Holding Strong
Page 107
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He watched her closely, then carefully closed the jewelry box and put it back in the drawer. “Maybe.” He laced his fingers with hers and led the way to the master bath.
As he pushed the door open wide, Cherry smiled at his Jacuzzi tub. “Big enough for two.”
“Armie swears three could fit, but I’m the only one to ever use it.”
“Really?” She had a hard time believing he hadn’t broken in the tub already. “No bubbly bathtub sex?”
Smiling, he shook his head. “I only got the house a year ago and you’re the first woman I’ve brought here.”
“No way.” Her heart tried to make that significant while her head said to slow it down and think it through.
“Way.” He cupped her face, tipped it up, and kissed her. Against her parted lips, he whispered, “Maybe tonight we can try it out.”
When she continued to stare up him, her expression dazed, he traced her mouth with one fingertip, gave a low rumbling growl, and gently turned her. “Come on, girl. Let’s go to the kitchen and we can figure out dinner.”
“Wait.” He’d rushed her through the house so quickly, she barely had time to appreciate it all. “Where does that door go?”
“Just a closet.” He opened it to show her a room as big as his bathroom but stacked with his clothes, a few random weights, sneakers and a laundry hamper.
Agog, she stared at all the available space. “This is an amazing closet.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I figured a woman would like it.”
Cherry stalled again. Had he bought the house with the thought of marriage in mind? Before they’d finally gotten together—before she’d finally convinced him—he’d seemed like the model bachelor, happy in his single life with no inclinations of settling down anytime soon.
Near her ear, Denver whispered, “Don’t overthink it.” With his arm around her, he urged her back out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where he pulled out a chair for her at the booth in the breakfast nook. “So what do you feel like eating?”
You.
“Girl,” he groaned. “Don’t look at me like that. I need to feed you, and much as I’d like to head straight to bed afterward, I really do need to soak my shoulder a bit.”
Cherry popped right back out of the seat. “Sorry, I’m...” In love. “It’s been a long day. How about you go take your bath and I’ll fix dinner?”
He eyed her up and down. “You cook?”
Insulted, she crossed her arms under her breasts and cocked out a hip. “Do I look like I’m starving?”
Brows up, he said, “No.”
So maybe he just found her so damned helpless he thought she couldn’t do anything right.
“You look like a fuckable angel. Like a wet dream.” He closed the space between them, brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “If you can cook, too, I’m sunk.”
Oh God, she hoped that was true because she’d gone under a long time ago. Shakily, she stated, “I’m adequate in the kitchen.”
His hand went down her cheek to her jaw, then her collarbone. “Damn.” With visible effort he stepped back from her. “Scrounge around, fix whatever you want, but nothing fancy. I’ll be in the tub.”
“Okay.”
“And Cherry?”
“Hmm?”
“You should know that I’m sinking with a continual hard-on—and a smile on my face.” With that he turned and left the room.
And Cherry, feeling her knees go weak, dropped back into the seat. Was that Denver’s way of telling her their relationship was more than just physical? For her it always had been.
For him...so darned hard to tell.
She needed several deep breaths before she felt capable of hunting through his kitchen cabinets. She discovered the man was entirely too organized.
Keeping his restricted diet in mind, she found skinless chicken fillets, brown rice and broccoli. He had it all on hand so she assumed he liked it, but to be sure she went to the bathroom and tapped on the door. “Denver?”
“Come on in.”
She stepped into steam—and a carnal treat. Eyes flaring wide, she said, “Oh, umm...”
Keeping one shoulder submerged, Denver left exposed one thick shoulder and a long muscular arm, his lean waist, a paler hip and a strong hairy thigh. When she just stood there gawking, he said, “You’ve seen me before.”
Yes, she had. But not like this. And seriously, every view proved inspirational. Right now, with the way his arm rested against his side, his biceps bulged.
As he pushed the door open wide, Cherry smiled at his Jacuzzi tub. “Big enough for two.”
“Armie swears three could fit, but I’m the only one to ever use it.”
“Really?” She had a hard time believing he hadn’t broken in the tub already. “No bubbly bathtub sex?”
Smiling, he shook his head. “I only got the house a year ago and you’re the first woman I’ve brought here.”
“No way.” Her heart tried to make that significant while her head said to slow it down and think it through.
“Way.” He cupped her face, tipped it up, and kissed her. Against her parted lips, he whispered, “Maybe tonight we can try it out.”
When she continued to stare up him, her expression dazed, he traced her mouth with one fingertip, gave a low rumbling growl, and gently turned her. “Come on, girl. Let’s go to the kitchen and we can figure out dinner.”
“Wait.” He’d rushed her through the house so quickly, she barely had time to appreciate it all. “Where does that door go?”
“Just a closet.” He opened it to show her a room as big as his bathroom but stacked with his clothes, a few random weights, sneakers and a laundry hamper.
Agog, she stared at all the available space. “This is an amazing closet.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I figured a woman would like it.”
Cherry stalled again. Had he bought the house with the thought of marriage in mind? Before they’d finally gotten together—before she’d finally convinced him—he’d seemed like the model bachelor, happy in his single life with no inclinations of settling down anytime soon.
Near her ear, Denver whispered, “Don’t overthink it.” With his arm around her, he urged her back out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where he pulled out a chair for her at the booth in the breakfast nook. “So what do you feel like eating?”
You.
“Girl,” he groaned. “Don’t look at me like that. I need to feed you, and much as I’d like to head straight to bed afterward, I really do need to soak my shoulder a bit.”
Cherry popped right back out of the seat. “Sorry, I’m...” In love. “It’s been a long day. How about you go take your bath and I’ll fix dinner?”
He eyed her up and down. “You cook?”
Insulted, she crossed her arms under her breasts and cocked out a hip. “Do I look like I’m starving?”
Brows up, he said, “No.”
So maybe he just found her so damned helpless he thought she couldn’t do anything right.
“You look like a fuckable angel. Like a wet dream.” He closed the space between them, brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “If you can cook, too, I’m sunk.”
Oh God, she hoped that was true because she’d gone under a long time ago. Shakily, she stated, “I’m adequate in the kitchen.”
His hand went down her cheek to her jaw, then her collarbone. “Damn.” With visible effort he stepped back from her. “Scrounge around, fix whatever you want, but nothing fancy. I’ll be in the tub.”
“Okay.”
“And Cherry?”
“Hmm?”
“You should know that I’m sinking with a continual hard-on—and a smile on my face.” With that he turned and left the room.
And Cherry, feeling her knees go weak, dropped back into the seat. Was that Denver’s way of telling her their relationship was more than just physical? For her it always had been.
For him...so darned hard to tell.
She needed several deep breaths before she felt capable of hunting through his kitchen cabinets. She discovered the man was entirely too organized.
Keeping his restricted diet in mind, she found skinless chicken fillets, brown rice and broccoli. He had it all on hand so she assumed he liked it, but to be sure she went to the bathroom and tapped on the door. “Denver?”
“Come on in.”
She stepped into steam—and a carnal treat. Eyes flaring wide, she said, “Oh, umm...”
Keeping one shoulder submerged, Denver left exposed one thick shoulder and a long muscular arm, his lean waist, a paler hip and a strong hairy thigh. When she just stood there gawking, he said, “You’ve seen me before.”
Yes, she had. But not like this. And seriously, every view proved inspirational. Right now, with the way his arm rested against his side, his biceps bulged.
