“I thinkI’ve changed this last year.” His fingers returned to twisting her silky hair.“I’ve done degenerate, and I’m here to tell you I’m over it. I don’t want it.” Ijust want you.
Shelooked at him as though she was trying to solve a puzzle, as if she was weighingwhether or not to believe him. “It’ll be an adjustment going back to Denver.”
Fuck!She’s not thinking we go back to “just friends,” is she? Something akin to panic rose upin him. “I want to keep this going, don’t you?”
“It’s …it’s not that easy.”
Herolled to his side and faced her. “What do you mean, it’s not that easy? It’sonly hard if we make it hard.”
“I keepthinking I should give myself more time.”
Atoothy green monster rocketed up from his gut. “Why? Do you want to see otherpeople? Say what you mean, Andie.”
Thethought of anyone touching her, of her touching anyone—especially theway she touched him—lit him up like that one crazy neighbor’s Christmasdisplay every neighborhood had. He hadn’t minded before when girlfriends fuckedaround, as long as there was a quid pro quo. Of course, he’d spent thoserelationships—if you could even call them that—in a drug-indulged stupor, buteven in the cold soberness of daylight, that shit had never come back to chewat him. There was always the next girl, and the next. They wereinterchangeable. Andie was not.
Hedidn’t want anyone else, and he sure as hell didn’t want her with anyoneelse. Picturing it made his guts greasy.
“That’snot what I meant, Beck. I’m talking about space to figure my life out. Thethought of going out with other people is …” Her face puckered like she’dsucked on a lemon, and her shoulders shimmied.
“Good.Keep it that way. You have your hands full as it is … being a tiger tamer.”
Herquizzical look returned.
“Youtamed Tyrone, right?” he said before she could spit out whatever might be onthe tip of her tongue.
To hisgreat relief, her expression eased into a half-smile. “I wouldn’t have dreamtof trying to tame Tyrone, and he was docile to begin with. Domesticating a wildbeast like you would be an even bigger challenge, and I’m not sure my ego isrobust enough to withstand your adoring female fans.”
“You’rethe only fan I care about. You are a fan, right?”
“Oh,most definitely. Especially of this.” She waved her hand between them.
Hepulled her to him and kissed her slowly, thoroughly. She tasted like peachnectar, and he lingered, savoring her tongue and her sweet lips.
“Wildbeast, huh?” he murmured into her mouth. “You’re pretty wild yourself.”
“Hmm,”she said. “I see where this is headed. Maybe we each need a little something tokeep up our strength.”
“I likethe sound of that. And I like these.” He slid back the covers, pushed her onher back, and teased her beautiful bare breasts with his tongue.
Shegiggled, ruffling his hair. “Careful, buster. You’re playing with fire.”
“That’sthe idea. Don’t go away.”
Herolled out of bed and pulled on his flannel pants, then treaded to the kitchen.In the midst of making PBJs, his computer chimed. Internet must be workingagain. On his way back to the bedroom, he paused to scan the screen. Hisheart rate accelerated. Placing plates heaped with sandwiches on the table, heslid into a chair, opening an email. He moved on to a couple more.
He wassending replies when she called out, “Is my beast lost in the wilderness outthere?”
“Beright in,” he hollered back.
“I’mgetting cold.”
“Can’thave that. Your warmer-upper’s on his way. Better get ready.” He picked up theplates and hurried back to bed.
“Whatwere you doing?”
Hehanded her a sandwich before taking a chomp of his own. “Setting my plans toreturn to Denver with you tomorrow.”
“What?”
“Got anemail from the PD. Long story short, Jackie was caught trying to sneak out of thecountry. She’s being extradited back to Colorado. Annnd turns out Dad, Marion,Cooper, and Emily are blowing through town this weekend, and we’re havingdinner together Friday. I’d like you to meet them.”
“ButT.J.’s still using his place.”
Heshrugged. “I can always grab a hotel.”
Sheseemed to appraise him. “I have a guest room you can use.”
Hearched his eyebrows. “Yes, you do. If I’m a good boy, will you upgrade me toyour room?”
“We’llsee,” she teased. “Might take some convincing.”
Herelieved her of her half-eaten sandwich, setting it on the table. Then hepulled the covers off her and gathered her up in his arms. “I’ll start on itright now.”
CHAPTER 26
Ahead of Myself
“Triceps for four,” the instructor on the video announcedcheerily. Paige lay on her back on her living room floor, head turned towardthe TV as she bent her elbow and lowered the pink barbell to her shoulder. Up,down. Up, down. How can she smile, heft these things, and not even breathehard?
“Bridge,”the instructor sang out, and Paige lowered her arm while obediently raising herhips off the floor in time with the happy, impossibly thin, bouncing workoutgirls on the TV. Once, twice, three times. Eyes still glued to the screen, shejolted when something big straddled her, and her fourth rise slammed her hipsinto said something big.
Aboveher, his beefy arms bracketing her shoulders, Beckett was in mid-pushup, a grinplastered on his face as he lowered his body to the floor atop hers. He shotback up, hefting his bulk on his arms. And down again.
“Bridge,”he called out in a falsetto, sounding nothing like the video instructor. Hislight blue eyes twinkled, and perspiration glazed his forehead. And his neck.And his taut, well-defined biceps. And doubtless the sculpted pecs flexingbeneath his sweat-stained T-shirt. “C’mon, get those hips up!”
Paigegulped air. “I can’t! I’m laughing too hard.”
“Noexcuses,” he barked. With each downward swoop, he pressed his lower bodyagainst hers a little harder. Was that …? Yes, that was growing harder witheach pass too.
“You’reall sweaty!” she laughed, pushing against his shoulders as he lowered himselfagain. This time, he didn’t rise up, locking his lips on her neck instead.
“I’dlike to get a whole lot sweatier,” he mumbled as he kissed and nibbled, sendingshards of pure pleasure to her core. “Then you can lather me up in the shower.”His voice had grown husky, and he was trailing hot kisses along her throat,down her chest, as he balanced himself on both elbows in a
