All I would need to have that feeling again was a gentle tug.

The movement was so quick, I almost missed it, but when it happened again, I knew my eyes weren’t deceiving me. Her tongue darted out a third time to lick her lips as she stared at my cock stretching the material of my pants.

“Are you thirsty?” I found myself asking.

“Huh? Oh… what?” Her face scrunched up in confusion, causing the freckles on her face to dance.

“You keep licking your lips.”

“And?”

“While staring at my dick.” I laughed when she attempted to push me away, but her hands only gripped my abs. She came to her senses quicker than I liked and snatched away.

I shrugged and finished removing my shirt without moving from my position in front of her. When she realized my intent, her mouth opened and closed as she searched for something to say.

My pants were next, and with a flick of the button, she found her voice. “Can’t you keep them on?”

“I sleep naked. You remember.” It wasn’t a question. I held her gaze as I shed my pants. She remembered. “Look, none of us are getting out, anyway. I want a shower, but I can’t trust you not to run away.”

“Aren’t your guard dogs keeping watch?”

“I can’t keep them outside the door without attracting attention.” I could already see the wheels turning in her head. “But they are close,” I warned. “You would never make it out of the hotel.”

“Why didn’t we just go back to your place?”

“Do you miss it already?” I grinned.

“When did you become such a smart ass?”

My smile fell and the piercing in my chest returned. “Around the time you left me to become a cold-hearted bitch.”

Silently, with only my glare to pin her to her seat, I communicated everything I wouldn’t say out loud. She needed to know that her absence affected me. I wasn’t interested in her reasons, knowing that none of them would ever be good enough to make me understand.

The coded knock on the door was the only thing to break our connection. I ripped my gaze away, which set her free and stalked over to the door in only my boxers. Fisher delivered a status report along with two bags filled with women necessities and a bag for me, as well.

When the door closed behind my head of security, I returned to her and dropped the two bags next to her and then dug through the bag meant for me. She silently grabbed the bags and disappeared into the bathroom. I laughed when I heard the lock turn.

Minutes later, I heard the shower. My erection returned at the realization that she was naked on the other side of the door. With just a thought, she managed to make me feel like a horny seventeen-year-old again.

* * *

SUMMER BEFORE SENIOR YEAR

“That had to be the most boring two hours of my life.” We had just completed a seminar on adapting to college life for the upcoming freshman. I set my lunch of a double burger and fries on the table. I then sat beside her, watching as she picked over her salad. After a few minutes suffering the cold shoulder, I asked, “Are you ignoring me?”

“More like pretending you aren’t here,” she snapped.

I leaned over and placed my lips above her ear. “Ouch.” The tomato she was toying with rolled off her plate and off the table. “If you don’t want the salad, why eat it?”

“Of course, you would say that. Your muscles have muscles.” She let out some high-pitched unnatural sound. I placed my hand on her back soothingly and she made the same sound again, this time longer and higher. “Are you choking?”

“I’m fine. Please stop.”

“Stop what?” My hand ran gently down her spine, feeling her tremble from my touch.

“Assaulting me.”

“I thought you were choking.”

“Well, I’m not.”

I decided to give her a break and dropped my hand from her back. “So you like my body, huh?”

She choked on the water she’d just sipped, and I used the opportunity to touch her again. I rubbed her back and watched her fight to gain control of herself again. “Are you choking now?”

“Why are you here?”

“I’m eating lunch.” I popped a fry and smiled. She returned it with a scowl.

“Why does it have to be this table?”

“I like the view.”

“There are plenty of other views. In fact, there are views at other tables.”

“Are you always so insecure?”

“Excuse me?”