Let Me Count The Ways Read Online Free PDF

might.”
    She shook her head. “I won’t”
    “Your address,” I repeated stubbornly.
    Uttering an exasperated sigh, Claire collapsed against the car door. Arms folded, she glared at me. “You know, Mike, a little hesitation is endearing, too much feels like rejection. No woman likes that. And I can assure you I’m not anywhere near as drunk as I’d have to be to forget about this. Is that really what you want me to remember when I wake up tomorrow morning? That I asked you to take me to bed and you turned me down? Because I can promise you, I’m not gonna like it any better then.”
    “Claire, I am not turning you down. I wouldn’t ever do that.”
    “Oh, you’re not?”
    “No! I--I... shit.” What the hell was I saying? Of course I was turning her down. What the fuck was wrong with me?
    I couldn’t believe this conversation. And, as bad as the one I was having with her, it had nothing on the internal one I had going on with myself. It was like one of those old cartoons, where I had an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other; both urging me on, both sounding incredibly convincing. Only one of them could be right and, as usual, that would be the one telling you what you didn’t want to hear.
    “Look, I don’t want you waking up tomorrow and remembering I took advantage of you while you were drunk.” That would be the worst. I was pretty sure that would be worse than any of the alternatives. Wouldn’t it?
    “Why don’t we let me worry about how I’m going to feel about things in the morning, hmm?” Claire arched an eyebrow, clearly waiting for me to give in.
    I said nothing.
    “Oh, for God’s sake,” she fumed. “It’s just sex, Mike. It’s fun. It feels good. It’s supposed to be enjoyable. If you’re looking for something you can feel guilty about, I suggest you run a few stop signs on the way home.”
    “Claire...”
    She shook her head sadly, shoulders sagging, and I could tell I’d finally worn her down. Winning had never left me feeling so shitty. But I was wrong. She wasn’t done. Not quite yet.
    Taking a deep breath, Claire raised her head and fixed me with a steely gaze. Her voice, when she spoke, was clear, quiet, sad. But not the voice of someone who was intoxicated. Not even a little. “There have been a few things in my life I’ve regretted doing, Mike. If I live long enough, I’m sure there’ll be more. Sleeping with you tonight would not have been one of them. Can you say the same, if you turn me down?”
    And, no, God help me, I couldn’t say that. Without another word, I put the car in gear and floored the gas. What else was there to say, after all?
    “Now, that’s more like it,” Claire murmured happily, settling back in her seat and snapping her seatbelt back into place.
    A man can only withstand so much temptation. And, when the choice is one of being damned if you do, damned if you don’t, well, that’s really not much of a choice now, is it?

    Chapter Three

    Claire

    The air in the canyon was warm, fragrant; drier and grittier than the air in town had been, but clearer, too, and what looked like a billion stars were shining overhead.
    “Well, here we are,” Mike announced as he pulled into his drive. I couldn’t decide if he sounded nervous or excited or both. His house was small, just as he’d described it, but it looked cozy. Even in the dark, I could see that the grounds were impeccably kept.
    As I opened the car door the smell of lemons and moss greeted me, along with the fainter scents of bay laurel and chaparral. Mike was out of the car ahead of me. Before I’d put so much as a foot on the ground, he was right there, extending a hand to help me out. I smiled at him as I stood, coming to my feet with only scant inches between us. I thought that would have been a great time for him to kiss me again, in the soft air and the starlight, but he didn’t. He just reached around me to push the door shut, then put his hand on my back and guided me up