Lorelei James
“Expensive. Lord. Why do I have so many nephews and nieces? I limited myself to spending ten bucks on each kid and I still walked out two hundred dollars poorer.”
“You love them and you’re not really complaining.”
Keely smiled. “How true.”
“Would you rather I face you or sit behind you?”
That question made her eyes fly open. Oh wow. Jack was totally, gloriously, buck-assed nekkid.
Totally, gloriously, buck-assed nekkid and fully aroused. And holding two beers. He really was the perfect man. She scooted forward, splashing water everywhere. “You can sit behind me.”
“Somehow I thought you might say that.”
Jack handed Keely the beer. When he stretched out in the tub, she was enveloped in his substantial presence—all muscles and heat and hot, hard man.
Definitely not getting over him any time soon.
She situated herself between his thighs. Her spine pressed into his chest. Her head seemed to fit in the curve of his neck perfectly.
He’d dimmed the overhead lights and the lamps from the bedroom offered a golden illumination. Had Jack meant the setting to drip of romance? Probably not.
Jack’s free hand gently stroked her arm as it rested on the edge of the tub.
He sipped. She sipped. The water had cooled. She lifted her foot and cranked the hot water tap with her toes. After it’d warmed, she slumped back against him.
“What talented toes you have, Miz McKay.”
“Only trick I can do with them, unfortunately.”
“Pity. I was hoping you could juggle.”
“Sadly, I never learned to juggle. How about you?”
“I used to juggle. Haven’t tried it in years.”
“I imagine it’s a lot like riding a bicycle.”
“Maybe.”
“Would you try to juggle for me?”
“Would it turn you on?”
“Most likely. Everything you do turns me on, Jack.” Dammit. Why had she said that?
“Then absolutely I’ll juggle for you.” Jack kissed the slope of her shoulder and her skin broke out in goose flesh. “Have I mentioned how much I love this section of your skin?”
He repeatedly dragged openmouthed kisses over the bared flesh. Prickles of goose bumps followed in the wake of his marauding mouth. “You’re so responsive to me,” he murmured.
“Jack. God. Stop.”
“Stop?”
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All Jacked Up
“For now. I really was liking bein’ nekkid with you in the tub, relaxing, drinking our very tasty, very expensive beer.”
“Mmm. Me too.” Jack flicked his tongue up the cord in her neck. “But once the beer is gone, you’re mine.”
Promise?
Dammit, Keely. Don’t go there.
For a long while they didn’t speak, just continued floating together in relaxation.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Jack said softly.
“I’m thinking about you.”
“What about me?”
“That there’s a lot I don’t know about you.”
“Ask me anything.” He pressed a kiss by her temple. “My life is an open book for you.”
Keely bit back the obvious How do you feel about me? question and blurted, “Have you traveled to Europe since your career is all about studying architectural details?”
He skimmed his fingers across the surface of the water. “No, I haven’t. Never really wanted to, to be real honest.”
“Why not?”
“I travel a lot as it is. So for me, the perfect vacation wouldn’t involve any travel. No sightseeing.
None of that typical tourist stuff.”
“You’d prefer one of those ‘stay-cations’ people on the coasts talk about?”
“Spending a week in my condo would never be considered a vacation,” he said dryly.
“Your bed is comfy.”
“I’d be all over a stay-cation if you were in my bed for a solid week, cowgirl.”
Keely nipped her teeth into his jaw. “Smartass. I’m serious. So…since we’re pretending to be engaged, where would you take me on our pretend honeymoon?”
“A private island. Where the sun is hot, the sand is soft, the water is warm and clothing is optional.
There’s no one around but us. Two solid weeks of alone time, doing whatever struck our fancy.”
“I’d be well versed in getting sand out of my ba-jingo.”
“Ba-jingo?” Jack murmured in her ear. “I knew you watched TV. Eliot on Scrubs is the only one I’ve ever heard use the word ba-jingo.”
She smiled. “Busted. After AJ married Cord, I spent hours wallowing in reruns on TBS and figuring out what to do with my life.”