He nips my lower lip, his grin still wide. “Yes, ma’am.”
And he does. He does it so well, I’m limp and breathless when we finish. I should move, get cleaned up, offer him dinner,something. But I can only lie against him, draped over his solid body like a sweaty girl blanket, and just drift.
“Aren’t you scared?” I whisper after a time. “I flit from boyfriend to boyfriend too.”
I don’t know why I’m saying this. Maybe I want to test him. Maybe I just want to know he believes in me. All I know for sureis that trickles of ice-cold fear run down my spine at the thought of ever ending things with Dex.
Rolling me to his side, he peers down, those eyes of his searching my face. His teeth flash, framed by his pirate’s beard.“Nope. That was just another search.” He leans in, nips my ear. “The search is over, Cherry Pie.”
“Ugh. Do not refer to me as pie!” When he just chuckles darkly, I smile. “You’re kind of arrogant, you know that?”
“Mmm...” The calloused pad of his thumb strokes my nipple. “Think we covered that.” I shiver. He does it again, slowly.“Abuse my character all you like. You know I’m right.”
God, I love the way he touches me, love the dark, rumbly quality of his voice. I even love his unfailing confidence in allthings Us.
My palm slides down his back to the hard swell of his ass. I really love his ass. It’s massive, rock hard. The ass of a titan.Laughing a little at that thought, I give it a squeeze, earning a deep grunt from him.
“Yeah,” I say with a small smile as I feel him up. “I think you just might be.”
Twenty-Four
Fiona
We sleep wrapped up in each other, my smaller legs clinging to Dex’s like vines. Dead to the world until sunlight slants acrossthe bed and shines in our eyes. Dex tries to shield us by turning on his side and tucking me into the crook of his shoulder,but it’s too late. I’m awake, and real life is upon us once more.
Grumbling about buying darker drapes, I crawl over him, earning a light slap on my butt as I go to get us some coffee.
When I return, Dex is on his back, his head propped up by pillows. The sight makes me pause at the threshold of my room. Sun-kissed,golden-brown hair spilled over white linen; lush, dark beard and pouty mouth; colorful tattoos on swelling, rolling muscles.
Good God, it’s like a burly pirate landed in my bed and is waiting for another round of debauchery.
Ridiculous fantasies of me pillaging his willing flesh dance in my head, and I fight a snicker. The sound catches his attention,and his mouth slowly curls.
“Look your fill yet, darlin’?”
The silver barbell in his nipple winks in the light as he moves to take his cup.
“I don’t think it’s possible to get my fill.” I slide in beside him, where it’s warm and wonderful. “I’m thinking we get youa couple of chunky rings, maybe a do-rag and a cutlass, and we can play capture-the-pirate later.”
Dex grunts, his hazel eyes gleaming in obvious pleasure. “Tell you what. You put on one of your sweet little lacy getups,I’ll let you tie me to the bed and ye can work over me mast all ye want.”
He gives me an exaggerated leer, and we both burst out laughing. I press my nose against his shoulder. “God, that was terrible.”
“You started it.” He chuckles, the sound deep and yet light with ease.
We drink coffee under the covers, then he puts the cups aside so I can snuggle in close once more.
Despite our goofiness, or maybe because of it, a heavy weight settles under my ribs and a lump lodges in my throat.
I run my hand over his chest, the dusting of hair between his pecs tickling my palm. “When is your flight?”
We didn’t get to the particulars last night. But I know he isn’t here for long. And, as much as I hate it, I have to go towork soon.
His chest lifts on a sigh. “In a few hours.”
“Oh.” I’d hoped for more. At least one more night.
Dex swallows hard and glances toward the window. Sunlight lines the curve of his cheek and glints gold on the tips of hislashes. “I should have waited until I had more time freed up.” He turns back to me. “But you were upset. I could hear it inyour voice when we talked. So I jumped on a plane.”
