Page 57 of Her Billionaire Bargain (Kensington Square)

“I didn’t think you’d be taking a bath.” He crossed his arms. “I must’ve missed my invitation.”

“Me either. On the bath,” I said hurriedly. “As for joining…” I cleared my throat. “This tub is plenty roomy but—”

“But,” he prompted when I fell silent.

“You seem to have urgent needs that can’t be accomplished in here.”

“I went to the bathroom an hour ago if that’s what you mean. While you were still in dreamland.” He crossed the room to crouch beside the tub, trailing his fingers through my sudsy hair. His touch felt glorious but it was hard to concentrate with his erection practically on eye level.

“No, I meant that.” I waved between his legs and looked away before I was tempted to stare.

I hadn’t made a study of cocks—his only being the third I’d seen in the flesh and only two more if we were counting adult movies—but his seemed unnaturally attractive. It went well with the rest of him. Even his muscled legs weren’t overly hairy. Just enough to prove his virility.

“That?” I could hear the smile in his question. “Are you referring to my cock?”

“Yes. You’re going to have to…take care of that and this tub isn’tthatroomy.”

“Sure it is. You get on top and all works out fine.”

“Hmm.” I kept staring at the wall, wondering if he’d be offended if I pulled down the eye mask.

I felt so shy and awkward and like I had no clue of my moves in this situation. He’d seen my whole body already and it wasn’t like we were in full sunshine or anything but being totally sober sucked.

“Hmm? Do I have to ply you with wine spritzers for you to admit you’re attracted to me?”

“Hello, I came multiple times. And I don’t do that. Ever. So, I’d say the attraction is noted.”

“And mutual in all ways,” he reminded me.

“I appreciate it.”

“You appreciate I’m attracted to you? And still so hard from hours ago that your gaze is literally magnetized to my erection?”

I snorted. “All men are hard in the morning. It’s no different if you saw my naked body first thing or sausage links on a plate next to scrambled eggs. It’s biological.”

“I can assure you my reaction to you is far more overwhelming than my enjoyment of sausage links, though I do have quite the fondness for them. But fine.” He released my hair and lifted his hands, palms out. “If you’re not into it, or into me right now, I’ll leave you to your bath. I won’t beg.”

He started to stand up and nausea churned in my belly as I grabbed his knee. “Wait. Don’t go. I’m messing this up.” I let him go and buried my face in my soapy hands.

“Yes.” His tone was remarkably cheerful. “You are. But I expected no less. Or no more.”

I frowned and dropped my hands. “You expected me to freak out?”

“Oh, yeah. I expected it last night. You surprised me there, but I knew we were overdue.”

“You’re kind of an ass sometimes.”

“Your point?”

I was so annoyed, I stood up in the tub and spread my arms wide. “I mostly freaked at you taking a good look at me in the light of day, stretch marks and all. But you know what? Now you can. Go ahead and look. I am what I am. You’re not ashamed you could’ve poked my eye out with that wand of temptation, so I won’t be ashamed I gave birth to a nine-pound baby girl with a minimum amount of drugs.”

“Wow. Really?” His gaze was filled with admiration and stayed steady on mine. “I was just a little over eight and my mom said she asked for every drug known to man.”

“I would next time, now that I know. I mean, if there was a next time and obviously there isn’t and probably won’t be, so…yeah.” I huffed out a breath. “But you have to do the drugs early enough to give them time to work. Changing your mind later isn’t as effective.”

“How do you know there won’t be a next time?” He stepped closer to wash off my bubbles with the handheld spray and then he briskly toweled me off with one of the thick fluffy towels from the rack. “Any man would be lucky to father your children, Shelby.”

My head swam from the heat of the water and from hunger. Not from what he’d said or the intensity in his solemn green gaze.

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