Page 11 of Wine & Whiskey: Everything for You
Shae’s hands fly to her mouth as she tries to hold back her laugh.
“I’m out.” Max rolls his eyes and sets the pitcher in the sink. “Good-bye. You two deserve each other.”
Grabbing his helmet, he doesn’t look back as he closes the door behind him.
“What’s that about?” Nick kisses across her bare shoulders, warm and silky under his lips. She was all he could think about on the ride home, failing to focus enough to get any work done regardless of the revised takeover strategy screaming from his inbox for his review. Unable to concentrate on the final proposal knowing she waits for him.
That she would be there when he returned.
That she will always be home to him, no matter where they live or what they do.
She stretches underneath his fingertips, following his strokes before her eyes drift shut. His body tightens, hard and throbbing, needing her again, even after burying himself inside her just a few hours earlier. Never able to get enough. Never wanting to endure the torment of being without her again.
“I…I told him the same thing.” Her distracted tone fuels the fire. The shudder of her delicate body drives his hands down her arms to the soft, cotton skirt covering her legs, pushing up the hem to caress the satiny skin of her thighs. “He thinks we’re making fun of him.”
He doesn’t even know who the hell she’s talking about anymore, doesn’t care as long as she lets him touch her. Lets him love her.
“Everything go okay at the hospital?” Slender fingers cover his, pausing their upward trail, and he lifts his head from the tender hollow of her throat to meet her worried gaze.
“Yeah. Quick and easy.” The trepidation darkening her expression melts away as he cups her face, a soft smile growing on her lips. “What about here?”
A cloud of hesitation dims the happiness shining in her eyes before she shakes her head, as if clearing away the doubt. “Good.”
Hell the fuck no. Fire races through his taut body. No secrets between them. She’s not hiding anything from him ever again. “Shae?”
She lowers her chin, her gaze flicking toward the half-finished smoothie. “I had a bad dream, but I’m okay now.”
Fucking motherfucker. His jaw clenches at the likely cause of her suffering. “About Carter?”
She nods and shrugs, dismissing his concern. “Max was here. He took care of me. It’s fine.”
The hell it is. Bastard steals her peace when all she deserves is rest. And now she feels guilty about admitting it. He drives his hand through his hair and blows out a deep sigh, a futile attempt to reign in his rage or eliminate her fear. Thank God he left Max here. The thought of her waking up alone and scared makes his chest pound. She must never be left by herself, must never feel abandoned or afraid.
“Don’t worry. I’m okay. I promise.” She glances toward the cluttered countertop. “Besides, I need to clean up. We have to leave for Dr. Patterson’s soon.”
A bit of tension evaporates from his tense muscles at the genuine smile crossing her face. He refuses to ruin her—their—excitement with his fury. “I’ll help you.”
“Thank you.” A quick kiss skims his cheek before she hops up and slides the cutting board to the sink, pushing the stems down the garbage disposal. He unscrews the blender base and loads the blade and pitcher into the dishwasher. Turning back to her, he pauses at her concentration, a smile curling his lips.
She peers at the textured surface, thoroughly scrubbing the circle of condensation left from her glass, making sure the spot’s completely gone. God, she’s fucking amazing. After everything she’s been through, she worries about appeasing the housekeeper’s stringent expectations of cleanliness. “Think you got it all?”
Scarlet crawls up her cheeks, matching the lava racing through his veins to his groin at her smirk. “Are you making fun of me now?”
“Nope. Just admiring the view. What man doesn’t like to see his woman barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen?”
The sponge bounces off his chest along with her bubbly laughter. “How come I’m just finding out now that you’re a chauvinist?”
He gives her an exaggerated frown, contrasting with the smile twitching on her sweet lips. “You told me I was charming.”
“I think I said cocky.”
“Confident.”
Her eyes dance, her face glowing from the mischief playing between them. Finally, her genuine personality shines through completely. Just for him. “Or was it slick?”
“Well-spoken.”
“Bossy.”
