She didn’t say anything, only leaned on my chest.
“Come on,” I told her. “Bath time.”
She led me into the bathroom, and I released her hand to start the bath in her large claw-foot tub. I checked the temperature of the water running in, and let it start to fill. Margo was rummaging under the sink when I turned. Her perfect ass was in my sight line, but I shook off any desires. This moment was for her to relax.
“Got it,” she said. “Priss got this for me last Mother’s Day. A bath bomb.”
“Bath bomb? Looks more like a baseball.”
“You drop it in the tub and it fizzes, releasing a skin-softening type thing. She found it on Amazon.”
“Well, it sounds like the perfect thing for right now.”
“Don’t make fun of me. It’s a thing. I don’t know what to call it.”
“Aren’t you the writer?” I teased her, moving close and pulling her shirt over her head.
I ran my mouth over her shoulder, placing kisses along my route. Goose bumps broke out along her skin, and I ran my palm over her rib cage, brushing her side cleavage, finally warming her shoulder.
“Mmm.” She hummed as I unclipped her bra, and allowed my palm to take its time running over her supple flesh.
“Give me that.” I broke free and took the bath bomb from her hand. After dropping it in the tub, I beckoned her over. “Come here.”
There was an intimacy between Margo and me that I couldn’t define or understand, especially since I didn’t know she read science fiction, but I wanted to know everything about her. I was forty years old, and I’d worked like a dog on my career. I was a millionaire several times over, pushed by pride and suffering, proud that I wasn’t at all like my sleaze of a father, But being with Margo made me want to be even greater a man.
I only wished my mom were here to see me and meet Margo. I knew what I wanted, and she was it.
“You’re really off in la-la land,” the woman of my dreams said, running her palm down my arm.
“Just thinking how much I’m loving this moment. Now, let’s get those pants off and dunk you in.”
We’d somehow remembered to kick off our shoes by the door, so I whisked her pants down while we were both standing. All I could see was a nude silk boy short.
“Oh my,” I said, swallowing hard. “This could derail everything.”
This time, her laugh was husky and throaty, further crushing my willpower to get her in the tub.
Dropping to my knees, I set her legs free from the pants bunched at her ankles, and rose to place one quick kiss to the front of her panties before stripping them off. “In you go, before I get any ideas.”
While I held her hand, she dipped a toe in the water and said, “Just right.” Then she swung her other leg in and let go of my hand to step in the water.
I turned the knob to stop it from filling and took her in, leaning her head back, her eyes closed.
“How’s the bomb thingy?” I asked, smirking.
She opened her eyes and caught me. “It’s pretty freaking good. This is ... I don’t have words. Thank you. I’m not sure how we found each other and why there seems to be this chemistry, but I’m really happy.”
It didn’t matter how many successes you had as a businessperson or how many affairs of the heart you’ve had, when something makes your blood pressure rise and your whole body hum, you know it’s worth holding on to—forever.
“Me too,” I said simply, not revealing my deep thoughts, then rushed back to Tito.
Much later, we sat on the couch, our bellies full. Margo wore only her robe, and had her feet up on my lap.
“This is nice. Thanks for knowing what I needed.”
“This,” I said, squeezing her foot, “is more than nice.”
“Okay, maybe you’re right.” She stood and took my hand. “Come on, isn’t this supposed to be a sleepover?”
