Читать книгу One Hot Christmas - Katherine Garbera - Страница 15
ОглавлениеBEN DIDN’T KNOW a guy in the world who could refuse a request like that. Besides, after two climaxes, he had the staying power to make long, slow love to Molly. She seemed to like that as much as she’d liked the wall-banging kind.
Turned out, so did he. A whole hell of a lot, in fact. Afterward, he gathered her close and they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.
He woke up before she did, experiencing an emotion that didn’t come often to him. At first he had trouble naming it, but finally he settled on the description that seemed to fit. He was contented.
The reason was easy to figure out. He’d enjoyed amazing sex with a woman he liked well enough to sleep with in the literal sense. He hardly ever woke up with a woman. Usually he went to their place and left that same night. Staying for breakfast gave the wrong impression, as if he might be considering a more permanent arrangement.
But he and Molly had put everything on the table, or enough that she understood why he wasn’t the one for her. He didn’t have to dredge up the past and talk about his crummy family or his fears about turning into his dad.
Instead, they could enjoy each other and part ways as friends. If he didn’t want to think about the leaving right now, so what? Philosophers said that the trick to happiness was staying in the moment, so he’d do that. And in this moment, he was extremely happy. He couldn’t remember being happier, in fact.
He could faintly smell cookies baking and the muted sound of people talking on the floor below. It must be after seven if the cookies were already in the oven. He still cradled Molly against the curve of his body, his arm tucked around her waist. She’d wanted to be part of the cookie situation, but setting an alarm had been the last thing on his mind and probably on hers.
No surprise that they’d overslept. They’d worn each other out, in a good way. He’d love to stay like this a little longer, but she might not thank him for it.
He murmured her name.
She stirred in his arms and yawned.
So cute, that little yawn. Funny how his feelings for her were more tender than lustful this morning. “If you still want to bake cookies, you need to get up.”
“Cookies!” She scrambled to a sitting position and stared at him in dismay. “I forgot the cookies!”
“Sorry. Me, too.”
“It’s okay. Not your fault, but I have to boogie.” She left the bed, gathered up her clothes, and began tugging them on. “Thank you for a wonderful night.”
He propped himself up on his elbow. “You’re welcome. Doing anything special tonight after the party?”
“I hope so.”
“Would it happen to involve coming back here?”
She laughed. “Yes, unless you’d rather come to my room where we’d probably end up falling off the double bed.”
“No, thanks. I’ll meet you back here in about...” He glanced over at the small clock on the nightstand. “About eighteen hours, give or take.”
“That’s a long time.”
“I know. Want to schedule a rendezvous in the middle of the day?”
After pulling her sweater over her head, she looked at him. “I’d love to, but I don’t think we dare. The house will be full of people today. I’ll be pretty busy, and besides, somebody might come up here. I wouldn’t want them to hear us, or worse yet, walk in on us.”
“Which brings up another important point. How do you want to play this?”
She was quiet for a little too long. “I don’t know.”
He couldn’t blame her for being hesitant to reveal what was going on between them. She was a part of this family and her behavior would come under some scrutiny as a result. Even though she was an adult capable of making her own decisions, Sarah might feel a certain responsibility for her.
“We’ll keep it to ourselves,” he said, letting her off the hook.
“Thank you.” Relief showed in her expression. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of what we’ve done. It’s just—”
“Never mind. I get it. You don’t want your relatives to know you hopped into bed with a virtual stranger on his first night here.”
“When you put it that way, it sounds pretty wild, doesn’t it?”
He smiled. “It was pretty wild.”
“Yeah.” Her voice was filled with wonder, as if she couldn’t quite believe what had happened in this room. “This is not like me, at all.”
He sat up. “Regrets?” He said it lightly, but her answer meant more to him than he wanted to admit.
She met his gaze. “No. Last night was amazing. I didn’t know sex could feel like that, or that I could respond the way I did. I’ll never forget what we’ve shared.”
“That sounds like a kiss-off speech.” His chest felt tight. “Are you reconsidering meeting me after the party?”
“Oh, no, I want to.”
He let out his breath.
“But last night I didn’t give much thought to how our choice could be interpreted by the rest of the family. To be honest, I wasn’t doing much thinking at all. I wanted you and that wiped out every other consideration.”
“And now you’re worried about what others might think.”
“I am. Maybe that’s cowardly and I should be stronger, but—”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain.” He was a little disappointed, but he did understand. Tossing back the covers, he searched the floor for his underwear. “I am a virtual stranger.”
“Not anymore.”
“Nobody else will find out.” He located his briefs and pulled them on. “Not from me, anyway.”
“Thank you, Ben.”
“Just don’t go ogling my butt or someone might notice.”
“I promise not to ogle your butt, although I have to say, it’s very ogle-worthy.” She grabbed her boots and jacket. “So is the rest of you.”
“Likewise.” He stepped into his jeans.
“Don’t be silly.”
“I’m not being silly.” After picking up his shirt, he glanced at her. “Your body drives me out of my mind.”
“Come on. You don’t have to say that.”
“No, I don’t, which is why I am saying it.” He took a deep breath and let it out. His intense gaze locked with hers. “I look at you and think of how you rode my cock, your breasts bouncing, and how wet you are for me, always, and how tight, and how sliding inside you makes me want to come the minute we connect.”
Her cheeks flushed.
“I won’t be able to not think about that today, Molly.”
She swallowed. “Me, either. So we’d better stay away from each other—at least, most of the time.” With a little moan of frustration, she whirled toward the door. “I’m getting out of here while I still can.”
“Check the hall and make sure the coast is clear.”
“I will. Tonight I’ll come over in my robe. That might help.”
He chuckled. “It’ll certainly make it easier to get started.”
She glanced at the box of condoms on the nightstand. “Put that back, okay?”
“You bet.”
Opening the door, she peered out. “Looks deserted.” Then she turned and her gaze swept over him. “You’re a beautiful man.”
His throat tightened. “You’re a beautiful woman.”
She gave him a quick smile before running out into the hall.
He stepped to the door and watched until she disappeared into her room. Then he sighed. Although he wouldn’t change a single thing that had happened, she was working her way under his skin. Eventually he’d have to face the truth—a long weekend with her wouldn’t be nearly enough. But he wouldn’t worry about that today. Today he would practice ignoring her. That would be challenge enough without thinking about a future that didn’t have Molly in it.
