“I know I can be pushy,” she said, still explaining herself. “I have these big feelings for you and they make me clumsy. When I couldn’t do anything with them, it made me sad. Everything about what I feel for you is new to me. I don’t know what I’m doing. I know the celebrity thing is a headache, already a lot to deal with, I didn’t and I don’t want to push you—”
“You’re not going to push me away,” I whispered firmly, easing her back on the sleeping bags. I gripped her wrists, holding them trapped on either side of her as I planked above. I fit my knee between her legs, but applied no pressure. “And you being a celebrity isn’t going to scare me off. I know I’ll have to share you, I know. And I’m coming to terms with it. I want to be someone who builds you up, not someone you have to worry over. Don’t worry about me.”
“I can’t help it.”
“You have to trust me. I trusted you, when you said this thing between us wasn’t temporary. No amount of celebrity headaches or you telling me how you feel is going to send me running.”
How could she think that?
Sienna gathered a deep breath, her breasts pressing against my chest for the barest of moments. “I won’t ask you to cross your line.”
“I appreciate that, but you should know—”
“But I will do things that make keeping your vow difficult. And I might or might not do them on purpose.”
I smiled. Despite the anxiety and worry in her tone, her last statement sounded like a threat.
A sexy and enticing threat.
I lowered to sweep a quick kiss over her lips. “I look forward to these things you might or might not do on purpose. Thank you for warning me. Now you got to promise me that you won’t be afraid, that you’ll tell me what you’re thinking, no matter what.”
“I promise.” She made the promise on a sigh, and I felt the tension ease where I held her wrists.
I kissed her once more, sucking her bottom lip between mine. I loved how she tasted, sweetness and sunshine.
“Good,” I said, then sat up on my knees and grabbed the pillows lining the left side of the bed. “Now, let’s get going.”
“Uh . . . we’re going?”
“Yes. No need to fold up the sleeping bags.” I stood and jumped down to the ground, crossing back to the driver’s side door. “We can just stuff them in the back.”
She grabbed the side rail and shimmied over, as close as she could get to me while still kneeling in the truck bed. “So, now you don’t want my papaya?” She sounded confused and aggrieved.
I chuckled. “Oh, no. I very much want your papaya. And I want you sitting on my face while I take my time with your papaya, like you promised.”
“Then why are we leaving?”
“Because your bed back at the cabin will be more comfortable than these sleeping bags. And if I need to get used to people being around to hear your screams of ecstasy,” I shrugged, unable to contain my grin, “then we might as well get started right now.”
We made it back to the cabin in record time and I had papaya before going to bed.
Then I stayed the night and held her.
And then I had papaya again before breakfast.
Best. Papaya. Ever.
But it was more. She was more. So much more. Was it because of five years of celibacy or because of the woman herself? Has to be the woman. How had she doubted my feelings for her? Pleasing her—my woman—cherishing her, loving her had no comparison. Satisfaction, desire, fulfillment were woefully inadequate words. So responsive. So incredible. So . . . mine.
I drifted downstairs with a big smile on my face after 10:00 a.m., leaving Sienna in her room. She was asleep again. Naked. Leaving her had been difficult, but I knew she’d wake up hungry. My plan was to drive over to Daisy’s Nut House, pick up doughnuts and caffeine before she woke up, then keep her in bed all day. Naked.
But the smell and sounds of freshly brewing coffee had me stopping in my tracks as I passed the kitchen.
I glanced inside. Dave and Tim were sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper. I spotted an open box of doughnuts on the counter. Chances were, both Dave and Tim had heard Sienna last night. Likely, they’d also heard her this morning.
So I walked into the kitchen.
“Hey, these doughnuts spoken for? Or can I steal a few?”
Dave looked up from his paper and didn’t appear even a little bit surprised to see me. “No, no. Take as many as you want.”
“Yeah. We picked up extra on purpose. From the sound of things, you two are probably hungry,” Tim added, giving me a knowing smile.
It wasn’t lascivious.
It was just knowing.