…
“I didn’t think you had it in you,” Clara said as they unlocked the front door. “Dancing for hours. Look at you.”
“I couldn’t disappoint on our first date, could I? Besides, I had to make you forget about Tim.”
“Poor Todd. I’ll have to let him know there won’t be a second date.”
“No?” he asked, kissing her neck from behind.
“Though maybe I should thank him. A little dose of jealousy seems to have done wonders for you.”
“I wasn’t jealous.”
“Sure.” She glanced over her shoulder.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not much.”
“Uh-huh.” She pushed the door open and walked inside.
“Welcome home,” Emily said, coming into the hall. “How was your night?”
“Very fun,” she replied. “How was Hunter?”
“Good as gold and now sleeping like an angel.”
“Thanks for watching him,” Walker said.
“It wasn’t any trouble.” She glanced at her watch. “Though I should be off. The baby monitor is on in the living room.”
“Thanks again for the help,” Clara said as Emily tossed her coat on and opened the door.
“Anytime,” she said before slipping from the penthouse.
Clara stared at the closed door behind her for a moment. With Emily gone and Hunter settled, there was no one to interrupt them again.
Take things slow. This is all new territory. You don’t have to rush into anything.
Except she really wanted to rush with every fiber of her being.
Walker leaned back against the hall table, watching her.
“We should probably, uh, go to bed,” she said.
The corner of his mouth quirked. “No arguments here.”
“I meant our own beds.”
“Did you?”
She opened her mouth and closed it, feeling adrift. As if sensing her unease, he took pity on her and pushed himself off the table. “The way I see it we have two options.”
“Which are?”
“Option one, we say good night, go to our separate rooms, and take this slowly.”
“Or option two?” she whispered.
He reached out to cup her face, pulling her close for a searing kiss. “We do that. A lot. Personally, I vote for option two,” he murmured against her lips.
“You’re a persuasive negotiator.”
“It’s how I made my millions.”
She pressed her hand to his chest, feeling the hard planes beneath her palm.
“Grab the baby monitor,” she said.
His grin widened as he left her long enough to get it from the living room. Returning to the hall, he stopped at the foot of the stairs and held out a hand to her.
Make your choice. Do you want to jump down the rabbit hole? It might lead to heartbreak.
But some things were worth a little pain.
Crossing to him, she slipped her hand into his.
Together they climbed in silence. When they reached the upper landing, she pulled him toward her room and away from the sleeping baby.
She backed into the bedroom, pulling him with her. Moonlight streamed through the wide windows she hadn’t drawn the curtains over, so she didn’t bother with the light switch. As much as she wanted this, darkness gave her confidence.
Walker closed the door behind them and set the monitor by the bed. When he turned back to her, she couldn’t hide the shiver that raced down her spine. There was no denying the naked lust on his face, and she could barely believe it was for her. All her.
His gaze ran down her body with a slow thoroughness that left her breathless.
“See something you like?” she asked.
“Sweetheart, you have no idea.”
“Just so you know, the feeling is entirely mutual.”
“Really?” With a grin, he reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his head. “How about now?”
Her mouth went bone dry at the sight of his naked chest.
“Oh yeah,” she purred. “Much better.”
In fact, the sight of him went a long way toward banishing her nerves. Walker never hesitated to go after what he wanted. Maybe tonight she could take a page from his book and just enjoy the ride, to hell with the consequences.
If all they’d get was one night, she’d make the most of every second of it.
“Two can play this game,” she said.
And reached for the zipper at the back of her dress.
…
Had he ever seen anything as beautiful as Clara?
She pulled her hair over one shoulder to unzip herself, and Walker could barely hold still as the material around her shoulders gapped.
There was no uncertainty as she wiggled her curvy body and sent the navy dress he’d drooled over tumbling to the floor.
“Damn,” he breathed as her body came into view for the first time.