shut up, but the words kept tumbling out. “I’m going to Haiti. As soon as I can arrange it. I’m getting medical supplies, and I’m taking them to Haiti.”

He cocked his head. There was a long pause. When he finally spoke, he displayed an unusual degree of gentleness. “Don’t you think that’s a little…cold? Using a country’s misery for a press op?”

She buried her face in her hands. He was right, and she hated herself. “Oh, God, I’m horrible.”

He turned her by the shoulders and drew her to his chest. “I finally get married, and I pick the biggest nutcase in L.A.”