“It’s the only way I can drink it,” she admitted as she rolled the sleeves of his shirt up.
Kaleb set hers down, leaned against the counter, and sipped at his cup. “Ready for me to check over your knees? I see the bandages slipped off.”
Aleena looked down. “Yeah, but they look okay. I don’t think I need any more bandages.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” She pulled on her pants.
She felt his gaze roam over her. She had her long hair twisted up in a towel. She already had her pants on and was tying the ends of his shirt at her waist, trying to keep it up so it wouldn’t fall to her knees.
His gaze took in her tiny bare feet, and little pink toenails to the top of her head. “You are so beautiful.”
Aleena froze as she pulled the towel from her head. She stared at him for a moment. “I … thank you.”
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?” he asked.
She held the towel to her ribs and nodded. “I guess, maybe. It’s just that…”
“Just what, baby?” he asked and tipped his head to the side.
“Coming from you, it sounds different.”
“Good different, or bad?”
“Good. Definitely good.”
He set his cup down and stood in front of her. He cupped her face in his hands, bent, and kissed her a few times. “I’m very glad.”
She held on to his wrist with one hand as she tried to keep her gaze on his face and not the massive chest with a sprinkling of dark hair right in front of her nose.
Kaleb smiled. “Do you want to touch me?”
She bit down on her lip and nodded.
He took the towel from her and set it on the counter. He lifted her hands and flattened them over his chest. “You can touch me whenever you want.”
Her gaze scanned his broad shoulders, the strong tendons in his neck, to his defined pecs.
“You’re beautiful,” she murmured in awe.
Kaleb chuckled. “I’ve never been called that, but coming from you, it makes me feel very good.”
Her hands spread over his chest and slid down to the valleys and hills of his stomach. She’d heard about six-packs on men but had never seen one up close or been able to touch them.
She glanced up at him. “How do you stay in shape?”
“I put in an hour at the gym in the basement of our office building in the mornings before going into the office.”
“I should work out. I walk a little, but it’s not enough.”
“Don’t you have a gym in your building?”
“Yes,” she said and looked down. “I tried it once, but I got weird looks from a couple of guys, and it made me really nervous, so I didn’t go back.”
Kaleb ground his teeth together before he asked. “What were you wearing?”
“A sports bra and leggings.” Her eyes widened when he growled. “What?”
“You were barely dressed.”
“There were a few other women there, and they had on less than me.”
He held her head and looked intently into her eyes. “Never again. Not unless I’m with you. Got it?”
She nodded.
“Good.” He stepped back. “I’m going to take a shower while you’re fixing your hair. Sorry I don’t have everything you need, but I’ll remedy that today.”
“Okay.” Her eyes widened when he turned on the shower, dropped his boxers, and stepped under the water.
His body was muscular all over. His bottom was a work of art. She’d only caught a glimpse of his penis, and it looked big and hard.
“Where do you want to go eat?”
The sound of his voice broke the spell she’d been under. “Oh … I don’t care.”
“Okay, first to your place, breakfast, and then is there anything you’d like to do?”
“We’re going to spend the day together?” she asked.
“If I have my way, we’ll be spending every moment of the day together that we’re not working for a long time.”
Aleena stumbled back against the counter. She gripped the edge with both hands as she tried to come to grips with what he was telling her.
“I… Don’t you think it’s too soon to talk like that?” she stuttered.
The shower shut off. Kaleb opened the shower door and reached for a towel. He wrapped it around his waist before going to stand in front of her.
“No, I don’t think it’s too soon because of how strongly I feel toward you. I know you feel something for me, but can you see yourself with me?”
Aleena nodded slowly. “Yes, but still, I don’t want to rush things.”
He combed through her damp, tousled hair with the fingers of one hand.
“We’ll take it day by day, but I’d rather not go a day without you and a night without holding you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You want to sleep together?”
He grinned. “Sometimes. And sometimes, when you’re ready, I want to make love to you and then sleep.”
She stiffened. She didn’t know when she’d be ready for sex.
“Not right away,” he assured her. “We’ll take that step when you feel comfortable.”
She exhaled and nodded. “Okay.”
“Good. Let me get dressed so we can go. Drink your coffee while you wait.”
She picked up her cup and sipped it. It was pretty good. He put some kind of hazelnut cream in it. She didn’t usually have coffee because it made her jittery, but she was still moving a bit sluggishly.
Kaleb came out of the closet, tucking his short-sleeved shirt into his soft-looking, faded jeans. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s get your shoes on and go.”
Chapter Seven
Aleena glanced at him several times as he drove them across town. He was always touching her in some way. On the drive, he held her hand the whole time.
They rode
