“Scout?”
“Well, if I’m a general, you’re going to be ascout.”
“So I clear the way, huh? Make sure everything’s safe and ready,” he said, easing her back against the bed, then sliding her leggings down as he knelt in front of her. The skin of her abdomen trembled lightly as his thumbs made soft little circles on her sensitiveflesh.
“Yes,” she said on a sigh, “but more importantly, you take orders from thegeneral.”
His head snapped up to look at her from below, as he was still kneeling, and she smiled archly. “Hey, you’re the one who called me…a…general,” she breathed as he bent close to kiss the swell of her belly, his lips curved in a dangeroussmile.
“We’ll see who takes orders from who,” he said in a dusky voice, his breath warm against her navel. He hooked his thumbs inside the edges of her lace panties and yanked them downsharply.
And then he looked up, still kneeling in front of her. His eyes were hot and wicked. “Sit down and spread your legs, general. I’m goingin.”
* * *
Sometime later,Declan opened his eyes. He lay there for a moment, basking in the deliciousness of waking slowly next to a warm, soft, curvy bundle of woman he’d recently made thorough loveto.
A glance at the clock told him he still had more than an hour before Stephanie was due home, and thus more than an hour before he had to eventhinkabout taking leave from his sexy, rumpledgeneral.
His lips curved in the low lamplight as he stared at the ceiling, one arm settled comfortably around her shoulders, her face nestled against his chest. Her sweet-smelling hair mingled with his on the pillow, and her breath puffed lightly over the hair on his chest, ruffling it and heating his skin in a softrhythm.
This was good.Sogood. He didn’t remember feeling this good—well, ever. There was something about this unbent former celebrity CEO, this metaphysically curious and brave and sensible woman that drewhim.
And it didn’t really have anything to do with her perfect ass. Though that sure helped—that and the fascinating personality combination of sexy and sassy with organized and thoughtful: all of which made her the most interesting and satisfying partner he’d everhad.
It’s awful soon to be thinking in absolutes,Zyler.
I’ve never thought in absolutes before. Maybe there’s a reason why I amnow.
Plus, she smelled so damn good. He could bury his face in her hair all day long and it would never getold.
She stirred next to him and sat up, propping on one bent arm. “Much better thistime.”
His brows lifted. “I don’t know—you were yelling pretty loud bothtimes.”
She shoved him lightly in the shoulder, laughing. “I meant waking up—instead of being yanked from bliss into teenaged chaos.” She slid from the bed with a bounce of tight, high breast and a flash of heart-shaped ass. “Are you hungry? I’mstarving.”
“Oh, I could eat.” His eyes traveled over her slowly and he waited, unmoving, until she caught hismeaning.
“Could you?” She grinned back just as slowly. “Well, come and get it, scout.” She ducked just out of his reach and bounded into the bathroom, where she quickly flipped on theshower.
He was right behind her, and moments later, they were plastered against each other, hot and wet and slick, sliding and stroking and moaning in the midst of steam from dualshowerheads.
“I was hoping those two showerheads would make up for their extra cost someday,” she panted happily a few moments later, when they sagged into each other’s arms as the hot water pounded in tandem on both theirbacks.
“I think you’ve damn near killed me,” Declan said, gathering her close. “But what a way todie.”
She laughed and pulled reluctantly away from nibbling on his wet shoulder. “Now I really amhungry.”
She dug some food out of the fridge as he sat at the island and watched, feeling awfully homey and comfortable. Then his eyes fell on the calendar with yesterday’s date marked with an E and a heart, and he remembered all the questions he’d wanted to ask buthadn’t.
“So,” he said, trying to figure out how to broach the subject tactfully. “Yesterday was a hard day foryou.”
Leslie glanced at him as she slid onto a chair at the big slab table. “Have a seat. It’s more comfortablehere.”
She had put out cold pizza (from yesterday?), some lemon and blueberry scones from Orbra’s, cut-up apples, some white cheese, and a small bowl of cashews. It looked delicious tohim.
“Of course you’d want to know about that.” Her eyes were serious. “It’s normal, given…well…” Her lips moved in a gentle smile and the corners of her eyescrinkled.
