“So, what’s a fella got to do to get some meat around here?” he asked, not looking too excited about the salad in front of him.

“This is a vegetarian retreat,” I answered. “Didn’t you read that in the brochure?”

He scratched lightly at the stubble growing on his jaw and frowned. “No, it was more an impulse decision to come here.”

“My husband loves his meat, too,” said Cindy. “I can take or leave it, but I do like to detox every couple of months. It’s highly beneficial for the digestive system.”

“You see,” I smiled widely at Sean. “A few meat-free days will do you the world of good.”

He didn’t look like he believed me.

“If we had more time, we could’ve hit up one of the nearby restaurants, but tomorrow is the last full day,” Rick offered. “I’ve been craving a steak.”

“That sounds like a great idea. We should go tomorrow,” Sean enthused. “Will you come with us, Lucy?”

“I can’t. I’m washing my hair.”

“We haven’t decided what time we’re going yet,” said Rick, the Judas.

“And your hair doesn’t need to be washed,” Sean added, leaning in to take a whiff.

I shot him a startled look. “Did you just smell my hair?”

He stared at me. “Yes.”

“Well . . . don’t.”

“I’d love to come, if you do go,” Lisa put in, inviting herself. “We could go for a drive and see some of the sights beforehand.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea,” said Cindy.

“So, are you in?” Sean asked, refusing to drop the subject.

“Like I said, these locks won’t wash themselves.”

Both Cindy and Lisa were occupied in discussing the idea of venturing outside the grounds of the retreat with Rick, while Sean kept his attention focused on me.

“What will it take to get you to relax and enjoy my company?” he asked. “Do you want me to buy you something?”

“What? No.”

“A car, maybe?”

I blinked at him, stunned. I was stunned because he was completely serious.

“Well, that escalated quickly,” I mumbled under my breath, still shocked.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“You’re not buying me a car.”

“Why not?”

“Because, why would you?”

“Because I want to.”

“It’s weird, Sean.”

“No, it’s not.”

I scoffed. “God, you’re completely out of touch.”

“I agree. It’s a terrible problem. I should touch you,” he answered low, and there was something about the way he said it that had my mind conjuring up all sorts of unwelcome images.

I surprised even myself when I turned my body so I faced him. My mouth was only inches from his when I replied quietly, “Are you sure you want to do that? Touch me and I’ll touch you back.”

I watched him swallow and a triumphant rush went through me to know my words had affected him. So he definitely wasn’t pretending. Sean Cassidy actually liked me. Wow.

“Which cabin is yours?” he asked.

I laughed. “I’m not telling you that.”

“Why not? We could be right next door to each other and not even know.”

“Rick’s cabin is next to mine, so no, we couldn’t.”

Sean’s lips curved into a smile. “Ah, so I’ll just ask which one’s his to find yours.”

“Your skills of deduction truly astound me,” I deadpanned.

His tone turned contemplative. “You know, I think you may have offered up the information because you subconsciously want me to find you. Shall I sneak in later? Crawl into your bed and wake you up with my head between your thighs?”

I raised both my eyebrows and pointed at him with my fork. “That is quite possibly the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard. Do women typically enjoy this sort of talk?”

He seemed a touch petulant. “Yes, they do.”

His response lacked the usual Cassidy confidence and it made me curious. Perhaps he wasn’t the lothario he liked to lead people to believe.

“Are you sure? Because if I ever woke up with a strange man’s head between my legs I’d be straight on the phone to the authorities.” I tried to keep a sober face but cracked up a second later. Sean shot me a look of annoyance that I’d foiled his attempt at sexy talk.

“What’s so funny?” Rick asked, turning his attention away from Lisa and Cindy.

I leaned forward on the table. “So, hypothetical question. If you woke up in the middle of the night and a woman you didn’t know, or say you knew in passing, was giving you a blowjob, what would your immediate reaction be?”

Lisa and Cindy wore identical expressions of WTF but Rick wasn’t even fazed.

See? This was the reason we were friends.

“That depends. How exactly do I know her? Does she work in the local coffee house or is she the mother of a friend of a friend?”

I grinned. “I really want to go with the latter option, because . . . weird, but for simplicity’s sake, let’s imagine she’s the barista at your favorite coffee shop. She’s pretty, gives good head, but you know, she’s in your house, in your bedroom, and she’s taken the liberty of putting your cock in her mouth. What do you do?”