Page 21 of Luck of the Draw

“What is it?” I said, worried she’d changed her mind.

Her face was even redder now. “I…I should probably get changed in the bedroom. Or the bathroom.”

“Um. Do you mind if I ask why?”

“It’s probably for the best, is all.”

She must have seen my bafflement on my face, because she blurted out, “I’m wearing shapewear under the dress.”

A little laugh escaped me, but it dried up almost instantly, because it was clear from the look on her face she thought I was laughing ather. I lifted my hands in surrender, then took hers, pulling her close again. Kissing her with a passion that showed her I didn’t give a shit about her shapewear. Knowing she could feel from where our bodies pressed together how little I cared.

“Not laughing at you,” I soothed, pulling away. “You think I haven’t seen shapewear before? It’ll be like unwrapping a present.”

Her eyes were wide as I lifted the hem again, dancing the dress over her head and letting it fall in a pool on the floor. The shapewear was next, and although it took some maneuvering to get it off, I felt lucky to be opening this particular present. She was even sexier now, all womanly curves like the Botticelli prints at my nonna’s house.

“There you are.” Taking her by the hand, I led her to the wall and got to my knees.

She gasped. “You meant it.”

“Oh, I meant every word. And this is just the beginning.”

* * *

I woke up when she got out of bed, mostly because the bed had already been broken before she came over, and it was definitely broken now. It had belched out an ominous creak somewhere in the middle of round two, and then there’d been a collapsing sensation as part of the frame gave way. It hadn’t stopped us.

I hadn’t really been sleeping anyway, because I was floating in a state of wonder. It had never been like this with anyone else. There was a slumbering passion in Deeandra, and I’d had the privilege of awakening it. But the truth was, it went the other way too. I’d kept a distance with every woman I’d been with since Marisa, but something about this woman, this night, had brought those walls tumbling down. Maybe it was how open she’d been with me. Maybe it was because she looked at me like I was a man worth knowing, even though I had a dead-end job as a bartender and I lived in a place a college student would probably think was a dump.

“Is this where you sneak out?” I asked, taking in the curve of her back, my gaze traveling down to her butt. Already, I felt a stirring. A wish for more.

She jerked back, her eyes wide. “You scared me.”

I raised my brows.

“No, I’m not leaving. I justreallyneed to use the bathroom.” She looked embarrassed and I had to laugh.

“No getting dressed, though. I have plans for you.”

“More?” she asked, her tone reminding me of a kid asking for another scoop of ice cream. There was a sweet, almost innocent joy to it that sent another surge of desire through me.

“More.”

“Good.” She slipped out of the room with a smile tipping up her luscious lips, and I watched the door for her return.

Only, I heard a yelp in the other room a minute later, and I leaped up, still naked as the day I was born, pausing only to grab the baseball bat behind the bed. I was expecting an intruder, but what I found was Deeandra, staring up at the massive crucifix in the hallway.

“Sorry,” she said. “I must’ve gotten turned around in the dark on my way back from the bathroom, and I bumped into him. I didn’t notice it there before.”

I had to laugh at how freaked out she seemed, like it was sacrilegious to have bumped into it completely naked, at the apartment of a man she’d known for less than twenty-four hours.

And really, I supposed Nonna would think that was true.

“I’m sorry,” I said, setting down the bat. “I thought someone had broken in or something. I was all ready to jump in and protect you, but I don’t think there’s much I can do in this case.”

“You were going to save me?” She asked it with so much wonder, I had to wonder about that asshole ex of hers.

Had he really jumped on the bed and let her deal with a rat?

“Also, on an unrelated note, did you buy that?” she said, and from the way she thrust her hand over her mouth, it was obvious she’d blurted that out without meaning to.

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