Loving Again(81)

                Might as well get it over with. At least he’d know where he stood.

                He beckoned to her. “Hey, come here, pretty lady.” He rose from the couch, as she got closer.

                “Do you need something?”

                “Yeah, I need you.” He held out his hand. “I put on your favorite Tom Grant CD.”

                “I hear.” She ignored his outstretched hand.

                The sounds of Gold began and he put his arms around her waist. “This sounds like a song you can dance to.”

                “I thought you said … ”

                “ … I wasn’t good at dancing?” He pulled her closer. “I’m not. Except for the slow ones.”

                “Rubbing up against each other while music plays isn’t dancing, Sam.” She rested her hand on his good shoulder.

                “It’s fun, though, don’t you think?”

                She looked sternly at him. “Shouldn’t you be resting instead of dancing? You’re supposed to be recuperating, and the doctor said that meant mostly resting. You promised. I still have the address of that eighty-year-old nurse and she still has a bikini.”

                “I was resting on the couch. Couldn’t get more rest-ier than that.” He nestled her head on his chest. He didn’t want to look at her when he asked what he needed to ask. “I thought I’d check with you one more time … are you really okay with this?”

                “What ‘this’ do you mean? The ‘this’ that you can’t dance or the ‘this’ of your being here?”

                “That one.”

                She pulled back and cocked her head, a puzzled expression on her face that slowly changed to amusement. “Oh, my God, you’re still worried about why I offered to have you move in, aren’t you? I thought you were more secure than that. What happened to my tough cop who couldn’t be brought down by a stupid bad guy?”

                “I’m not so tough when it comes to you, baby.”

                Smiling at him, she put her hands on either side of his face. “I’m not sure whether I’m more flattered or amused that you’re still concerned. But for the record, I want you here because I love you. I’ve loved you for longer than I was willing to admit, even to myself. Then, about the time I finally faced it, it seemed like last year was happening all over again and telling you got lost in trying to keep everything from falling apart again.” Gently she kissed him, nibbling on his lower lip when she ended it, as if reluctant to let go of him.

                “But having you here, I have another chance. So, it’s too bad about the not dancing thing but we can work on that. While you’re here. Because I’m really happy about that. And if it turns out you never go back to your apartment, I’ll be really happy about that, too. Is that the answer you were angling for?”

                He answered without words, capturing her mouth with his. Her lips parted so he could taste her with his tongue. Her back arched, her hips pushed against him. His erection pressed into her as he slid his hands down her back and molded her against him.

                “Any more questions, cowboy?” she whispered as she kissed down his jaw line to his neck.

                “Just one more.” His hand went under her sweater and cupped a breast. He rolled her nipple between his fingers and felt it harden at his touch. “It’s been a while so tell me if I’m wrong, but don’t I start here?”