His eyes dipped to her breasts, those magnificent breasts he’d always loved. They seemed to swell in front of his eyes. “Are your breasts already more sensitive?” he asked before he could stop himself.
“A little.” Her response was husky. “It’s just the start.”
Cock rigid, Abe nonetheless wanted to quiz her about her sudden invitation. Don’t be an idiot. It was a ringing slap from the part of him that knew the physical stuff between them had never been just sex… no matter what Sarah might believe.
After driving to her place, he parked inside her garage beside her little red car.
He’d have hauled her into a kiss the instant they walked into the house, but he wasn’t in charge today; this was Sarah’s show. She greeted an excited Flossie and made sure the dog was happy to play outside before she led him to the bedroom, kicked off her heels, then placed her purse neatly on the vanity.
Sarah always had a purse with her, and it always had some cash in it along with a credit card and her phone. He remembered how they’d once gone to a party to celebrate a close friend’s birthday, and in the rush to leave, she’d forgotten her purse at home. She’d remembered halfway to their destination, asked him to go back; he’d tried but it had proved impossible in the traffic.
That was the day he’d realized how badly Sarah needed the security blanket of her purse. She’d been near tears by the time they arrived at the party, had only seemed to breathe again after he gave her his wallet and phone, told her to look after them both. That was one time he hadn’t been an asshole to her. He’d kept her tucked close to his side all night, taken her home as soon as he could without it being an insult to their hosts.
And he’d started to understand that Sarah didn’t just need a little cash at hand—usually all it was was a fifty. She needed a phone too. Where Sarah went, so did her phone and enough cash to get her home. The purses were vehicles for those two things, but they also just made her happy, as beautiful musical instruments made him.
“You still hoarding purses?” Having kicked off his own shoes and socks, he sprawled on the bed with his legs stretched out, body braced on his elbows.
A sheepish look from the only woman who’d ever gotten to the heart of him. “I can’t help myself,” she admitted as she removed the pearl necklace he recognized from their wedding.
She’d been a magnificent bride, statuesque and with an innate sense of presence he didn’t think she’d ever realized about herself. He remembered how she’d glowed—and he remembered what they’d done to each other in bed that night, her body arching under his caressing hand and her arms holding him possessively close.
“Yeah?” His voice was rough. “How many in your collection now?”
That was another thing he hadn’t been an asshole about: he’d bought her as many purses as she wanted, had often come home from tour with three or four that he’d picked up along the way. It would’ve been better had he taken her with him so she could choose her own favorites, but that was done. Abe wouldn’t excuse his behavior or forgive himself for it, but he intended to do better now.
Sarah looked so guilty right then that he chuckled, his chest going all tight. “I bet if I hunt around this house, I’ll find a dedicated purse room.”
“No comment.” A sudden, dazzling smile that caught him right in the solar plexus. “Don’t tease me. You were such an enabler.”
He grinned past the emotions crashing through him… and Sarah reached back to undo her zipper. “Let me.” He wanted to adore her, seduce her, addict her.
She hesitated for a taut second before dropping her hands.
He rose to go stand at her back, then kissed the bare skin of her exposed nape, her hair up in a sleek knot.
Sarah shivered. Her skin was warm and toned and flawless under his lips, her curves just made for his big hands. Quickly unzipping and pushing off her dress because he loved Sarah naked, he let her step out of the dress, then unhooked the black lace of her bra.
It joined the dress on the floor.
Out of patience, he cupped the heavy weight of her breasts from behind, rubbing his thumbs over the swollen nipples that had always been sensitive. When she cried out, he petted her breasts, whispered, “I’ll be careful.” It was a sensual promise. “Treat you so well, Sarah.” A kiss to her throat, her body melting back into his.
His cock pulsed.
Shuddering, he moved his hands from her breasts and down her body. Splaying the fingers of one hand over her abdomen, he slid his other one into the lace and satin of her panties. One arm rising to hook around the back of his neck, Sarah rasped his name. It was as if she’d clasped his cock in those long, capable fingers of hers, squeezed.