Page 22 of Challenge Accepted

“Hey, what happened?”

She turned her head on the bed, her half-hearted smile fairly pathetic. “Oh, you know—reality. It had to come in sometime.”

“Are you sure that’s it?”

“Yes. The joys of a family business mean no hooky days. I should have known better.” She sat up and stood with a gusty sigh. “I’m going to take a quick shower. I hate to cut our day short.”

“It’s fine.”

She brushed an absent kiss on his cheek.

He curled his fingers around her wrist to stop her. “Is there anything I can do?”

“You’re doing it. Or you did it.” She gave him a soft smile and slipped away from him. “I’ll be out in a few.”

He pulled on a T-shirt and jeans, snaking a belt through the loops as he went downstairs. He pulled out his French press and made some hair-of-the-dog coffee. Unsure if she liked it quite as high octane as he did, he grabbed the small creamer he kept in the fridge for guests and a few packets of sweetener and headed back upstairs.

She was out of the shower, her hair a wet and wavy fall of burnished sunlight between her bare shoulder blades. She had her little white shorts back on, but nothing else. Damn, she was gorgeous. Effortlessly pretty in a way that he hadn’t had in his life in a good long time.

Most of the women he’d ended up with were all about presentation. None of them could get ready in less than ten minutes.

He leaned on the archway into his loft. “Thought you might like a little fuel.”

She turned to him, the pink tips of her breasts peeking from her crossed arms. He set the travel mugs, creamer, and sugars down on the table before crossing to her.

“Un-uh.” She turned away from him. “No way do I have time for that look.”

“What look?”

“The look that says ‘Presley should be naked’.”

“No, this is my ‘Goldieshould be naked’ look.”

He slid his hands around her waist and drew her back against his chest. He cupped the gentle curves of each breast, groaning when her nipples tightened against each palm. “I don’t want you hiding yourself.”

She sighed and leaned into his touch. “I’m not. Just trying not to entice you into trying something…well, like this.”

With effort, he dropped his hands back to her shorts, dipping his thumbs into the front band where her snap was before linking his fingers over her zipper. “See, I can behave.”

She rolled her head along his chest. “I really wish I could just spend the day doing exactly what we did last night.”

“Exactly?”

“Especially that thing against the couch arm.”

He snuffled out a half laugh into her hair. “I’m pretty sure you tried to kill me with that position.”

She moaned. “It was really amazing though.”

“Come back here tonight and I’ll attempt to re-create it.” He’d been so deep inside of her that her legs had been shaking in reaction. “Or try harder.”

“Evil man.”

He lifted his hands to her breasts for one more touch, the tips of his fingers tugging at each distended nipple before he pressed a kiss to her neck. “I want you back here tonight, Goldie.”

“I don’t know if I can.” Her moans vibrated under his palms. “I have to pack.”

He stilled. “Pack?”

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