Wild And Willing. Joanne Rock

anyway.”

      Seth weighed his options as he moved closer. Edgy from wanting this woman, he couldn’t afford to make rash decisions based on sexual attraction. He would feel out the situation a bit, maybe get a handle on how receptive she would be to exploring things a little more slowly.

      Mia folded her arms and propped her feet on the low rail ringing the edge of the deck. “I don’t suppose you came over here for one last kiss?”

      He slid into place beside her, wondering how he could ever move slowly, even if he could convince her they should take their time. “That depends. What if I didn’t want this to be the last kiss, but the first of many more?”

      She lifted one delicate brow in surprise. “I think I made it perfectly clear I was willing to engage in the sensual activities of your choice tonight.” She started to smile, but midway up, her lips did a U-turn, curving into a definite frown. “But don’t you think your uncle will be arriving soon?”

      It took him a minute to recover from thinking about the sensual activity of his choice. “That’s not what I meant. I was thinking more along the lines of one kiss tonight, and another kiss tomorrow. Maybe a few more next weekend.”

      Her frown downgraded to an outright scowl. He wouldn’t have thought the woman who had practically jumped him two hours ago could all but recoil in horror from him now.

      “Are you implying we should see each other again?”

      “Don’t you think that’s a more natural progression after a few shared kisses than fast forwarding straight to sheet tangling?”

      “No!” She blurted the word, but blushed in its aftermath. “I mean, maybe for some people that’s a reasonable way to go about things, but I’m not in the market for a relationship right now.”

      Didn’t women always want to be in a relationship? Seth had never encountered any problems selling women on monogamy before. But then, he’d never met a woman as wild and willing as Mia.

      The idea that she would turn him down niggled the competitive streak in him. His stubborn refusal to lose had cemented his rise to the top of his profession.

      And damn it, he didn’t want her trying out all that wild and willing energy on anyone but him.

      “Why not? You have more pirates to run off with next week?”

      She hugged her knees to her body, green eyes fixed at a point far out in the water. “I have to get back to real life next week. That means no more pirates, pleasure cruises or undulating. I’ve got a business to run, a dysfunctional family to manage and about ten doctors’ appointments to drag my grandparents to. Besides, even if Grandpa didn’t go into a downward health spiral every time a man came near me, I would be too mired in work to sneak in any kisses next weekend.” She tipped her head sideways to glance at him. “Thanks for offering though. It helps soothe my stinging feminine pride a bit to think you might have been interested if we’d had more time.”