Page 64 of Unpacking Secrets
I took that as a sign that no one had been poking around in my yard, at least. Juliet followed closely behind me, her attention on the kitchen I’d renovated the year before.
“I’m starting to feel a little slighted by all these amazing appliances,” she grumbled.
“You’re welcome to stay over whenever you want. I’m sure we can work out some kind of mutually beneficial . . . arrangement,” I offered, then lifted a teasing brow.
Before she could respond, I twined my arm around her waist and buried my face in her neck. Juliet shrieked with laughter when I blew a raspberry against her skin as I tickled her ribs. Those blue eyes twinkled up at me when I finally lifted my head.
“Why, Ms. Morrison, I do believe you’re ticklish,” I said, grinning.
“Extremely,” she agreed readily, “and prone toward violent responses, so you might want to watch it. The last guy who tickled me got kneed in the balls so hard he cried.”
As she probably intended, the comment made me flinch. I nodded solemnly. “Right, no tickling. That’s fine, there are plenty of better things I can do with my hands.”
Juliet snorted, but before she could reply, Blue came bounding back across the deck to the door. Once she was inside, I turned off the lights, locked the door, and pulled Juliet into my arms. Though I didn’t remember quite how it happened, we ended up in the hallway upstairs, flushed and breathless, fumbling with one another’s buttons. I nudged open the door to my bedroom and Juliet peeked around me, taking in the decor.
“Was this your parents’ room?” she asked.
I could tell she was trying not to sound weirded out by the idea, but she’d told me that part of the reason she decided to sell her childhood home instead of moving in permanently was the way she felt her mother’s presence every time she passed through a room, suffocated by the memories of a lifetime spent there together.
It had been difficult to imagine being comfortable bringing a lover into the master bedroom here at first, but my parents weren’t dead, just traveling. One of the first things I did upon taking ownership was to make this room my own.
“Yes, but I remodeled it completely so that I’d have no qualms about seducing the hot redheads I hoped to bring home,” I informed her, finishing my own buttons so I could toss the shirt aside.
“Seducing, huh?”
Her expression turned sultry and I wanted to tear that damn silk blouse right off her body—except the color looked so good on her, I couldn’t bear to ruin it. Her fingers toyed with the next button as I stalked toward her.
“Oh, yes,” I breathed, pressing her back against the wall.
My mouth covered hers, savoring the taste of her, tinged with the sweetness of Mark’s fruit tart. I finally managed to unbutton her blouse so I could peel the blue silk away, revealing even softer flesh beneath it.
When my hands began a slow, thorough exploration of her skin, Juliet sighed against my lips.
“You were right,” she said huskily, dropping her head back against the wall.
“About what?”
I lifted my head and stared at her blankly. With a captivating twinkle in her eye, she tangled her fingers in my hair and kissed me, hard and deep. Once I lost track of whatever we’d been saying, she drew back, her words whispering across my lips.
“There are plenty of better things you can do with your hands.”
Twenty-Six
Juliet
WakingupinHenry’sbed filled my sleepy mind with images of the beach. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent of his skin—deliciously male, mixed with a lingering trace of that amazing soap—fill my lungs. When I finally dragged my eyes open, he was lying on his side, watching me with a half smile tugging at his lips.
“That’s a little creepy,” I informed him. Though I tried for a scowl, I failed miserably, too content to pull it off.
Henry just grinned. “It’s only been a minute or two. I figured you must be waking up, since you started smiling like that.”
“I like waking up with you, what can I say?” I rolled to face him and tucked my hands under my cheek.
“The feeling is mutual,” he said, reaching over to brush a lock of hair off my face. “You are absolutely breathtaking.”
His tone was low and sweet and it sent a wave of pleasure crashing over me. Then his fingers trailed down my bare shoulder, causing my breath to catch in my throat. Through the cotton sheet covering my breasts, he traced lazy circles around one nipple until my eyes fell shut again under the onslaught.
“So amazingly beautiful, not to mention courageous, talented, and passionate,” he murmured, just as I pushed him onto his back to straddle his hips.
