Page 75 of Justice for Francesca

“Thanks. I’m good right now.” Careful not to spill the contents of her glass as she leaned back into his chest, she tipped her head to the side so that his cheek could rest alongside it.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he nuzzled behind her ear. “I’m here for whatever you need.”

The hand not holding the wine glass rested atop his arms at her waist and gave a gentle squeeze. “I know. I’m sorry if I was bitchy about all of this. I’m just used to taking care of myself. It’s hard to let others help. I really do appreciate it.”

Tripoli continued to kiss her neck. “Stop stressing about it, Francesca.”

“You do realize that when people tell individuals who are stressing out that they shouldn’t stress out, that doesn’t actually stop the stress or make anything better?”

“Yup. I think it’s a rule, though, maybe a law, that we have to say it anyway. However, I do think I know what might lessen the stress. For a while, at least.”

“Oh, you do, do you?” He heard the smile in her voice.

“Mm-hmm.” One of his hands grabbed the wine glass from her and finished the liquid that remained in the glass. Turning her in his arms, he resettled her so that the hand with the empty wine glass was banded around her waist. With his other hand, he released her hair from the elastic, putting it around his wrist for safekeeping, then palmed the back of her skull and pulled her mouth to his.

Her heeled boots put her at the perfect height to dip his mouth to hers, his tongue slipping out to swipe along her bottom lip. In reaction, her lips parted, permitting him entrance. He tasted the subtle notes of the wine along her tongue. Underneath that was a subtle flare of cinnamon from the breath mint she must have had. He continued to survey her mouth, sliding his tongue along hers, tilting her head to allow him to get closer, eliminating all space between them.

Her hands sat lightly at his waist, then slid around to meet at his lower back. With each gentle swipe of his tongue, they slid up his spine until he felt them pulling him tight to her. Then she was separating her mouth from his, tipping her head forward to rest against his chin.

“You okay?” he whispered.

“No. I mean, yes, I’m okay with you. Everything else?” She shrugged. “I just can’t shut my brain off.”

“I wish I could make all of this disappear for you. Knowing that you were taking leave from your job, I hope that means you would have been coming here to spend it with me. That you’dfeel comfortable enough to do that. This sort of forced vacation in my space is not our preference. I’m not going to say I won’t take advantage of the situation, but I won’t push you.” His mouth next to her ear and his arms wrapped around her created a cocoon of intimacy that he never wanted to break. However, right now, she needed to feel as if someone needed nothing from her. She needed to be the focus and to be taken care of. “What would relax you? What would ease your pain? Something simple that I could make happen.”

From his vantage point of cheek-to-cheek contact, he felt her smile and knew that his attempt to ask what she needed versus an attempt to assume what she would like was well-received. “Truly? I just need to not think for a while. I want to just exist. Now that I’m not at the office, I don’t even want to decide what to have for dinner, let alone anything else.”

“Well. I can definitely make all of that happen. Here’s what I want you to do.” He kissed her cheek. “I want you to go into the kitchen and pour yourself another glass of wine to replace the one I so rudely finished for you.”

“Yes. Definitely rude,” she said with mock severity.

“Then I want you to meet me in the bathroom. I’m going to run you a hot bath. You’re going to have a long, hot soak, and I’m going to make sure you’re a boneless mass when it’s time to get out of the water. Afterward, I’m going to take you to bed and let you sleep while I get dinner ready. That way, when Cruz and Mickie get here, you’re nice and mellow and able to have a relaxing evening with two people who desperately want to add you to their friend circle. Go on, now.” He handed her the wine glass as he withdrew gently from her arms and headed off on his mission.

When she arrived in the doorway of the bathroom, wine in hand, he stood up from the bathtub and watched her as she stood in the center of the room, not moving, as if she was unsurewhat to do next. The lights were turned off, but the room was bathed with the flickering flames of about a dozen candles set up around the room, and portable speakers connected to his phone played soft music.

His movements were slow and deliberate, gauging each reaction she displayed.

The flaring of her pupils as she watched him loosen the knot of his tie, then unbutton the top two buttons of his dress shirt.

The twitch of her fingers at her sides as he walked toward her and came to a complete stop a mere foot out of reach as he completely undid his tie, the two ends hanging down from around his neck.

The shift of her weight from one foot to the other when he unbuckled his belt, pulled it free of the loops in one smooth motion, and tossed it to the counter.

The rabbitting pulse in her neck as he pulled his shirt free of his pants and began unbuttoning it, slowly revealing the tight white tank undershirt beneath it.

The lick of her lips as he pulled the shirt from his shoulders and tossed it, and the tie, to join his belt.

His hands reached for hers, took the wine glass, and set it on the vanity, then backed up slowly, steering her around the tub. He began to undress her by kneeling at her feet to unzipper and slide off her boots and socks and place them under the counter.

Rising to slip the mother-of-pearl buttons from their holes and peeling the silk blouse from her body.

Unbuttoning and unzipping her trousers before skimming them over her hips and letting them pool to the floor around her ankles.

Reaching around her to unhook the clasp of her pale-blue bra to draw the straps down her arms.

Curving his hands around her hips and sliding them underneath the matching panties and drawing them down her hips to join her pants on the floor.

“I feel like you and I are going to spend an awful lot of time in the bathroom. Cleanest couple in the country.”

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