Riding Home. Vicki Lewis Thompson

had no idea how long they lay on the floor, but she had no inclination to move. She’d slept on beds that weren’t as cushioned as this carpet.

      Eventually Zach propped himself on his forearms and gazed down at her with a smile. “You know, this is funny.”

      She reached up and traced that smile with her fingertip. “Why?”

      “I booked this room so our first time together could be on a high-end mattress on a king-size bed. And look at where we are.”

      “Are you complaining?”

      “Never.” He leaned down and kissed her on the nose. “But since we’ve had the floor experience, I vote we conduct the next round in bed.”

      “And when do you anticipate the next round will start?”

      Levering himself higher, he swept a glance down her naked body. He rested on one arm and cupped her breast. Her nipple responded to the lazy brush of his thumb. “Might not be long.”

      Deep within her body, she felt the twitch of his cock.

      He continued to play with her breasts, and the twitch came again. “Might not be long at all.” He looked into her eyes. “If we don’t have much time together, I don’t want to waste any of it.”

      “I don’t, either.” But now she saw the fatal flaw in his otherwise excellent plan. They’d created a ticking clock, not unlike lovers had in wartime, where every moment could be their last. That might make this time with Zach seem more significant than it was. She’d have to guard against that kind of delusional thinking.