Page 19 of Slippery When Wet

Sneaking off with him to watch a movie and falling asleep midway through.

“Umm…” I breathed slowly. Abel’s scent filled my lungs. “I’m sorry I passed out on you.”

“You had a long day,” he gently and sweetly reminded me. "You ready for another?”

“Oh, umm…”

“I told you I was picking you up in the morning,” he reminded me, and I blinked.

“But, umm, we hung out yesterday.” Why am I trying to get out of it?

“I wanna hang out with you today and tomorrow and the day after that?—"

“To teach me how to not be a scaredy cat? For wild living lessons?”

“Yes and no.” My brows probably rose to my hairline. He sat up and pulled me into him like I was a comforter to place over his body. Easily and with grace, settling me on his lap. I’d dreamt of being on his lap, straddling him. For months.

“You sleep okay?” he asked with a warmth in his gaze that fed me through the inside out.

“Yeah, like a baby,” I blurted out and felt the heat start to spread at the back of my neck.

“My baby,” he muttered under his breath. For a moment, I wondered if he’d meant to say it out loud. I opened and then shut my mouth because he started to speak a little louder this time.

“You knocked out hard, beautiful girl. There was no waking you up. I carried you into the truck and tried, but you were out.”

That shocked me. I’d been an especially light sleeper the last six months.

“I decided to bring you home because I wasn’t sure how your sister would react to me carrying you in late at night,” he explained. “You okay with that?”

“I mean, I don’t mind it,” I mumbled when everything inside of me was cheering and jumping for joy.

I decided to bring you home. His words replayed in my mind and did funny things inside of me. Home. His home. He’d brought me to what was obviously his personal sanctuary. I quickly scanned his bedroom. From how spacious and open it was, I assumed it was the master. I wondered if he lived alone or if he had roommates. I knew he was forty-two and grown, but people had roommates no matter their age. Sometimes just for the company.

His place was tidy. Sparse with dark wood furniture that had metal accents. It suited him. Warm and masculine. Strong but inviting. My eyes moved to his and then to the bedframe behind him. Dark wood with metal rods. A dirty image popped into my head.

Abel tying me to it.

Having his way with me.

“I’d pay serious money to know what you’re thinking right now.” The roughness in his voice made my sex ache and pulse.

“Why?” I squeaked and then cleared my throat. He might have chuckled, but he was enough of a gentleman to drop it.

“I like you, Abby. I’ve had my eye on you for a while.”

“You have?” This still blew me away. He had admitted he’d watched me. I mean, he had been outside of my house in the middle of the night. But it didn’t explain why. Abel wasn’t the kind of man who would lack for attention from women. I’d seen the man walk into the coffee shop I liked to work remotely from when I needed a change of scenery. I’d watched how women of all ages turn and check him out. How some smiled and batted their eyelashes. I had also seen how he would give them a tight nod and keep going.

“I tried to leave you alone?—"

“Why?” I cut him off and winced. Talk about sounding needy. “I mean—" I shook my head. “I suck at this,” I groaned, and by the way he stood still, I surprised the two of us when I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his muscular shoulder. “I mean… I’m just me and you’re?—"

“Don’t do that, pretty girl.” His hand moved between us, then he gently tipped my head up to make me look at him. “I won’t have you putting yourself down.”

“I wasn’t. I just mean…” I opened and shut my mouth and huffed. Actually huffed! Abel had been right. I was about to do that. “I just mean, you’re you.”

“Okay,” he slowly drawled, and I sat up straighter, pointing at him.

“Oh, come on. Now is not the time to get all humble.” I ignored the slight embarrassment that flooded through me at being so honest.

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