Dont just sit theredo something! Josie screamed, taking off again.

He didnt have to be asked twice. As soon as Genghis approached his next loop past the coffee table, Rick dived for him, grabbing him around his middle. He rolled to the floor with the dog cradled in his arms, a tackle so smooth that Teeny would have been proud. Josie tried to stop in time but she crashed into both of them, landing with a thump next to Rick on the rug. Maybe he was laughing too hard to concentrate, but Genghis wiggled from his grip, taking the dildo with him. Josie let her face flop down into the rug with a loud groan of defeat.

Ive never been so mortified in my life, she mumbled into the carpet.

Ricks hand found the small of her back. He placed his palm there, still laughing, as the realization washed over himhe was happy. Being with Josie made him happy. /This must be what it feels like to be happy./ She rolled her head slightly to the side, and one of her eyes peered out from behind a curtain of curls. A tiny tear began to take a crooked path from the corner of her eye across her freckled nose.

Oh, Josie, hey, its no big deal.

She nodded, then sniffed. Sure. Whatever. You should probably go now.

Rick leaned in, putting his face less than an inch from hers. He could smell her sweet breath. He pushed the curls away from her cheek, and when that little tear fell off the tip of her nose, he caught it in his lips.

Please dont be embarrassed, he said.

She sniffed again. Right. This happens all the time, Im sure. Just your basic get-to-know-you kind of date. Nothing to be embarrassed about.

Ricks hand returned to the small of her back. He felt her arch into his touch. He felt the heat of her skin through her flimsy pink top. Without weighing the pros and cons of a single damn thing, he slipped his hand up under her blouse so that he could feel her skin on his. She let go with one of her little moans. He shoved his hand lower, into the waistband of her jeans, and laid his palm against her ass.

Rick?

He flipped her over. He got on top of her. She was opening her arms and opening her thighs to welcome him. He put his mouth on hers and she opened for him there, as well. God, hed never felt a woman so ripe in his life. Hed never felt this kind of hot rush of desirewith all the trimmings. He liked her. He cared about her. He didnt want to hurt her.

He dragged his lips from hers. Josie, oh, shit, Im trying to be decent.

I really am.

In response, one of her hands slapped down on his ass and her calves imprisoned his hips. If youre any kind of gentleman, youll keep kissing me. Then she grabbed his hair and yanked him back down again.

He got lost in itthe hot smell of her skin and the silky slide of her tongue and the way his body was being swallowed by the need to connect with her. He slipped his arms under her shoulders and rolled with her until he was on his back. She moved with him effortlessly.

A peculiar sound penetrated the sexual fog in his brain. Josie obviously heard it, too, because she went still in his arms. She took her mouth off his and straightened up, the shift in her weight causing her pelvis to grind into his. There was no way on earth Josie wouldnt notice the huge erection thrusting into her.

Oh, this is just great, she said, putting her hands on her hips as she looked past Ricks head. The sound continued, a muffled, squeaky, back-and-forth sawing kind of noise. /Err-eee-err-ee, grerr-eee-grerr-ee. Eng, eng, eng./ Genghis is chewing on my vibrator, she said, looking down at Rick.

Ah, so you prefer the more polite name for it.

Josie cocked her head thoughtfully. What would you call it?

Rick laughed. Its a big-ass dildo, sweetie.

Josie bit her lip. Well, whatever it is, its the only one I have and it cost over twenty-five dollars.

Rick felt his erection pulse. Josie obviously felt it, too, because she squirmed a little.

I wouldnt worry about it too much, he said.

Oh, yeah? Whys that?

Because youre not going to need it anymore.

Josie beamed. I was so hoping youd say that.

CHAPTER 8

I havent done this in a while, Rick said, stroking the tops of Josies thighs as she straddled him.

She laughed, wondering how long of a hiatus the handsome Rick Rousseau was admitting tothree days? A week? Two weeks? She was almost ashamed to tell him it had been three months for her.

Its been almost seven years, Josie, he whispered.

She went still. She held her breath. She stared down at those deep green eyes curtained by long lashes. He had to be joking.

Its the truth, he said.

Josie pushed herself off Ricks body and stood up. She reached a hand down for him and he pulled himself to a stand with an audible groan.

Suddenly, it all made sense to herRick had suffered such a serious injury in the motorcycle crash that he wasnt able to have sex! That could be the only explanation. But if that were the case, then what was that giant erection doing in his pants? Maybe it was more of a musculoskeletal issue than a blood-flow issue? She couldnt help itshe reevaluated his below-the-belt situation to be sure she hadnt been imagining things.

Everything still works, if thats what youre wondering.

Uh, no, I mean, thats really great news. Josie was helpless to prevent the red from flaming across her cheeks again.

You look delicious when you blush, Rick said, eliminating whatever space had developed between their bodies. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. It was brief, but it was hot and slick and Josie felt the bottom of her belly drop.

Mmmmm, she hummed.

It was my choice to be celibate, he said.

Josie nodded as the kiss ended, pretending to understand, though she didnt. And youre choosing to decelibate yourself? With me? Now?

A crooked smile pushed up the left corner of Ricks lips, and she stared at those lips, blinking in wonder. Oh, boy. She was doing it againfalling in love. She was falling for Rick Rousseau. And this wasnt some kind of accidental slide, eitherthe way it had been with Lloyd or Spike or any of the rest of them, whose names she could no longer remember. This time she was going down hard and fast and with such abandon that she swore she could hear a loud thump. Maybe it was just the sound of her heart banging in her chest.

Thats my plan, if youre okay with it, he said.

Why me? She raised her eyes to his, and found him looking at her thoughtfully through those glorious eyelashes.

Because you are wonderful, Josie. Beautiful and sweet and smart and I feel happy when Im with you. You make me laugh. You make me want to try.

She shook her head, confused. Try?

To be the decent man you imagine me to be.

Josie slipped her hands around Ricks waist and rubbed his muscular back.

Where were you hurt, can I ask? She let her hands roam, eventually bringing them to his firm butt.

My ass is fine, he said with a grin.

No kidding, Josie said, giggling. She moved her hands to his narrow hips.

The left hip is man-made, he said.

She let her hands slide down along the back of his thighs, then around to the front, feeling nothing but solid muscle beneath her fingers.

My left femur is held together with a titanium rod. My left knee is a testament to modern plastics.

Her stomach fluttered. She was frightened by what he was telling her.

She squatted down and placed her hands gently on his calves, then his shins, waiting for anything else he had to say.

Ricks hand caressed her hair. The right tibia broke in four places. My right ankle was crushedtrust me when I tell you that you dont want to go through airport security with me.

Josie remained in her squat, staring down at the wood floor of her apartment, suddenly overwhelmed. She knew her fingers trembled where they touched him. Eventually she rose to a stand, spreading her palms flat against Ricks shirt, feeling the rise and fall of his solid abdomen, eventually moving her hands along his ribs and chest.