Tough Love
Page 46
She took the question seriously, then relaxed. “I think we were so good together that you want a repeat.”
“Right in one.” He turned to the cabinets. “Where are your mugs?”
Stepping around him, she went on tiptoe and got down two.
His gaze on her long legs and bottom, Stack smiled. “For a show like this, I’d drink coffee every morning.”
She flashed him a smile. “Cream or sugar?”
“Black is good.” Caffeine wasn’t really in his menu plan. No reason to really blow it.
“Me, too.”
Another surprise. He’d figured her for a cream-and-sugar type. Ms. Baker was one revelation after another. The one last night, though, wanting sex without a condom...that had been a biggie. Even now, he could feel the heat of her, how she’d clasped his cock, the sweet wetness as her excitement escalated.
“Damn.”
While filling the mugs, she peeked at him over her shoulder. “What?”
“Sex stuff.” He nodded at her body. “Just remembering.”
She sighed. “Me, too.”
He waited until they were both seated before he verbally circled back around to seeing her again. “What are you doing later?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Mostly working.”
That didn’t sound like too much of a barrier. He knew she helped out Yvette by working some hours at the resale shop, especially now, with Yvette a newlywed. “When do you finish up?”
“I’m taking Yvette’s shift from eight to two. Then I have an hour to grab food and run some errands before I have to...be at my other job.”
Other job? And why did she look away before saying that? She appeared...well, not guilty so much as evasive. “Two jobs?”
She swallowed her coffee, fidgeted and murmured something low.
“What’s that?”
Huffing, she set her coffee aside. “Three jobs. Officially, that is. But I usually only work about twenty hours for Yvette. The other jobs...” She shrugged. “They vary.”
“Three.” Once again she’d taken him by surprise. Hadn’t she claimed to be rich? Why would a woman her age, with supposed unlimited means, bog herself down like that? “Want to tell me why?”
“I like helping Yvette. She’s my best friend. Like a sister, even.”
While thinking it through, he nodded, accepting that. “She and Cannon deserve a week off.”
“You and some of the others are filling in for Cannon?”
“Where we can.”
“That’s so—”
To keep her from calling him sweet again, he interrupted. “And the other jobs? What are they, anyway?”
Heat warmed her cheeks. Just then the dogs demanded to be let back in, so she was off the hook—temporarily—while they refilled the water and food dishes and took a few minutes to show the dogs some love.
It was nice, how easily Vanity accepted them, including wet paws, shedding fur and sloppy dog kisses. She took genuine pleasure in them, and it showed. In return, the dogs adored her.
When they went off to nap in the rays of the rising sun, he pulled Vanity into his lap. She started to kiss him, but he forestalled that by saying, “Jobs.”
“It’s boring stuff.” She rubbed the backs of her knuckles over his bristly jaw, creating a rasp in the quiet morning. “I like you all macho like this.”
“Beard shadow is macho?”
“Mmm.” She traced his lips with one fingertip. “You’re macho. And sexy. And—”
“And you’re dodging,” he interrupted before he caved, laid her on the table and took those boner-inspiring panties off her. “I have to wonder why.”
Pretending to crumple in frustration, she fell back and left Stack to catch her. Which he laughingly did.
Then, to secure his hold, he rearranged her so that she straddled his lap. Nice. Enjoying the sight of her slender thighs opened around him, cushioned by his hairier legs, he almost got sidetracked.
“I’m trying to seduce you, and you want to talk about my work.”
That brought him back around. “Tell me about the jobs, and then you can seduce me.”
She perked up. “Seriously? Do we have time?”
A glance at the wall clock showed he’d be cutting it close. “For a quickie, maybe. But only if you quit stalling.”
That must’ve been incentive enough because she blew out a breath and said, “Fine. But it’s not a big deal, so don’t make it into one, okay?”
“Right in one.” He turned to the cabinets. “Where are your mugs?”
Stepping around him, she went on tiptoe and got down two.
His gaze on her long legs and bottom, Stack smiled. “For a show like this, I’d drink coffee every morning.”
She flashed him a smile. “Cream or sugar?”
“Black is good.” Caffeine wasn’t really in his menu plan. No reason to really blow it.
“Me, too.”
Another surprise. He’d figured her for a cream-and-sugar type. Ms. Baker was one revelation after another. The one last night, though, wanting sex without a condom...that had been a biggie. Even now, he could feel the heat of her, how she’d clasped his cock, the sweet wetness as her excitement escalated.
“Damn.”
While filling the mugs, she peeked at him over her shoulder. “What?”
“Sex stuff.” He nodded at her body. “Just remembering.”
She sighed. “Me, too.”
He waited until they were both seated before he verbally circled back around to seeing her again. “What are you doing later?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Mostly working.”
That didn’t sound like too much of a barrier. He knew she helped out Yvette by working some hours at the resale shop, especially now, with Yvette a newlywed. “When do you finish up?”
“I’m taking Yvette’s shift from eight to two. Then I have an hour to grab food and run some errands before I have to...be at my other job.”
Other job? And why did she look away before saying that? She appeared...well, not guilty so much as evasive. “Two jobs?”
She swallowed her coffee, fidgeted and murmured something low.
“What’s that?”
Huffing, she set her coffee aside. “Three jobs. Officially, that is. But I usually only work about twenty hours for Yvette. The other jobs...” She shrugged. “They vary.”
“Three.” Once again she’d taken him by surprise. Hadn’t she claimed to be rich? Why would a woman her age, with supposed unlimited means, bog herself down like that? “Want to tell me why?”
“I like helping Yvette. She’s my best friend. Like a sister, even.”
While thinking it through, he nodded, accepting that. “She and Cannon deserve a week off.”
“You and some of the others are filling in for Cannon?”
“Where we can.”
“That’s so—”
To keep her from calling him sweet again, he interrupted. “And the other jobs? What are they, anyway?”
Heat warmed her cheeks. Just then the dogs demanded to be let back in, so she was off the hook—temporarily—while they refilled the water and food dishes and took a few minutes to show the dogs some love.
It was nice, how easily Vanity accepted them, including wet paws, shedding fur and sloppy dog kisses. She took genuine pleasure in them, and it showed. In return, the dogs adored her.
When they went off to nap in the rays of the rising sun, he pulled Vanity into his lap. She started to kiss him, but he forestalled that by saying, “Jobs.”
“It’s boring stuff.” She rubbed the backs of her knuckles over his bristly jaw, creating a rasp in the quiet morning. “I like you all macho like this.”
“Beard shadow is macho?”
“Mmm.” She traced his lips with one fingertip. “You’re macho. And sexy. And—”
“And you’re dodging,” he interrupted before he caved, laid her on the table and took those boner-inspiring panties off her. “I have to wonder why.”
Pretending to crumple in frustration, she fell back and left Stack to catch her. Which he laughingly did.
Then, to secure his hold, he rearranged her so that she straddled his lap. Nice. Enjoying the sight of her slender thighs opened around him, cushioned by his hairier legs, he almost got sidetracked.
“I’m trying to seduce you, and you want to talk about my work.”
That brought him back around. “Tell me about the jobs, and then you can seduce me.”
She perked up. “Seriously? Do we have time?”
A glance at the wall clock showed he’d be cutting it close. “For a quickie, maybe. But only if you quit stalling.”
That must’ve been incentive enough because she blew out a breath and said, “Fine. But it’s not a big deal, so don’t make it into one, okay?”
