I stop my hands as my mind races through how to fix the mistake I just made. Nothing believable comes to mind, so I choose confrontation. “Of course it is, silly.” I laugh, but let it die off quickly.
Warner is always on top of things, waiting for the slipup to happen so he can study my expression and judge my reaction. It’s a lose-lose situation with him. He sees through the obvious, so I now stick to being vague when possible.
He replies, “Yeah, of course,” as if I had asked a question. When he’s dry, he comes to wrap himself around the back of me and kisses my head. “How are you feeling?”
With the sexual heat between us cooling, I cover his arms with mine, holding him as I lean the back of my head against his chest. Closing my eyes, I savor this moment before everything changes, knowing we’re close to the truth coming out. I have no next steps planned. Nothing to trick him into prolonging this charade. I asked for the money against my better judgment and left myself open for theblowback. I don’t want to do that again. I don’t want to ask him for money. I don’t want to need it. I want him to realize the mistake he’s making and fix it. And if he doesn’t stop or can’t end the contract, I need to show him the benefits of spending his money where it matters most. To me, anyway.
That’s it. I need to show him.
“Warner?”
“Hmm?” He hums against my neck and then kisses it.
“My family has dinner together every Sunday . . .” I wait for a stiffening of his body behind me or a sigh of discontent. Neither happens. His muscles are strong but pliable around me, his heart not skipping a beat, his breathing stays regulated as if this idea might not be so far-fetched. “As you know.” Damn, almost forgot to tack that on. The climax has turned my brain to jelly.
Releasing me, he comes around to the front with a big ole grin on his face like he just won the local bake-off. “Two invitations in one night? I think your orgasm has gone to your heart.”Geez.Even he’s noticed.
I smile like a fool for him. I am, so it comes naturally. “Don’t worry. It will wear off soon enough, and then you’ll have the crankier version of me back.”
“I don’t consider you cranky, Delaney.” He caresses my cheek and then kisses it. “Stubborn and feisty, absolutely.” Tapping my nose, he adds, “Oh, and I accept both. Dinner with your folks, and to finish what we started here out there.” He opens the door and walks out, leaving me a bit stunned.
That wasn’t a formal invite to dinner. I was kind of just telling him why I would be gone tonight. But now I’m bringing my fake husband to the restaurant.Lord, help me.There’s no getting out of it without hurting his feelingsthough, so I guess Warner Landers is about to meet my family.
When I enter the bedroom, he’s already in bed with his arms behind his head. A smug smirk shapes his expression, and the covers are already tenting. “Looks like you got started before me.”
“No, this is in anticipation of how amazing it’s going to feel being inside you.”
I drop the towel, but just when I lift my knee to climb onto the bed, I realize that leaving a wet towel on his pristine carpet is going to bother him. That’s usually a highlight for me, but we’re about to be together for the first time. I don’t want him thinking about wet towels on the carpet. I want him to think about me.
After picking up the towel, I go into the bathroom and push it down into the hamper. I return to see him grinning even wider. “Gloating?” I ask.
“Might be.” He flips the comforter open for me so I can crawl into the bed and under the covers. I slide up right next to him. I feel so alive being naked with him. The way he looks at me like I’m something to be admired causes goose bumps to erupt over my arms. His eyes drinking me like a man who’s dying of thirst is an aphrodisiac.
I don’t feel shy with Warner. I don’t feel ashamed like I’m doing anything wrong. I kiss him because everything is right when we’re like this. Sliding onto him, our lips stay attached as I position myself. It would be easy to have him slip into me, his thickness stretching me to accommodate him and only him. I don’t, but he has my walls lowered to the ground, so I wouldn’t say no.
Our lips find purchase just as his hand slides around the back of me. He sits up with me straddling him, rubbingmyself over his erection. Plucking his lips from mine, he whispers, “The condoms are in the nightstand.”
I’m not going to make him struggle with his broken arm, so I fall forward on the bed, catching my weight on my forearms and reaching as far as I can to open the top drawer. But anything inside is out of reach. I drag myself closer and peer inside. Darting my eyes back to him, I ask, “You have a container to organize your condoms?”
He chuckles, still sitting up, but now his weight is on his left arm. “It’s a sugar pack holder, like at restaurants. I saw it and realized if you turn it the other way, it fits a condom wrapper perfectly.”
“I’m not even sure what to say to that.” I laugh. “I’ll never look at them the same way.” I grab the holder and set it on the top of the nightstand. “It only holds five.”
“You got big plans there, Sass?”
Laughing, I turn around. “Not anymore since you only have five.”
When I come closer again, he takes my chin and guides me like a missile straight to his lips. “Don’t worry,” he whispers and then pecks my lips. “I have more when we need them.”
I steal a kiss before snatching a packet and ripping it open. I could watch him struggle to do it with one hand, but that only punishes me. I want him now. When I flip back the blanket, my breath catches. “Warner.” I don’t know why I say it like he’s in deep water when I’m the one who is clearly about to be in trouble.
“I’ll go slow.”
I shoot him a glare. “Let me guess. Don’t worry?” I ask, sarcastically. Trying not to worry about what I’m intentionally about to do to myself since there’s a major upside, I rollthe protection over his length. I can’t stop thinking about his finger making me feel full. I’m definitely in trouble.
I stare at him a moment longer when my hand is taken. “Come here,” he whispers, giving it a squeeze of reassurance. I look up and then move closer, lying on my side with my head on the pillow to face him. “I can’t put weight on my arm yet, but we can take things slow. I’ll be gentle. I promise.”
I nod and move even closer to kiss him. One kiss leads to another, and then a shift in our bodies. He doesn’t pull me on top of him, but I go willingly. I’m intimidated by his size, but my body is already seeking relief as I rub myself against him. “Oh,” I moan, the feeling so good even though we’ve barely started.
