The problem was, he’d rather spend the day with Lydia than meet his father’s new bride and her daughter.
At least there’d be food and hopefully booze.
His bedmate stirred, breathing in deeply, before letting it out in a sleepy sigh.
Beneath the covers, she straightened one bent leg. At the same time she reached one arm above her head. She groaned with the stretch that had the sheet slipping down to expose her bare breast.
He watched the action, enjoying it immensely. Reaching out to lay his hand on her hip, he said, “Good morning.”
With another sleepy groan, she rolled to face him. “You’re awake.”
“I certainly am.” He smiled and pressed against her leg to prove how awake he was.
Her eyes widened, which only made him smile wider.
He couldn’t remember a time a girl he’d had sex with had entertained him so, especially after the act was done. Just her reactions to him alone were an unending source of amusement.
Time for both of them to enjoy being together some more. He rolled on top of her. She was obviously on board with his plan. She spread her legs and wrapped them around his hips, making it very easy to rock into her.
Lazy morning sex—this was definitely something he could get used to starting the day with.
He enjoyed it so much, he didn’t last as long as he would have liked or long enough for her to come. It was barely a couple of minutes before he felt the point of no return and he finished with a full body trembling release. He stayed inside and enjoyed her warmth until he slipped out and had no choice but to admit it was over.
As he rolled off Lydia, he decided he’d make up for the quickie in a little while. After a nice hot shower. Or during. Either way. He still had time.
Lydia turned her head to see him. “You’re . . . energetic for so early.”
“It’s not all that early.” Mack lifted a brow. “And is that a complaint?”
“No. Just an observation.”
“I’ve got a place where it will be easier for you to observe.” He rolled to the edge of the mattress and stood. Walking around the bed to her side, he reached down to pull her upright by one hand. “Come on.”
Those big brown eyes widened again. “Where are we going?”
“The shower.” He had plans for that massaging shower head he had a feeling she’d enjoy.
She clung to the sheet with her free hand, trying to keep it wrapped around herself as he hoisted her to her feet.
Unfortunately, that sheet hid some of his favorite parts of her body. Once they were in the shower, that wouldn’t be so.
He tugged her behind him toward the bathroom as she continued to clutch the sheet to her chest, insuring she was taking it with her. He’d let her have her security blanket for a little while longer but not for too long.
Smiling, he knew he’d win in the end. She could drag that thing with her all the way to the bathroom, but not into the shower stall. There, he’d have access to every inch of her slick, wet body.
A shiver ran down his spine as he imagined sliding into her beneath the hot spray of water, her body gripping his as she came.
Yeah, he was definitely up for some shower sex. As soon as he got his soapy hands on her, she would be too.
CHAPTER 6
“So . . . ” Lydia glanced down, grinding the toe of her shoe into the bedroom carpet. “I guess I should get going.”
She’d far rather stay there with Mack. Maybe cook something for his breakfast and impress him with her prowess in the kitchen.
Her culinary experience might make up for her lack of experience in the bedroom. Not that Mack had complained about that. Nope.
Still, she was an excellent cook. It was the one skill she’d gotten from her mother.
She thought how she wouldn’t mind showing it off for Mack, when she could wrestle her mind to focus on anything besides how damn good he looked without a shirt.
All hard, cut muscles. Washboard abs. Big, bulging arms that had held her just an hour ago. Arms she wished she could have wrapped around her again.
A scene formed in her mind as she watched him pull a collared shirt off a hanger in his closet. He tugged it on over his head while she imagined how the day would be if she had nowhere to go. If she could spend a lazy Sunday here with him.
She could borrow a pair of his sweatpants and a T-shirt. They could snuggle on the sofa and watch a movie. Or even football if that’s what he wanted to watch. She wouldn’t care.
As he pulled a belt through the loops on his khaki pants, which made him look more conservative and less bad ass than the jeans had last night, he glanced up at her. “Yeah, I gotta get going too.”
The crazy, insecure girl in her head wondered if he was lying to get rid of her. The other half of her mind—the eternal optimist inside her—hoped it was true. That he really did have somewhere to go.
Given the way he was kind of dressed up, it must be true. She only hoped it wasn’t to go out on a date or something.
“Oh. Okay. Maybe we can walk out together.”
“Sure.” After sitting down on the one chair in the room and pulling on brown boots he stood. He grinned at her and his looks rose from good to wow. “Ready?”
“Ah. Yeah.” Kind of. Mostly.
She’d been so busy watching him get dressed and fantasizing about them being a couple—because she was obviously crazy—that she hadn’t been getting her own stuff together.
Not that she had all that much to gather.
Even though she had an overnight bag in the car, she hadn’t brought it inside. She only had her purse, so she’d be doing the walk of shame out of his apartment while wearing the same clothes as last night.
Lydia looked around and finally spotted her purse on the floor by the bathroom door. She remembered grabbing it when Mack had finally left her alone in the bathroom.
After their shower together, she’d definitely needed to wash off her old makeup and put on some new.
She strode across the room to retrieve the bag and not hold him up any longer since he was ready to leave. She was within a step of it when the heel of her shoe caught on the rug and she pitched forward.
Throwing up her hands in front of her, she hit the wall hard, palms out, but at least she remained upright. When she dared to turn to glance at Mack, hoping in vain he’d missed seeing her less than graceful move, she saw he was right behind her.
He turned her to face him. She saw the concern on his face, mixed with a crooked half smile. “Careful. Don’t want to mess up that pretty face.”
Her heart thundered from a combination of the compliment and her embarrassment.
“Yeah, that would have left a bruise. No doubt. Told you I was a klutz.” She lifted one shoulder like it was nothing even as her pulse raced.
“Lucky for you, I’ve recently discovered I happen to like klutzes.”
He liked her? Her heart pounded.
And now she felt like she was back in middle school asking her friend about the guy at the next lunch table.
Does he like-like me?
Lydia swallowed and managed to say, “You do?”
“Yeah.” His mouth tipped up further before he leaned in.
It certainly didn’t feel like middle school once Mack’s lips covered hers. He had a way of making a kiss seem like so much more.
He thrust his tongue between her lips, claiming her mouth, while he tangled his hands in her hair.
Even with how all consuming his kiss was, her mind spun. She didn’t want this to end.
After one night together, she didn’t need his declaration of undying love or anything permanent, but his phone number would be nice.
How could she walk out his door thinking she might never see him again?
Lydia could envision it now—her and her VW Bug on I-64, driving the hour plus from her college in Williamsburg to here—wherever here was—every Saturday night, just so she could hang around the bar across the street from Mack’s apartment in hopes he would walk in.
He pulled back and she could have kicked herself for obsessing rather than concentrating on enjoying what could be their final kiss before it ended.
Checking the readout on his cell phone before he shoved it into his pants pocket, he sighed. “It’s getting late. I gotta go.”
She swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”
“Got everything?” he asked as he pulled a leather jacket on over his shirt.
“Yes.” She tried not to think about her ungraceful retrieval of her bag almost as much as she tried not to think he was making sure she had everything so she wouldn’t have an excuse to contact him or come back again later.
How good he looked in leather was enough to distract her.
“Good. Let’s go.” He tipped his head toward the doorway. Reaching down, he grabbed her hand and glanced at her feet before meeting her gaze with his. “Don’t trip on your way out.”
“I’ll try not to.” She felt her cheeks heat and decided to change the subject. “So, what do you have to do today?”
The question stemmed from her being nosy and insecure and she hated that she’d asked it. Still, she held her breath waiting for his answer.
“I’ve got a thing with my dad.”
Relieved at that answer, she laughed. “That’s funny. I’ve got a thing with my mom. I guess that’s what Sunday’s are good for. Keeping the parents happy. Though I could think of a few other things I’d rather do.”
He let out a snort of a laugh as he held open the door of the apartment building for her. “You ain’t kidding.”