Iâd offered to pay you?â
He laughed with her. âI donât mean that kind ofcontract. I meant an agreement, a clear definition of what weâre doing before we do anything.â He smiled, stroking a hand over her hair. âI just want you to feel comfortable, Angela. No pressure, no regrets. And Iâll make sure you enjoy every single minute.â
She eyed him warily. âYouâre not serious about this.â
If he thought it would get him closer to her, heâd sign his name in blood. He threaded his hand in her hair and tugged her down for a quick, searing kiss. âDid that feel like I was joking?â he asked.
She shook her head, her eyes looking a little wildâ¦a woman at war with herself. âHow will I know that we wonât get involved?â she said, in a small voice. âI donât know, Josh. This is all so sudden. I just want you so much. Iâm not thinking. I canât think.â
He needed to keep her in that state. At least until he could convince her that this was the right thing, for both of them. He needed to show her that she wouldnât be trapped by him, of all men. âI donât have a track record with relationships,â he pointed out, hoping to reassure her.
Her eyes narrowed. âBut you do have a track record,â she said slowly.
He hadnât even been thinking of other women, so her statement caught him off guard. âYes, I do. I canât pretend that I donât, Angela.â
âYes, but how will I know that you arenâtâ¦â She trailed off, staring at him, obviously hoping heâd understand.
It took him a second, then he sighed. âNo. If you decide to, ah, spend time with me, I promise I wonât be spending time with any other women. If you knew me,youâd know you wouldnât have to worryâ¦but then, you donât know me, do you?â He thought for a moment. âI said itâd be like a contract. Letâs make it semi-official then.â
âYou want to run this by a lawyer?â
He chuckled. âNo. I mean, we can set a time limit, and I promise that during that set limit, I wonât see any other women. And after that set limit, we call it quits. No harm, no foul, no regrets.â He looked at her meaningfully. âUnless, of course, we agree to extend the bargain.â
She bit her lip. âIâ¦I donât know. This is all so fast. And itâs strange. Itâs like something out of a movie.â
âI know,â he said, leaning his forehead against hers. She moved to press a satin-soft kiss against his temple, and he felt a tremor that wasnât purely sexual hit him in the gut. âClubs are always sort of unrealâ¦and the way I met you was practically alien. Maybe this is dumb. All I know is, I want you, and I want this.â
She pulled back enough to look at him, then kissed himâ¦one of the sweetest kisses of his life. âA month.â Her voice quavered. âI think I could handle a month.â
âA year.â
She pulled back a little more. âAre weâ¦bargaining?â
âLike I said, itâs a contract.â He grinned at her shock. âIâm a tough negotiator. Ask anybody.â
He held his breath, waiting for her reaction. To his relief, she smiled slowly, moving back to him again. âTwo months,â she said, her voice holding a hint of challenge.
He stroked her cheek. âWhat say we just split the difference, and go for six?â
She stayed quiet for a long time, and Josh suddenly wondered if heâd blown it for good.
âThat Friday nightâ¦â She took a deep, shuddering breath, and for a brief moment, Josh ignored his need to ravish her. The shadows in her eyes, the clenched tension of her body, all made him want to just hold her until her fear subsided. She might categorize it as concern or reasonable apprehension, but it was obviously fear. âIt was