“Yes,” he rumbled, voice tight, focused on getting us to my apartment and through the door.
After punching in my keycode, which he had long since memorized, he strode toward the bathroom and deposited me in front of the mirror. Then he leaned a shoulder against the doorway, staring me down as if he fully intended to watch me brush my teeth.
“A little privacy?”
“No.” His eyes glittered like galaxies. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
A flush rose up my nape, but us Marys had spent plenty of years with a single bathroom or no bathroom between us. That meant throwing elbows and stomping feet to get your turn. This wasn’t that. Kierce wasn’t vying with me for use of the facilities. He was simply watching. It might have weirded me out, well, weirded me outmore, if the heat in his eyes hadn’t ignited a similar flame low in my gut.
Quickly, and with as little mess as possible, I scrubbed my teeth clean then rinsed and spat.
Arms folded across his chest, fingers tapping his upper arm, Kierce asked, “Feel better?”
“Much.” I threw some sway into my hips as I approached him, planted a hand on his abs, and rose onto my tiptoes to blow in his face. “Minty fresh.” I grinned as muscles flexed under my palm then shoved him stumbling back. “See you in a few.”
Slamming the door, I locked it fast, cackling when I heard him growl on the other side.
Growly Kierce was fast becoming my favorite.
I showered in record time, brushed my teeth again, just to be safe, then emerged from the bathroom on a cloud of steam dressed in a clean tee and shorts pajama set plus my underwear.
Because I was mean like that. And maybe I wanted Kierce to work for it. Not that he would have to work hard, but still.
“I shaved,” I informed him, hooking my leg around his upper thigh. “I’m as smooth as a dolphin?—”
Kierce gripped my hips, lifting me over his shoulder, and marched to the bed. He unslung me, tossing me onto the mattress. I bounced once, landing in the center. I spluttered a wild laugh that died in my throat as he climbed up my body until his knees bracketed my hips.
“I want you.” His gaze roved over my body like he couldn’t decide where to start. “Do you want this?”
“I’ve been wanting to tear into your pants like a candy wrapper for a while now,” I confessed with a faint rasp that drew his focus to my mouth. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
Leaning down until our chests brushed, he trailed his lips across my jaw. “I remember.”
Snapping out of the moment, I pushed back on his shoulders. “What do you mean?”
There was no way of knowing how long Kierce would get to keep his memories, or me mine, but fear cut through my desire that he had recalled something that changed his mind. About this. Aboutus.
“I remember how to do this.”
“This?” I gave the cocktail of desire and worry a moment to clear.“Oh.”A frown cut my mouth. “Oh.”
Did that mean he was thinking about having sex with someone else? Now? Using his memory like a how-to manual? No. That was just silly. Paranoid. I didn’t think about old lovers while I was in bed with a new one. Unless the sex was bad. Oh, God. Did he need help from visual aids to get through this?
Dammit.
I was psyching myself out.
“You don’t sound pleased about it.” He studied me. “I thought it would come as a relief.”
Until I lost the chance to play tutor, I hadn’t realized I had been looking forward to it. It would have been fun. For both of us. I would have made certain of it. But I couldn’t help noticing a boost in his confidence that hadn’t been there when we fooled around the previous times. That was a good thing.
“I’ll take you any way I can get you.” I rested a hand over his heart. “I’m just overthinking it.”
“Mmm.” Those bright eyes pinned me in place as he trailed a finger from my nose, over my lips, past my chin. “Do you honestly believe I could think of anyone else while I’m here, with you?”
“You read me too easily.” I mashed my lips together. “Am I that obvious?”
A smile teasing the corners of his mouth was all the answer I got before his focus shifted lower.
