“Keep saying stupid things and you’ll find out.” She wrapped her arms around my neck, combing her fingers through my hair. “Now, shut up and kiss me.”
I clasped her hips, my heart swelling. “You still want me after everything I’ve told you?”
“No. I still want youbecauseof everything you told me.” She rose up on her tiptoes, her lips hovering an inch from mine. “You may not believe in the goodness running through your veins—yet—but I see it. I seeyou. So, fucking kiss me and take me to bed before I drag you there myself.”
Well, hell. Who was I to argue with a woman giving orders I was only too happy to follow?
Chapter 23
Aspen
There’s only one way to settle this…
A dance off.
Groaning,I stretched my arms overhead, every muscle aching in the best possible way. I’d lost count of how many times Joz had made me come.
I rolled onto my side and slid my palm across the mattress, seeking warm flesh and taut muscles. My eyes shot open. Joz wasn’t there. Worse, his side of the bed was cold, and it was dark outside. My stomach dipped.
Don’t fucking tell me he’s bailed on me again.
If he had, I was going to hunt him down and show him exactly how hard I could punch.
The digital clock on his side of the bed read eleven-fifteen. What time had we fallen into bed after Joz’s confession? Three, four? After tossing the covers to one side, I swung my legs out of bed. My clothes were strewn all over the bedroom floor. After pulling on my panties, I picked up the rest and arranged them over a chair in the corner of Joz’s bedroom, choosing to wear oneof his T-shirts instead. Far quicker than getting dressed, and I had an errant lover to find.
The smell of brewing coffee drifted down the hallway. My stomach grumbled. It’d been hours since I’d eaten, but I wasn’t regretting my choice of sex over food. On entering the open-plan living/dining/kitchen area, I discovered Joz standing at the stove stirring something in a large pan. He was dressed in ripped blue jeans that hugged his ass, and nothing else. There was something inherently sexy about a bare-chested and bare-footed man, a mass of tattoos encasing his body, and thick, unkempt hair tied up in a man bun.
I wolf-whistled.
He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “Thought you were never gonna wake up.”
“I thought you’d bailed again, and I was getting ready to kick your ass.”
A low chuckle echoed through his chest. “Wouldn’t dare.” He lifted the wooden spoon, his hand underneath to catch any spills, and cocked his head, beckoning me. “I’m making a curry. Come and taste this. Let me know if it’s too spicy.”
Fortunately, I had an iron constitution, which, considering the time and the meal in question, was in my favor. “No such thing.” I wandered over, closing my hand over his to guide the spoon to my mouth. “Delicious.”
His gaze traveled over me, slow, sensual, filthy. “I agree. You look hot in my shirt.”
“You don’t mind?”
“What’s mine is yours. Besides, you won’t be in it for long.” Winking, he returned to the pan. Every time he stirred, his ass moved.
“You have a great ass.”
“Yours isn’t bad either.”
“Not bad?” I slapped his butt, open handed. “You need to work on your compliments.”
He gave the curry another stir, then put the lid on the pan. “Should be ready in thirty minutes.” Pivoting, he gave me another filthy, full-body eye sweep. “Now, I wonder what can we do for thirty minutes?”
My grin came slow. “I have an idea.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Two words. Dance off.”
His eyes widened. “You’re joking.”
