“Yes. Take it off,” I joked. But I sort of growled the words.
She gasped, and her cheeks flushed. Then she bit on her lip lazily, like she might want to do just that. I felt bolted to the ground, and a coil of tension gripped me at the thought of her dropping the robe right in front of me, standing there fully naked, all that creamy skin, those curves, those soft parts of her that had folded into the resistance of my body.
Maybe made bolder by my utterly dazed and struck expression, she gave me a brazen look, like she knew exactly what I was thinking. Then she winked and gave me a cheeky grin. “Nope, it’s mine now.”
My blood warmed at the thought of her keeping my robe, wearing it around the house or in her bedroom, knowing it had touched my skin before hers. I collected the leftover food and wine and glasses, intending to see her to the door, especially as the path wasn’t done yet.
“I’ll take that,” she said.
Maybe she didn’t want her parents to see us coming in together. I got it. I just wanted this between the two of us too.
“Thanks, Tim, for a great night,” she said. “And thank you for listening.”
My heart swelled at the sight of her walking to the front door in her bare feet, her hair sticking up all over the place, my white robe smeared with dirt and grass stains.
She put down her bags to get the door and opened it. She turned and did the hand signals for a rating, only giving me a nine out of ten.
You little… I spluttered out a laugh. I was grinning so hard I forgot to call out a comeback.
MAKEOVER YOUR MONEYMAKER,sneak peek.
Four design teams compete to turn a home into a business.
Team: Tim and Tabitha.
1,000 Comments:
1HardMan:Lots of whining about the deadline. Just get stuck in, love.
GirlBossesDoItBetter: She’s not whining, and Tabitha’s whole life is deadlines! No one works harder or for longer hours. She is a professional and clearly concerned about doing it right, not just a patch-up job for the cameras.
LaIslaBonita: She’s not your love, you patronizing git.
RugbyThighs69: New deadline. Let’s sweat it out, Timothy. Shirt. Off.
CotswoldsOwn:Simon said you have the money to make the deadline happen, so what’s the prob, sweetheart?
TeamTimFTW342:Maybe get a proper outfit for the job and you might meet the deadline. Floral outfits not suitable for real workers, girl.
LaIslaBonita: Ugh. You’re a pig.
DramaFarmer: The pigs are the answer! Pinky and Perky could do it in two weeks.
LlamasRLife: Never mind the pigs, the llama IS the leader.
26
Tabitha
Iwoke the nextmorning, feeling like it was Christmas and I had presents and decorations and wonderfully festive food to look forward to.
I’d dreamed of being submerged in clear blue water, a muscular, naked man swimming toward me, always slightly out of reach. Tim. But he wasn’t out of reach. I’d savored every second of his mouth on mine last night, how he’d felt on top of me, and we had a date lined up in four days. What was it going to be like to see him today?
A rumbling sound drifted from downstairs—snoring. Probably one of the dogs. Mum and Dad had been told to keep the rest of the animals outside, because the house was a safety issue, but they let the dogs and cats in at night. It was pretty loud.
I checked the time. Only 5:00 a.m. Early even for Mum and Dad.
I peeked into my parents’ room, all quiet. Except for the snoring, the rest of the house was silent. I padded downstairs without turning on the lights and followed the sound. I tiptoed into the kitchen and froze.
