Would he still be so aroused once he realized there was morecushion for the pushin’?
His pelvis thrust against mine, scattering those fears likeashes in the wind.He nipped at my lower lip, the tiny bite sending a wave ofpleasure through my veins.
Making a deep sound in the back of his throat, he lifted hismouth from mine.“I really need to fix that window.”
“What window?”I murmured, dazed.
Colton laughed as he dipped his head into the space betweenmy neck and shoulder.“Cute.”
“What?”
“You’re cute.”He kissed my neck.“You can be cute.”
I opened my eyes.“I thought I was beautiful?”
“You’re both.”Pushing himself up, he paused just longenough to kiss me again and then he popped up onto his feet with grace I wasenvious of.“It’s good to be both.”
“Uh-huh.”I was still lying there, half sprawled on thecouch, trying to get control of my thoughts and breathing.I wetted my lipsthat felt swollen.
Colton extended a hand.“If you stay like that, I’m going tobe way too tempted.”
I glanced up at him.“What’s wrong with being tempted?”
His lips parted.“Damn if I remember right now.”
That brought a smile to my face.Placing my hand in his, Ilet him pull me up into a sitting position.“The window,” I reminded him.
“Oh yeah, that.Guess we need to get that fixed so we aren’tgiving your neighbors a show.”
My eyes widened.Holy crapola, I hadn’t even thought ofthat.
Colton started to turn away, but stopped.A soft smileplayed across his lips.“You know something?It’s been a long time since Istarted a day and ended it with a woman.Glad it’s you.”
Chapter 9
Sunday morning, I did something I hadn’t done in avery long time.When I stripped off my pajamas and shoved the shower door open,I didn’t allow myself to gloss over my reflection or to pretend that I wasn’tpurposely avoiding catching a glimpse of myself.Because that was what I’d beendoing for a long time.Almost like if I didn’t see myself, I didn’t have toacknowledge how I felt.
But this morning, I looked.
The hollows of my cheeks were a bright pink and my gaze waryas I took in my disheveled hair.It was probably my imagination, but my lipslooked swollen.There was no way that was the case, but I didn’t have to tryhard to remember Colton’s kisses.My lips tingled.Those kisses were somethingI wouldn’t forget.
My gaze drifted down, over the slope of my shoulders andthen across my chest.I pressed my lips together as I lifted my hands, placingthem over my breasts.The skin was smooth, nipples puckered.Steam began tofill the bathroom, dampening my skin.I lowered my hands.My breasts were roundand full.Definitely nowhere in the general vicinity of perkiness, butthey…they matched the rest of me.My waist curved in slightly and then flaredout, forming round hips.The shadowy area between my plump thighs drew myattention.Brazilian wax?Uh, no.I almost laughed out loud at that thought.
God, it had been so long since I had sex.
Could I do it?An image of Colton formed in my thoughts, andthe flush raced down my throat.Biting down on my lip, I was pretty sure that Icould do it.The man neared perfection when it came to his body.
Thatwould be a lot to overcome.
As I twisted to the side, peeking at my behind, I tried tocome to terms with how I felt about myself.It wasn’t easy and the steamcovered the mirror before I had any answer.I stepped into the shower, lettingthe hot water beat down on me.I wasn’t sure if it was a lack of self-esteem ora lack of action that had my confidence bouncing all over the place.Or maybeit was the fact that I spent every day caught up in the fictional worlds of theauthors I edited, experienced their love, their heartbreak and everything inbetween that I hadn’t, in the last four years, experienced anything in the realworld or taken any time for myself.
When Kevin passed away, I had thrown myself into work.If Iwas honest, that was when I started to lose sight of myself, of who I was.Ididn’t want that any longer.Last night I had decided that I couldn’t pass upthe chance to feel again.And what I saw in the mirror wasn’t horrifying.Itwas the same body Kevin used to refer to as Botticelli beautiful.Curvesweren’t a bad thing.
I just needed to get my mind on board with all of that.
Since I had gotten up early, I hit the computer after I’dshowered and changed into a pair of jeans and a loose, cap sleeve blouse.I wasable to work on a couple of pages before my phone dinged.It was a text fromColton.He was outside.
Heart jumping all around like a bouncing bean, I saved mywork and closed the laptop.My bare feet were silent as I came down the stairs.The fresh pot of coffee I’d put on scented the air.Reaching the door, I openedit with a deep breath.
