Tough Love - Page 44/129

“I like the way you think.”

“No convincing?”

“Hey, you’re still naked. I’m one hundred percent convinced.” She kissed his chin. “Let me up, and I’ll take care of things, then be right back.”

“I have a better idea.” He eased away, and as he separated from her he drifted a hand down her thigh, then rolled from the bed. “Stay put.” Gaze shuttered, he looked her over, and his voice went husky. “Just like that works. I’ll see to you, then check on the dogs, then I’ll see if I can get you mewling again.”

Dodging the pillow she threw at him, he laughed as he headed into the bathroom. Enjoying the view as muscles played over his back and his taut tush, Vanity dropped back to the bed with a happy sigh. Life, at the moment, was almost too wonderful for words.

CHAPTER EIGHT

AN HOUR OR so later, with Vanity tucked close to his side, Stack contemplated his next move. It was late. The dogs, brought in earlier, were now snuffling at the closed bedroom door. He was starved, so Vanity had to be, too.

But this was nice. Vanity close, her arm across him, her lips occasionally brushing his ribs. The thought of driving home to his own bed didn’t appeal, so he hesitated to disturb the moment.

When her slender thigh moved over his, he lifted his head enough to look down at her.

Her eyes, still sated, a little dazed, stared into his. With uncharacteristic shyness, she said softly, “You need to make the first move.”

“We’re here, now, because you already did.”

She lowered her gaze and hugged him more tightly, a direct contrast to her whispered, “And I’m glad I was so brazen.”

“Me, too.”

“But I meant you have to make a move...to leave.”

There it was. The thing he didn’t want to hear. He trailed his fingertips over her hip to her waist. “You want me to go?”

“No.”

No? Turning slightly to face her, he waited.

“I want to keep on looking at you and touching you and smelling you—”

Teasing her, he asked, “You’re saying I smell?”

She had gotten him sweaty. Got her a little sweaty, too. He liked it. When Vanity said, “Mmm,” with her nose to his chest, he knew she liked it, as well.

Nuzzling against him, she deeply inhaled. “You smell so indescribably good that it’s revving my motor all over again.”

Idly, he cupped her firm breast. She wasn’t overly endowed, but neither would he call her small. So often the word that best described her was perfect. “That’s supposed to convince me to go?”

“That’s to make you understand that in this, I won’t be the strong one.” Slowly she lifted her face until her gaze melted into his. “And if you stay, I might get stuck on you.”

Though the statement made his heart kick and he automatically snuggled her closer, Stack wasn’t at all sure how he felt about that. No, he wasn’t ready to call it quits. But neither was he ready to commit just because he’d had the best sex of his life.

Control, he reminded himself. He would be the one deciding things, and they’d both enjoy themselves because of it.

He’d just about decided on what to say, but she beat him to the punch.

Eyes big and soft, she whispered, “Or you could get stuck on me. Either is possible.”

The truth of that narrowed his eyes.

Hugging him, her voice wistful, Vanity said, “So be strong, Stack. Go now before I give into temptation, climb on board and steal all your options.”

Climb on board? He breathed faster, his cock twitched, and damned if he didn’t get hard again. “I’ll go—after you give in.” He helped her over him to sit on his abs. “After you climb on board.” Hands on her hips, he lifted her so she could settle on to his already straining erection again. “That’s the option I choose.”

* * *

A FEW HOURS before sunrise, Stack awoke. He spooned Vanity, her petite, sweetly curved body fitting perfectly against his. He had one arm under her head, the other wrapped over her waist, then bent so he could hold her breast.

He surrounded her and liked it.

No surprise that he had morning wood. Throughout the night, she’d gotten him there again and again.

Over and over he’d taken her bareback, nothing between them, and damn, it felt like heaven. They’d taken a short break to care for the dogs, then another to grab sandwiches since neither of them had eaten.

Then they’d gone back to bed. He should have been satisfied, and instead every fiber of his being was only more sensitized to the sight of her smile, the sound of her quickened breathing, the heated scent of her sweet body.