Page 23 of Keeping My Wife
He kept going then used his boot to nudge my door open. My room was the one that needed the least help. My grandmother’s space was pristine, but it was just too weird for me to sleep in there.
The creamy wallpaper with an embossed fleur-de-lis pattern gave it a rich feel. A cherry four poster bed took up most of one wall. It used to have a canopy, but I’d pulled it down when I noticed the moth holes.
No thanks for that over my head when I slept.
I’d swapped out the ancient spread with a simple white duvet over claret-colored sheets. He did a lazy circle as he took in the rest of the room. The large windows had condensation at the edges and the frames had peeling paint. Even the sills were in desperate need of help.
I shivered.
He lowered me to the floor and rubbed my arms. I grabbed my thick robe tossed over the bench at the foot of my bed. The rich eggplant terrycloth was warm against the chill of my room.
He didn’t seem inclined to give me space, so I stepped away from him.
He grabbed my hand. “You’re not going to get weird on me, are you?”
“How can I not? I just came my brains out and we’ve spoken twice.”
His lips quirked up at the corner. “Yeah, you did.”
“Cocky much?”
“Not when it’s fact.” He huffed out a laugh. “Your face.” He dropped an absent kiss on my mouth and walked around me to look over the room. “Seal’s gone on the window, but we should be able to repair it instead of replacing it. Can’t find glass like this anymore.”
I tugged the lapels of my robe closed against the draft and crossed my arms. “Good. I’m sleeping under three blankets.”
“Can’t have that for you or guests. I’ll get to work on that this weekend.”
“This week—Really?”
“Yeah. I can do a lot of the surface stuff myself until we get a plan together, but winter is a bitch in New York. Can’t have us freezing to death.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I can only fuck you senseless a few times a night.”
My jaw dropped.
His lips twitched. “Kidding. After a long day I’m good for twice usually.” He disappeared into the closet.
My heart slammed in my chest. “Just because we had a... whatever that was downstairs doesn’t mean I’m ready to play house, house.”
He peeked out of the walk-in closet. “House, house?”
“You know. Like really doing the relationship thing.”
“Hmm.” He dipped back into the room without another word.
I followed him in there and snapped a hoodie and another pair of yoga pants off the hangers. I stepped into the pants and struggled them on. “Care to give me some space.”
He leaned on the doorjamb. “Nope. Enjoying the show. I’ve seen it all, no need to dress under the robe like a nervous virgin.”
I lifted my chin and shoved the robe off around my ankles.
His dark eyes heated as he straightened and crowded into me. “Your skin makes me crazy.” He stroked his hand down my arm to rest at my waist.
“Why, never been with a black woman before?”
His eyes narrowed. “Actually, I have.”
“Is that your kink? White boy likes to play with a beautiful black woman from time to time.”
He palmed my ass and dragged me against his side. “Honey, it ain’t about race. I just like strong women.” His gaze dropped to my lips. “And maybe that 4th of July party by the lake when I saw you in that white bikini changed my trajectory for the type of woman I found attractive, but it’s you who makes me crazy.”
