Free Hong Kong Heat by Raven McAllan

earlier in her deflated like a popped balloon.
    “How can two supposedly intelligent adults screw up so badly?” she asked. “Too much too fast?”
    “I guess we didn’t exactly do much talking, did we?” Braam said. “And I’m so bloody knackered I’d sound like a monkey on speed if I tried to do much talking now. How about we go out tomorrow? Have you been to Lamma?” He stood up and stretched and the hem of his shirt rose and gave Debra a much too brief glimpse of tanned bare flesh.
    Debra promptly discarded her half-made plans. She’d heard of Lamma Island and the fabulous track that took you over the hills from one tiny port to another, but had regretfully accepted she didn’t want to do the trek alone. And who knew? If he wore shorts and a T-shirt, she could have a good lusting session.
    “I haven’t but I’d love to,” she said honestly.
    “Then can you be ready for ten?”
    “Of course.”
    “Good. Wear trainers and bring a swimsuit and a towel. We’ll walk from east to north. Most people do it the other way, but I prefer to end up where there are more ferries back.” He stood up. “I’d better go and let you get some sleep.”
    Debra bit her lip and took a deep breath. “I’d much prefer you to stay.” She looked at his face and hoped her anxiety didn’t show. The last thing she wanted to do was come across as pushy and needy. However, something told her if she didn’t say what she meant and show how she felt, Braam would be a perfect—and annoying—gentleman and leave after a chaste kiss on her cheek.
    Why? They were both well past the age of consent, he wanted her, she wanted him and she’d gotten several packets of condoms to try out. Maybe not the licorice ones, though.
    “If I stay, you won’t get much sleep,” Braam said and rolled his eyes. “Shit, I must be more tired than I thought. I sound like some hackneyed, clichéd, old roué in one of those books my mum read years ago. It’s true, though. I want to make love to you so much, I have aches of a different kind to the ones forced on me yesterday.”
    “Yesterday’s I can’t do much about except offer you arnica. Today’s? Well, who knows? Maybe between us we can sort those out.” Debra couldn’t believe her temerity since she met him. When had she learned to be so direct?
    When I realized Braam was being noble. I don’t want noble, I want nobbled. Argh. Debra mentally shook her head. Enough already.
    “Ah, Deb, I want that, boy do I want that. You know I made a visit to a certain shop today, but I don’t have the purchases with me. So…” His voice trailed off and he raised one shoulder in a half shrug.
    “So.” She got up and opened the holdall she’d carried around all day, took out the gaudy paper bag and handed it to Braam.
    “I went into a different branch.”
    The smile that spread over his face as he looked inside the bag was all she could have hoped for.
    “Well, who am I to make you have a wasted journey?” He pulled the packets out and laughed. “Ah, thank you for your assumptions about my prowess and staying power. I’m not that good, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
    Debra grinned and giggled. “Well, it had been so long since I bought anything like that, way back then there was only one sort. So I hedged my bets.” She sniggered. We must look like a pair of loons, grinning like idiots.
    Braam sobered. He put the package on the table and tugged Debra toward him and held her in the circle of his arms.
    “Are you sure? I know I want to make love to you, bury myself inside you and feel you shatter around me. I want to explore what we could have. However, it’s a big decision and once we start, I’ll want to carry on and discover every little thing. Are you okay with that?”
    “Yes.” She’d never been more certain. “Mind you, I’ll warn you now, you do not touch my feet. I hate that and I have been known to kick out without any thought of what’s in the way.”
    Braam rubbed his