He shook his head, unable to believe he’d at first turned down her invitation to go to Paris. How much more of an idiot could he be?
Lena’s sexual response to him was a constant surprise. Her passionate intensity made him curious about her sexual history and love life in general. But he knew better than to delve into those waters. If she decided to open up, she’d share when she wanted to.
Her voice traveled from the bed. “Come and have some of this almond chicken.”
When he came out of the bathroom, she sat up, the shirt he’d loaned her falling around her knees. Even in his shirt, she looked damn sexy.
“I can’t believe I’m eating cold, leftover Chinese food for breakfast in Amsterdam.” She giggled and took another bite.
Tyler smiled and walked over to the bed. After sitting down, he allowed her to feed him a good-sized bite of the greasy food.
He swallowed and then groaned, rolling over onto his back. “I need real food. Steak and potatoes or something. I haven’t eaten this much crap since college.”
“I know,” she said after swallowing a mouthful of rice. “It’s fantastic. I’m sure I’ll gain twenty pounds and die of a heart attack before I turn thirty.”
He rolled onto his side and propped a hand under his head. “What are you, twenty-two?”
She shook her head and then raised her chopsticks in warning.
“It’s just your age.” He realized his error but couldn’t prevent the irritation that picked at him. “It’s really not that much information. I’ll tell you mine. I’m thirty-two.”
“Well. Stop the presses. I’m sleeping with an older man.”
“I suppose I am old.” He raised an eyebrow. “To someone who’s probably never heard of The Rolling Stones.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “I’ve heard of them. Isn’t the singer that guy with the big lips?”
Tyler laughed and sat down on the bed. “Twenty-three?”
“Twenty-six.”
“You look young. I had you pinned for a sorority girl. At least now I don’t feel like a total cradle robber.”
“Ah, come on, Tyler,” she said with a playful grin. “I thought every guy wanted them young and wild.”
“Sorry? What magazines have you been reading?”
Lena’s lips twitched, which turned into a giggle. “Sorry, I just had to give you crap.”
“Give you crap,” he mimicked and grabbed her ankle, pulling her toward him.
She lost her balance and fell onto her side, shrieking as the container of Chinese food spilled over her and the bed.
Tyler bolted up and off the bed, choking back a laugh. “Oh, jeez. I swear, that wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Wasn’t supposed to happen?” Lena glared up at him as sauce oozed over her body and the bed sheets.
His shoulders shook from laughing. “Wow, you look hilarious. But really, I’m sorry about that.”
Lena pulled a piece of chicken out of her hair and flung it at him. It smacked onto his forehead before rolling off his face and nestling in the collar of his shirt.
He cocked his head and took a step back toward her. “Well, I’ll be damned if that wasn’t an invitation for a food fight.”
She yelped and made a grab for the rest of the food, but he dove onto the bed and sent the food flying. His sudden weight on the bed had her rolling into the middle, straight toward the growing mound of almond chicken. Her body arched over it, and she swiped a handful of the mess, launching it into his face.
He swore and lurched at her, pinning her against the bed as he scraped the food off himself.
“Beg for mercy,” he commanded, holding the glob over her head.
“I will not.” She writhed under him. “Get off me.”
His dripping hand lowered closer to her. “Beg.”
Lena groaned and eyed the handful of dripping food. “Oh, all right. Please, Tyler.”
“Now, Lena, that didn’t sound from the heart.” He clucked his tongue.
“Ugh.” She thrust her hips under him, trying to buck him off. “What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to say, ‘I’m sorry, Tyler. You are a powerful, hot, well-endowed man’.”
“Now, Tyler, I don’t know if I could lie so blatantly.” She gave him an innocent look and then glanced down at his jeans. When his nostrils flared, she squeaked and started to recite his phrase. “I’m sorry, Tyler. You are a powerful—”
“Too late.” He smashed the food into her hair, ignoring her shrieks.
“Oh, you suck.” She struggled to sit up as the sauce dripped down the back of her neck.
Tyler wiped the sauce off her face and kissed her forehead. “You should have just admitted that my dick is big.”
He ducked her fist as it flailed toward him. When her other hand shot out, he grabbed it and pushed it between them, holding them to his chest.
“I am so disgusting right now,” she cried. “And how am I going to get you back?”
“You don’t need to get me back, and I’ll make it up to you.”
She didn’t respond as his mouth closed over the small area where her neck and shoulder connected, but she gave a small shudder. He eased her onto her back, his tongue reaching out to lap up any remaining sauce. His fingers smoothed the pieces of food out of her hair.
“This is so not seductive.”
“Liar.” His hand slid down to cup a breast. “Just pretend it’s massage oil.”
“It’s not massage oil, it’s vegetable oil.” She pushed her hands against his chest. “No, really. Look at us. We’re swimming in Chinese food.”
Tyler grasped her wrists again with one hand and pinned them above her head. “Yes, I’ve noticed this. It’s kind of erotic, isn’t it?”
“You think pulling chunks of food out of my hair is erotic?”
“Damn right.” Then he lowered his lips to hers.
She refused to open her mouth, her body still rigid beneath him.
Changing techniques, he slowly outlined her mouth with his tongue before plunging past her compressed lips into her mouth.
She gasped, her shock obvious, but a moment later her body softened against his. She opened her mouth to him, and her tongue came out to spar with his. He gave a sound of triumph and released her hands so he could massage the back of her neck.
Lena came up for air, panting. “You are a dirty, dirty man, Tyler.”
He laughed and sat up, grabbing her hand. “Well then, let’s do something about it.”
“What are we doing?”
He led her to the bathroom, grabbing a condom off the dresser first. “You’re a mess. We need to get you a shower.”
“Oh, so now you agree? You get me all wound up and then tell me to jump in the shower?”
He reached into the shower and turned it on. “Yes. And I intend to help you out with both dilemmas. I’m coming in with you.”
Her mouth curled upward, and she reached out to pull off his shirt as he removed hers. Once they were both naked, he pulled her into the roomy shower stall.
She stepped under the spray, and the water washed away any lingering sauce and food.
Tyler ran his gaze over the curve of her breasts, all slick with water. His dick hardened further, and he distracted himself by pouring some shampoo into his hand.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “That’s an awful lot of shampoo, don’t you think? I mean, my hair is almost as short as yours.
“I was never very good at rationing.” He pushed her head under the water before pulling her back out. “There we go.”
She sputtered, blinking the droplets of water from her eyes as he massaged the shampoo into her hair. She relaxed as his fingers moved over her scalp.
“Mmm, that feels good.” She let her head loll against him, her eyes shutting.
He rinsed the suds out of her hair and picked up a loofah and the bottle of body wash.
“You actually use a loofah?” She reached out to look at the bottle
of body wash. “Citrus Sunshine?”
“It came with the hotel.” He took the bottle back from her. “And why not? A lot of people do.”
“A lot of chicks do.”
Tyler squeezed a healthy amount of soap onto the loofah. “You are just full of stereotypes about men, aren’t you?”
“Mmm hmm.”
He moved the loofah over her body, watching the slippery film of scented suds it created. His breathing became heavier, and he tossed the loofah to the floor to use his hands instead, molding the slippery weight of her breasts. Her nipples hardened into his palms.
“You have the sexiest body,” he muttered into her ear, pressing his rock-hard cock against her back.
She moaned and pushed her butt back against him. His dick jerked against her, and he swiftly inhaled. He slid one hand down the curve of her belly and into the hot folds between her legs.
She was already wet for him. He pushed two fingers inside her slick heat, and she cried out. He smiled, continuing to squeeze one breast while sliding his finger up to rub her clit.
Her breathless cries encouraged him, and he kissed the back of her neck and pressed harder on her swollen nub.
“Tyler,” she screamed, her body tensing.
He turned her around and lifted her, pushing her down as he thrust up into her hot sheath. The walls of her sex clenched and unclenched around him as she cried out through her orgasm.
He pounded up into her, faster and harder. The water sprayed down on them, and his nails dug into her ass cheeks to keep her from slipping.
His sac tightened, and he gasped, empting himself with a groan. He sank to his knees, gasping for breath as she nuzzled his neck.
Tyler leaned back against the wall with Lena draped half on top of him. He stroked her back as they caught their breaths.
“God, Lena. I am so glad you didn’t get on the plane.”
She sighed and kissed his shoulder. “Me too. I swear, I wasn’t even certain what an orgasm was before I met you.”
He froze, his brows drawing together. She couldn’t be serious.
“I mean, I’ve had them,” she said in a rush. “Just…not that often.”
“Have you just not had much experience with men?” Tyler winced the moment the words left his mouth.
The entire idea seemed ludicrous anyway. Lena was sexy, not to mention that she had one hell of a personality, and she was spontaneous and fun.
Most women would have run crying if they found themselves in the middle of a food fight using Chinese food, but not Lena. She’d rolled up her sleeves, so to speak, and dove right in. Even getting a couple cheap shots in herself.
He knew his question had hit a mark when she stiffened against him. Her fingers ceased in their absent tracings on his stomach.
“Why does it matter how many partners I’ve had?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry, that just came out wrong.” He paused. “You know, if we’re going to be spending another week holed up together, then we might wanna compromise on this whole secrecy thing. Conversation is going to run dry pretty quick.”
Lena sighed, and she relaxed against him again. “Oh, Tyler. I’m sorry. And you’re right. I guess…some things aren’t so bad. But honestly, I just want this to be a fun little vacation fling. Is that so wrong?”
“No, not wrong.” He shook his head, but inside couldn’t quite grasp why she wanted it that way. “A little bit surprising, maybe. I guess I’m just not used to women who are only looking for a booty call.”
“A booty call.” She gave a slight frown, as if not appreciating the label. “Hmm…yeah, I suppose that’s what this is. It just sounds a little tawdry.”
At least she agreed on that aspect. She could emotionally push him away all she wanted, but this woman obviously did not engage in casual sex on a regular basis.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” He dropped another kiss on her mouth. “As long as you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Oh, you have no idea. I’m having a fabulous time. Especially, but not limited to, the bedroom.”
He pulled them both up, and his legs shook. Damn, that orgasm had taken a lot out of him.
He laughed and stepped out of the shower. “Yes, I gathered that part.”
She rolled her eyes, following after him. “Well, I could have been faking that part.”
“I’d be able to tell if you were.” He wrapped her body in a soft cotton towel. “There are obvious things that happen during an orgasm, slightly more than just moaning and a precision-placed scream.”
She looked almost annoyed at something. What he wouldn’t give to know what went on in her head.
She shook her head and looked away. “You’re awfully cocky, but you’re right. I wasn’t faking.”
“Did I call it or what?” Tyler opened the bathroom door, letting the steam rush out.
“Well, maybe I will fake one, one of these times, to see if you can tell.”
“Don’t waste your energy when you can have the real thing. Go get dressed.” She was so adorable in her defiance. “We’ve got to be on the train in the next couple hours.”
“I’ll be ready to go in about ten minutes.” She gave him an impish look. “But after seeing you with that loofah, I’m thinking you’ll be a bit longer. Maybe you need to exfoliate or something.”
Tyler reached out to snap her with his towel, but she’d already ducked back into the room. He smiled and turned back to the sink to brush his teeth.
Chapter Seven
“My first ride on the Eurorail.” Lena just barely bit back a squeal as she claimed her seat next to the window. “How long is the ride from Amsterdam to Paris, do you know?”
“No clue. It’s been a while since I’ve been over here.” Tyler settled down across from her.
She twisted off the lid to her Diet Coke she’d picked up before they left and took a sip. “Did you get a chance to go on the trains when you were here before?”
“I did.” Tyler glanced at her as he pulled a copy of the New York Times out of his bag. “We went to Germany, Spain and Paris.”
“I would love to go to Germany.” She gave a wistful smile and stared out the window. “You know, I’ve been in Europe for five days, and I have yet to see a castle. Can you believe it? Isn’t that horrible?”
“Castles are overrated.”
She jerked her gaze back to him, her eyes wide with shock. He continued to read the paper, oblivious to her stare. How was it possible that anyone could be so immune to the charm of a castle?
“How can you say that? It’s not like there’s a castle on every corner in America.”
He shrugged. “Castles aren’t at all as fascinating as they’re made out to be.”
“And how is that?”
Tyler glanced up at her, as if to ensure she really wanted to have this conversation. He sighed and set the paper down.
“You’ve been raised with these marshmallow-coated ideals of what a castle is, derived from fairytales like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. You’ve turned a castle into what boils down to a romantic Barbie Dream House.” He made a sharp gesture with his hand. “In reality a castle was just a very common living facility built strictly as a means of survival.”
Lena gaped at him. “I’ve never heard so much crap in my life. How can you reduce a castle to some kind of boring practical architecture?”
“Because it is,” he insisted. “Castles weren’t designed to be turned into glorified, romanticized structures. They were built to provide residency and a means of protection. Sure, some of it dealt with vanity. It was a sign of wealth. Power.”
“I refuse to have this conversation.” Lena quelled any annoyance that might have risen but, in truth, his reasoning almost amused her. “I refuse to have you distort my vision of what a castle is.”
“All right then. Keep your Barbie Dream House.” His lips twitched.
“I will, thank you very much.”
He chuckled before turning his attent
ion back to his paper.
Lena turned and stared out the window to where the scenery had just begun to change. She watched the endless fields of green and the occasional hillside speckled with brick houses and churches.
“It is so beautiful here.”
Tyler didn’t respond, but she didn’t expect him to. He was once again engrossed in his reading.
“I’m getting kind of hungry again.” Lena turned back from the window. “I think I might make my way down to the area with the food. Did you want to come, or do you want anything?”
Tyler glanced up at her. “If you want to grab me something then that would be great.”
“Sure.” She stood up. “Anything in particular?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll eat whatever.”
“Okay, I’ll find you something.” She slid her purse over her shoulder and made to slip past him. “I’m going to walk around the train, so if I don’t return right away don’t worry too much.”
“I’ll try not to.” He caught her hand and pulled her back down to him, holding her still for a moment to drop a light kiss on her lips. “Thank you for offering to grab food, that’s very sweet. I appreciate it.”
Lena’s cheeks warmed, and she gave a small smile. “You’re welcome. I’ll be back later.”
Walking through each compartment she realized just how few people were actually on the train. After going through many separate cars, she got dizzy from the motion and arrived with relief in the dining car.
She grabbed a couple pre-made sandwich-type things, paid for them, but wanted to sit a moment before heading back to let the dizziness subside. She glanced around at the tables and her gaze landed on the only other person in the car.
The woman had been watching her and gave a friendly smile.
Lena smiled in response and went to sit down at one of the tables and stared out at the scenery. Then she saw it. A soft gasp escaped her as she stared at the jagged remains of what appeared to be a castle.
“It is very beautiful, no?”
Lena turned to the other women who had been watching her and nodded. “Yes, they’re incredible. I’m glad you agree.”
“You are an American, no?” The woman questioned, raising an eyebrow.
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