Holding Strong
Page 113
The next time she got her eyes open, sunlight brightened the room and Denver sat beside her on the bed, holding coffee.
He smiled when she looked at him in confusion. “Sorry, girl, but I think I loved you right into a stupor.”
The mention of love threw her, then she turned her head and saw the time. Still early, thank goodness. “I need to get moving or I’ll be late to work.”
Denver helped her to sit up then handed her the coffee. “You want to get ready here or at your place?”
“Since I don’t have any clothes here, I’ll say home.”
He grinned at her. “Clothes are good—at least when you’re with others. When it’s only us, naked works for me.”
She sipped the coffee and made appreciative sounds. “I thought you would jog this morning.”
His smile went crooked. “Already did that while you recouped.”
“Oh.” Now she felt like a slug.
He tugged the sheet down to view her bare breasts, let out a slow breath, and stood. “It’s going to take some getting used to, having you in my bed.”
A complaint? She had her pride, too, so she lifted her chin. “If you’d rather I didn’t stay over—”
His gaze shot to hers. “You’re right where I want you to be.” Then lower, more to himself than her, he added, “I’ll just have to figure out how to rein it in.”
The rest of the morning went the same way, with Denver touching her repeatedly, kissing her often, saying things that could be taken a dozen different ways. When he dropped her off at work it was almost a relief just to let her brain rest.
The weather was perfect and the kids got to play outside where they burned off some energy, which meant they were more settled when inside, too. It felt like she floated through the day, her happiness a live thing that made her heart beat faster and kept a smile on her face.
She knew Denver had arranged to pick her up from work and when it was finally time to call it a day, she had to resist rushing out to him.
But he didn’t resist. He’d parked at the curb and stood outside his car, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes while he waited for her. The second he saw her she knew, because his teeth showed in a beautiful grin and he started striding toward her.
Oh, she could so easily get used to this.
When they reached each other, his grin settled into a smile. “I assume being we’re surrounded by rugrats and their parents, I probably shouldn’t grab you up and kiss you until you’re talking to me in that hot, husky way, right?”
“Probably not,” she said with disappointment.
“Then as soon as we’re alone.” He took her hand and led her to the car. Two miles down the road he pulled over, put the car in Park and reached for her.
And sure enough, when he let her up for air, her voice was very husky indeed.
After smoothing her hair, he said, “What do you need first? Dinner? Or would you rather head to your place so you can change and gather up whatever you need to spend the night while I check out your car?”
Whatever you need to spend the night. “Um...” Cherry licked her lips. “You’re inviting me to stay over again?”
Pushing the sunglasses to the top of his head, he gave her a heated look that made her stomach flip-flop and her nipples tingle. “Given what I want to do to you, what I hope you’ll do to me, it might be best to have the privacy.”
What a terrific way to convince her. “Okay.”
That slow smile came again. “I love an agreeable woman.”
Again with the love word! “I...”
“You hungry?” he asked as he put the car in gear and pulled back out to the main roadway.
Bemused, she stared at him as she shook her head. “Not right now.”
“Back to the house, then. I’ll check out your ride while you get together enough for a few days.”
Only a few days, she wondered? Damn, but he had her so confused. She had no idea where they stood, if he wanted her over often, or just for the short-term.
“Take a breath, girl.”
She did, sucking in a shuddering lungful of air.
He reached for her hand. “One day at a time, okay?”
It no longer unnerved her, how easily he read her mind. She gave a sharp nod. “Okay.”
During the rest of the drive, Denver asked about her day, about the kids she’d worked with. And he shared his day, telling her that he’d sparred with Leese, how Armie had been invited into the SBC, about the network Cannon had set up within the neighborhood.
“Unfortunately, they didn’t find out anything last night. If anyone has been asking around about you, they’ve been really discreet.”
He smiled when she looked at him in confusion. “Sorry, girl, but I think I loved you right into a stupor.”
The mention of love threw her, then she turned her head and saw the time. Still early, thank goodness. “I need to get moving or I’ll be late to work.”
Denver helped her to sit up then handed her the coffee. “You want to get ready here or at your place?”
“Since I don’t have any clothes here, I’ll say home.”
He grinned at her. “Clothes are good—at least when you’re with others. When it’s only us, naked works for me.”
She sipped the coffee and made appreciative sounds. “I thought you would jog this morning.”
His smile went crooked. “Already did that while you recouped.”
“Oh.” Now she felt like a slug.
He tugged the sheet down to view her bare breasts, let out a slow breath, and stood. “It’s going to take some getting used to, having you in my bed.”
A complaint? She had her pride, too, so she lifted her chin. “If you’d rather I didn’t stay over—”
His gaze shot to hers. “You’re right where I want you to be.” Then lower, more to himself than her, he added, “I’ll just have to figure out how to rein it in.”
The rest of the morning went the same way, with Denver touching her repeatedly, kissing her often, saying things that could be taken a dozen different ways. When he dropped her off at work it was almost a relief just to let her brain rest.
The weather was perfect and the kids got to play outside where they burned off some energy, which meant they were more settled when inside, too. It felt like she floated through the day, her happiness a live thing that made her heart beat faster and kept a smile on her face.
She knew Denver had arranged to pick her up from work and when it was finally time to call it a day, she had to resist rushing out to him.
But he didn’t resist. He’d parked at the curb and stood outside his car, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes while he waited for her. The second he saw her she knew, because his teeth showed in a beautiful grin and he started striding toward her.
Oh, she could so easily get used to this.
When they reached each other, his grin settled into a smile. “I assume being we’re surrounded by rugrats and their parents, I probably shouldn’t grab you up and kiss you until you’re talking to me in that hot, husky way, right?”
“Probably not,” she said with disappointment.
“Then as soon as we’re alone.” He took her hand and led her to the car. Two miles down the road he pulled over, put the car in Park and reached for her.
And sure enough, when he let her up for air, her voice was very husky indeed.
After smoothing her hair, he said, “What do you need first? Dinner? Or would you rather head to your place so you can change and gather up whatever you need to spend the night while I check out your car?”
Whatever you need to spend the night. “Um...” Cherry licked her lips. “You’re inviting me to stay over again?”
Pushing the sunglasses to the top of his head, he gave her a heated look that made her stomach flip-flop and her nipples tingle. “Given what I want to do to you, what I hope you’ll do to me, it might be best to have the privacy.”
What a terrific way to convince her. “Okay.”
That slow smile came again. “I love an agreeable woman.”
Again with the love word! “I...”
“You hungry?” he asked as he put the car in gear and pulled back out to the main roadway.
Bemused, she stared at him as she shook her head. “Not right now.”
“Back to the house, then. I’ll check out your ride while you get together enough for a few days.”
Only a few days, she wondered? Damn, but he had her so confused. She had no idea where they stood, if he wanted her over often, or just for the short-term.
“Take a breath, girl.”
She did, sucking in a shuddering lungful of air.
He reached for her hand. “One day at a time, okay?”
It no longer unnerved her, how easily he read her mind. She gave a sharp nod. “Okay.”
During the rest of the drive, Denver asked about her day, about the kids she’d worked with. And he shared his day, telling her that he’d sparred with Leese, how Armie had been invited into the SBC, about the network Cannon had set up within the neighborhood.
“Unfortunately, they didn’t find out anything last night. If anyone has been asking around about you, they’ve been really discreet.”
