“Stripper pole.”
He laughed and kissed her hair. “Sorry to disappoint. For you, I would have one installed, trust me. The possibilities are fascinating.”
She smiled against his shoulder. Surprisingly, the idea of putting herself on display for him like that didn’t horrify her in the least. How could it when they’d shared so much?
“I don’t bring women here,” he said.
“Could have fooled me.”
“You’re actually the first woman I’ve had here since Maddy came to live with me. I got used to conducting my affairs away from my home. I don’t even have them in my own hotels.”
“Why is that?”
His body tensed slightly. “Probably for the same reason we both live alone.”
“Then why … why did you bring me here?”
He shrugged. “You’re different. I know you. I was feeling very impatient.”
Her stomach tightened. His words thrilled her and scared her. She was different. He knew her. He had brought her back to his apartment, a place he didn’t bring other women.
She wasn’t supposed to be different. She was supposed to be another in a long string of purely physical affairs, a woman he wouldn’t want anything from. And she was supposed to feel the same way about him. He wasn’t supposed to matter.
Of course she liked him, but there couldn’t be anything beyond that.
She should get up. Get dressed and go home. He would probably expect it. He should expect it. It was different when they were both staying in Thailand. But here in San Diego they both had their own houses, their own space.
But he was still cradling her against his chest, and for some reason, even though he was the source of her fear, he was also a source of comfort. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. Nothing had changed. It was just a part of their fling. It couldn’t be anything more.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“I THOUGHT you could use some.” Gage held a mug of coffee out to Lily and she sat up straighter in the bed, letting the covers fall around her waist.
“Thank you,” she said, taking it and inhaling the heavenly scent. She was such an addict, but at least he understood. Understood and shared in it.
It was an interesting reversal of their morning routine. And an interesting setting for it. She’d always thought there was an undercurrent of domesticity in their office routine, but this took it to a whole new level.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his own mug in hand, dressed only in a pair of jeans, his chest still bare. There were certain aspects of this that were a definite improvement to their office mornings.
“What are your plans for the day?” she asked, a little embarrassed once the question had escaped. Was it really any of her business what he was doing? It wasn’t a workday and they didn’t have a real relationship.
“Nothing. A total rarity. Usually I try to visit Maddy on Sunday, but she’s still in Switzerland, and having a lot of fun. She says she’s been totally untouched by the scandal there.”
“That’s great, Gage.” She could see the relief on his face and it made her feel the same feeling, swelling inside of her. She knew how much he loved Maddy, knew even more now. She felt as though she could feel his emotions sometimes, as though her own matched his.
Gage was enjoying Lily’s newfound boldness in bed. Even now she was sitting up with her breasts bare, acting as though she hardly noticed. He noticed. She was truly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen naked. And he’d seen his share.
Usually, after a few encounters, the mystery had worn off and he wasn’t as captivated by his lover’s beauty. Or, as was the case when plastic surgery was involved, sometimes a woman actually looked better in her clothes than out of them.
But not Lily. She fascinated him. Clothed or naked, dressed up, or in a bikini.
He kept waiting to regret bringing her back to his apartment, letting her into his personal space. But it hadn’t hit him yet. It felt better, having her here than it would have felt taking her to an anonymous hotel and having sex with her on a bed that was there almost solely for that purpose.
It had never bothered him before. That was how he’d always conducted his affairs. If it weren’t for those years raising his sister, his room may very well have ended up with a stripper pole in it. But he had raised his sister, and that had changed things. It had likely changed some things for the better.
He didn’t know what was happening with Lily. Didn’t want to know why it felt right to have her in his home, when he had never wanted to bring another woman here before. Didn’t want to know what it meant that he couldn’t imagine ever tiring of her.