The Arrangement(25)
When she climbed into bed, Asher wasn’t in the room. She thought it possible that he was using one of the other bathrooms in the house. It had been very hot and uncomfortable at the park earlier today. It had been a long day made longer by the emotional strain. Yawning, she pulled the sheet up to her waist and fluffed the pillow beneath her head. Though the air conditioning was on, it was set on low and the house was warm. Her aunt didn’t like to be cold. Personally, Ariadne liked to keep her house chilly at night. She slept better snuggled beneath her comforter.
She left the light on so that Asher wouldn’t have to stumble about in the dark. She was on the verge of sleep when the sound of the door opening roused her. The rustle of clothing being removed had her eyes popping open.
“Hold on a second there!” She averted her face. “What are you doing?” But it was obvious. He was undressing for bed. Having already removed his shirt, his chest was bare. He was unfastening his pants, revealing an intriguing line of hair darting from his hard belly to disappear beneath his waistband. “You can change into your pajamas in the bathroom.”
“I don’t sleep in pajamas. I prefer sleeping naked.”
Her fist clenched in the sheets. He was trying to give her a heart attack. “Not with me you don’t.”
“I don’t even own pajamas.”
She rolled her eyes. “Then you can sleep in your underwear.” When he simply arched an eyebrow at her, her mouth dropped open. “Oh, my God, you don’t wear underwear?”
Asher burst out laughing. “You should see your face.”
And she’d had enough of his laughter today to have her on the verge of orgasm. “You know, you’ve got to be the happiest person I’ve ever met,” she snapped. “Do you have to laugh all the time?”
He didn’t look offended by her waspish tone, merely amused. Typical. “Is there something wrong with my laugh?”
“It’s just that…” She faltered, hesitant to mention it in case he didn’t know.
“Yeah?”
“It…well, it sounds like you just finished having a round of extremely hot sex.”
His eyes widened in surprise and then he laughed again. He placed his hands on the bed and leaned toward her. A wicked grin curled his lips as he said in a husky whisper, “I assure you that when I’m in bed with a woman, there’s nothing for either of us to laugh about.”
She didn’t want to talk about or think about him having sex with other women. Returning to a slightly safer topic, she asked, “Haven’t you ever noticed the way women react when you laugh?”
He shrugged broad shoulders nonchalantly, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. “Can’t say as I have.”
“Then you’re blind. Look around the next time and you’ll see women crossing their legs, fanning themselves, and trying to hide hard nipples.”
The huge grin was back. “Really? And does it have the same effect on you?”
She sputtered. “We’re not talking about me.”
“We weren’t, but now we are. You’re the only woman I’m interested in turning on. So does it? Does my laugh make your nipples hard and your pussy wet?”
She inhaled so deeply and suddenly that she thought she might pass out. “Ash, I’m not…We can’t-”
“Why not? You know, it’s probably even expected of us. After all, they did give us this bedroom together adjacent to your cousin and your ex.”
“Don’t be absurd. Daniel and Janice wouldn’t be so crude as to-” She broke off as the sound of a bedframe hitting the wall in the bedroom next door bled into her consciousness. But before she could become too upset or disgusted by it, there was a rapid crescendo and then all fell silent.#p#分页标题#e#
“Well, he certainly nudged her world,” Ash commented dryly.
Ariadne tightened her lips. No way was she going to encourage him by laughing at that.
“Go on,” he said, devilish delight gleaming in his eyes. “I know you want to.”
She clamped a firm hand over her mouth then picked up a pillow and pressed her face into it but still the giggles escaped. It only grew worse when Ash started chuckling. She collapsed against the pillows and let go.
“You’re so bad,” she gasped some minutes later when she could finally talk. She wiped tears of mirth from the corners of her eyes.
“What do you say we show them how it’s done?”
“What? Oh!” He climbed on top of her and easily positioned himself between her thighs. A thin satin sheet and their clothing separated them. She stared up into his handsome face in shock.