Free Love at High Tide by Christi Barth Page B

Their passion sent the stool screeching backwards into the wall. Coop almost fell to his knees, but Darcy’s firm grip kept him upright. Unfortunately, she then pulled away.
    “We should stop.”
    What the hell? Shocked, he managed to skewer his lust in place with an icicle and ease back. “Babe, we just got started.”
    “I know. But there’s something you should know before we go any further. Full disclosure.”
    Bad, bad words to hear in the middle of making out. Just about as toxic as the dreaded we need to talk . Coop swiped his hand across his forehead. “Okay. Hit me.”
    “I’m about to fly to Africa. Probably.”
    “Tonight?”
    “No.”
    Whew. He ran his hand over her shoulder, ready to pull her back into his arms. “Then where’s the problem?”
    Darcy moistened her lips, looked at her lap, then finally blurted out, “I’ve been offered a full-time spot on the research team I interned with for my dissertation. It would mean moving to Africa for at least the next year, if not longer.”
    His mouth quirked up at the corners. “Thought you hated the desert?”
    “Hence the ‘probably’ riding the coattails of my full disclosure.”
    Crap, she was serious. “Um, this job sounds right up your alley. Aside from the location. Congratulations, I guess.”
    “I guess,” Darcy echoed softly. Her hands moved restlessly up and down her thighs. “Too bad I’m not interested in it at all. My parents and my advisor practically have my bags packed already. And nobody else is lining up to nab me. I’d be stupid to turn it down.”
    “Not stupid.” If there was one thing he knew about this woman besides the fact she turned him into a human inferno, it was that she had a quick and facile mind. “Walking away from a sure thing takes a huge amount of guts. Brave, but definitely not stupid.”
    “Thank you.” That full, kiss-reddened lower lip quivered up into a smile. The sight of it pulled his lust straight to the front of his thoughts. Continuing to ignore it would be tough. Coop confronted the problem head-on.
    “So if you’re not packing or hopping on a plane tonight, why’d you slam on the brakes?”
    “Because you’re an amazing kisser.”
    “Trust me, there’s plenty more where that came from.”
    “I’m sure. But I didn’t want to lead you on under false pretenses. You see, the Africa job is why I’m here. I have to let them know my decision within three days. This trip is supposed to be a chance for me to not just relax, but figure out if I want to take it. Or, stay here with no immediate job prospects, and no place to crash except for Trina’s spare bedroom.”
    “Those are some tough issues.” And a welcome change from incessantly mulling over his own career problems. “I’m happy to help you talk through all the pros and cons, if you want. However, there’s no reason why we can’t sandwich that talk between lots of kissing.”
    “Really?”
    “Darcy, you’re fun to be with, beautiful, and you push every one of my buttons. In a good way. I’d be an idiot to walk away just because you can’t promise me more than a week.”
    “You want me for the whole week, huh?” she teased.
    He captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I want you. Period.”
    The whoosh of Trina opening the sliding door separated them once again. She hung the upper half of her body onto the deck. “Sorry, but I can’t get one of my bedroom windows to lock. No way are we going to sleep until we’re locked down tighter than a submarine prepping for a dive.”
    “Must be my cue to leave.” He paused. “Do you want me to make a sweep of the place before I go? Give you the official stamp of police department security approval on your window locks?”
    “No. Thanks, but I think that might freak Trina out even more. Her window just takes an extra jiggle and a thump to lock.”
    Coop dropped a final, feathery kiss on Darcy’s lips. “I’ll see you on the beach tomorrow.”
    “I’m really