“Uh, are you working at Mountain Coffee tomorrow?”
“No, Amy didn’t need me. Why?”
“Just wondering.”Wondering what I’m going to do to that gorgeous body of yours the rest of tonight.“I’m talking next time, and you’re talking all three,” he summarized. “We’redefinitelygoing to need sustenance if I’m going to keep the surfer girl satisfied.” He nipped her earlobe.
Walking a hand down his abs, she slipped her hand below his waistband, took his semi in hand, and toyed with it while she nuzzled his neck. He stifled a groan. “Think you’reupto the job, barkeep?”
He had no idea, but he sure as fuck was going to try.
He slid his hands down her body and filled his hands with her ass, then blatantly dipped his gaze to her gorgeous tits, taking his time, filling in the pixels for the picture he would store in his mind’s album. One side of his mouth hitched. “Who knew the stiff inspector was such a bad girl?”
“Former inspector. And I’m efficient, not stiff.”
“No, you’re not stiff,” he agreed. “You’reverypliable.” To demonstrate just how pliable, he began to bend her backward, intent on getting his mouth on a pink nipple, but she twirled from his grasp and stuck her head in the fridge, leaving him cold and shriveling.
“Got any fresh veggies or fruit to go with oursustenance?”
He chuckled. “Tease. There should be an apple in there. If not, I have something downstairs. But first I need you to do something for me.” He ducked to the couch and grabbed his T-shirt off the pile. He thrust it at her. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re gonna need you to put this on before my brain explodes.”
With a cute smirk, she pulled it on over her head and flipped her hair down her back. “Better?”
She swam in the shirt, but it didn’t cover her toned legs, nor did the thin fabric conceal the contours of her breasts and her peaked nipples pointed right at him.
“Uh, give me a minute, and I’ll let you know.”
She rewarded him with a fuck-me smile and moved past him to pluck out an apple, a red pepper, and a stoppered bottle of chardonnay, which she held up. “For the women you bring up here?”
He crossed his arms, immensely pleased that she was probing around the question of who else might be in his life. That was a good sign, right? “That’s for my mom. I don’t bring women up here that I’m …”Having sex with? No, that sounds like I’m screwing women randomly. That I’m in a relationship with? No, implies permanence that’s not there.“Women who aren’t Mom or Dixie or likewise associated with me. Not until you, that is.” He cocked his head and waited, gratified when the pretty pink blush made an appearance on her cheekbones.
“And Ursula,” she murmured.
“She’s never been up—oh shit! I forgot. She came waltzing in here the other night—uninvited. It was the first time she’d set foot in the place.”
Hailey gave him a vague nod and busied herself slicing the apple. God, was this a dream? This woman he’d been fantasizing about was buck naked inhiskitchen, on full display for his eyes only—well, under his worn T-shirt—slicing and dicing as though she belonged there.
The thought occurred hewantedher to belong there.
Whoa, hold up.They’d only known each other for a week. Except that night in his truck counted for at least a month’s worth of getting to know someone, didn’t it? He tried to muster his warning system, reminding himself she’d been part of his bar’s shutdown, but the system was either offline or broken.
“If you don’t invite women up here, then why have the condoms in your nightstand?” she asked.
“Where else am I supposed to store them?” he countered.
He touched her shoulder, and she whipped her head toward him and smiled in a way that about undid him. “Yes?”
He cleared his throat. “There’s something I’d like to say.” She put down the knife, and he continued. “I don’t know where this thing between us is going, but I propose complete honesty going forward.”
“I like that proposition. Complete honesty,” she agreed. “When was the last time you slept with Ursula?”
He coughed out a laugh. “Wow! Okay, I see how it is. Gotta admit I wasn’t expecting a loaded question right away. I wasn’t expecting a question at all.”
She picked up the knife and pointed it at him. “Are you stalling?”
“Not at all. Just caught off guard. The last time I slept with Ursula was at my cousin Wyatt’s wedding. No, wait. She slept with someone else.”
“You did share a room.”
“And not much else. Honestly, I’m not sure when the last time was. Years? I haven’t kept track.” He took the knife out of her hand and palmed her hips. “Know why?” He dropped a kiss on her neck, then another and another.
