Pulling the covers around them, she nestled against him. “Can you stay for a while?”
“I’d love to. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
As he held her, a pang of yearning shot through him. He wished this fake-dating, friends-with-benefits setup could turn into something real. A relationship where he could trust her enough to give her his whole heart and know she’d treat it with love and respect.
But he couldn’t quite take that leap.
Eighteen
Rosie awoke to a darkened room.She rubbed her eyes and took a minute to get her bearings. As her hand brushed against Drew’s broad chest (his broad,nakedchest), the world snapped into focus. Though she rarely indulged in naps, she’d somehow drifted off to sleep in his arms. No surprise since she’d been so relaxed, curled up beside the man she loved.
Correction. The man sheliked.
This wasn’t love. It was friendship combined with great sex.
If she were being completely honest, she could envision falling in love with him. But that wasn’t what he wanted. And she couldn’t risk asking for more. Instead, she’d enjoy every minute of their time together. No sense in dwelling on their end date when it was still four weeks away.
When Drew stirred, she ran her hand along his sturdy bicep, marveling at the feel of his muscles under her fingers. Now that their boundaries were no longer an issue, she wanted to touch him everywhere.
“Good morning,” she said. “Or rather, good evening.”
“Hey, there.” His lips grazed the top of her head. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I was just so comfortable.”
She loved that he’d relaxed enough to let himself go. “It’s okay. I crashed out, too.”
“So…do we need to talk about this?”
From the hesitancy in his tone, she sensed he’d rather not, which was fine with her. “I don’t think so. Our agreement hasn’t changed. We’re still pretending to date and still friends. Except now with added benefits.”
“Like an upgrade? First class instead of economy?” He gave her butt a gentle squeeze.
His touch flooded her with desire. She smoothed her fingers over the smattering of soft brown hair that covered his chest. “First class elite. Speaking of which, I’m hoping these benefits aren’t a onetime thing. I’d like to do this again.”
Was she being too bold? From the gleam in his eyes, she didn’t think so.
“By again, do you mean tonight? Or until our agreement ends in January?” He grinned. “If it were up to me, I’d pick the second option. One more time isn’t going to be enough.”
A thrill of anticipation raced through her. “Me, too. Even if I’m slammed at the hotel, I can still work in time for sex.”
“Then you’d better pencil me in on your calendar. How about in your office? We could lock the door and sweep all the paperwork off your desk like they do in the movies.” He spoke in a husky voice. “Wouldn’t you love getting railed over your desk?”
Yes, please.
She could only imagine how hot that would be. Him flipping up her skirt and taking her from behind while she gripped the desk and moaned in abandon. Sadly, it wasn’t an option.
“As much as I’d love to follow through on that, there’s a security camera in that room,” she said. “And my paperwork is meticulously organized.”
“We’ll just have to settle for the bed. Are you ready for another round, or would you rather get something to eat first? You must be starving.”
Now that he’d mentioned it, she was famished. “We could order takeout, but…I should find some clothes for you. I’m assuming you don’t want to put your Santa suit back on.”
“I’ve got a gym bag in my car with extra workout gear. I can go grab it, but I’ll need a robe or something.”
She snickered at the thought of him trying to sneak out of her apartment, still naked. Her neighbors probably wouldn’t approve. She pointed to a hook on her door, where she’d hung a plaid bathrobe. “You can use that if you want. But first…I might need that second round.”
“Such a greedy little elf,” he murmured, taking her in his arms.
Oh, yes.She could definitely get used to this.
