Page 57 of When I Had You

She stops in the bedroom and then looks back at me. “You have very good taste.”

Leaning against the doorframe, I give her a once-over, taking in every inch of her and debating where I’ll begin to unravel her. “I agree.”

Her cheeks pinken, noticeably even in the dimmer light of the bedside lamp. “I was referring to the furniture and decor.”

“I was referring to you.”

She clasps her hands in front of her, innocence straining in her posture. Licking her lips, she takes a breath and says, “So . . . here we are.”

“Here we are.”

“In your bedroom.” She looks around again as if seeing it in a new light this time. “This is where all the girls come. Oh God. I didn’t mean it that way, though it’s probably correct in both entendre.” Rubbing a hand over her face, she shakes her head. “Please put me out of my misery and kiss me.”

Although I’m amused by the rambling, I won’t make her suffer any longer. I cross into the room and go straight for her, running my hands around the base of her neck and bending to kiss her. It’s gentle at first, the tension still felt in her shoulders. But when I encourage her lips apart, and our tongues meet, her body loosens under my touch.

I walk until the back of her legs meet the bed, then stop everything. “I want you to take your clothes off. Will you do that for me, babe?”

A thousand thoughts cross through her eyes as panic sets in. “Like, just strip right here with you staring at me?”

“Yes.”

“Whew,” she exhales loudly with her hands planted on her hips. I expect her to start pacing at this rate or throwing jabs in the air. “I can do that. Yep, no problem.”

As entertaining as this is, it’s not exactly what I intended. “You psyching yourself up there, champ?”

Her eyes find mine again. “Sure am.”

“If you’re not comfortable—”

“No,” she starts, on the verge of another run-on sentence, and nods while staring at the floor. “I can do this. It’s like acting. I’ll just get into character—” She gasps when I capture a whirling hand, stilling it.

When her gaze reaches mine, I say, “I don’t want you in character. I just want you, Marina.” My voice is firm, but she appears to find understanding in the direction.

Her body stills, but her breathing remains steady. “Okay.”

“Will you allow me?”

Her wordless reply comes in another nod, but no nerves are attached this time.

“Turnabout is fair play.” I start on my shirt first, tugging it off over my head and dropping it at our feet. The tips of her fingers, the slight edge of her nails start on my chest and lightly scrape lower over my abs. Her eyes follow the trails, then she lifts to kiss just under my collarbone.

Her touch, her lips, the kiss, her . . . it’s all so sweet that I can’t stop myself from holding her to me, even if just for a moment. I kiss her head, rubbing her back.

She steps out of my hold, and with her eyes locked on mine, she unbuttons her shirt. My gaze dips lower when the shirt travels over her shoulders, exposing her bra and the bare skin of her abdomen. The uncertainty that lived briefly in her eyes has vanished, replaced with determination, intrigue, and conviction as she starts on my jeans.

Pushing my fingers into her hair, I caress her scalp, keeping her eyes up as she goes lower. Not that I’m shy. Far from it. “I can’t get enough of how fucking sexy you are, babe.”

“In the paddock, I got even madder when you took your helmet off.”

I smirk, outlining her lips with my gaze. Fuck me, she’s hot. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

She continues on my zipper, then stands up again. Leaning against me, she says, “I wasn’t expecting you to be so attractive.”

Laughter escapes me. “It would have been better to argue with me if you didn’t find me so devastatingly handsome?”

Running her hands over my shoulders like she already knows I’m hers, she laughs. “Your words, not mine.”

“Are you calling them a lie?”

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