it, there was an intruder—left or done something unspeakable to her
dog? Bastard.
What about the sliding door to the tiny
patio? She hadn’t bothered to check it. Had Alex?
She clenched her fists to stop their shaking.
She’d just have to face whoever it was alone, but she’d beat the
bastard to death with her bare fists if he’d hurt her baby.
Screwing up what little courage she
possessed, she eased back the lock, grabbed the knob, and opened
the door.
~~*~~
Alex unlocked the door to their room and
found Bette sitting on the bed wearing sweat pants, a T-shirt and a
big frown. She had the Sheltie cuddled in her arms and was crooning
a mixture of baby talk and nonsense. “If you two want to be alone,
I can come back later,” he said, giving her a leer.
“Where the hell have you been?” She jumped
from the bed and raced toward him. “What took you so long? Someone
got in here while I was taking my bath.”
He breathed in her fresh, clean scent, but
his gaze was riveted to her breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra. The
damp T-shirt clung to her fuller-than-he’d-imagined breasts,
leaving shadows where her nipples poked through the thin fabric.
Gentleman or no, he was a man. Should he say something? Yes, but
his mouth refused to form the words.
God, yes, he looked, feasted with his eyes on
her beauty.
He dropped the sacks of takeout and must’ve
groaned. Sure as hell couldn’t form thoughts, much less words.
“Uh—”
“Better not’ve been you who scared me to
death,” she said.
His chin dropped. Still having trouble with
his powers of speech, he shook his head. “Nuh-uh.”
The pressure in his groin grew until he had
to turn away. Count backwards. Ten. No, one hundred. Ninety-nine . He knelt in time to rescue their
dinner from the dog, and then slowly rose and set the bags on the
dresser. Ninety-eight. Ninety-seven. His hold on sanity was
stronger.
“If your eyeballs are back in your head, I’ll
tell you what happened.” She loosened the T-shirt and plopped down
on her bed.
He shut his eyes and turned away. “Sorry. I
just—”
“Got a damned good look. That’s what you
did.”
He nodded, walked stiff-legged over to his
bed, sat, and faced her across the space between the double beds.
“Yeah, go ahead. What happened?”
He listened to Bette’s tale of how she’d been
in the tub, heard the dog bark and growl, then opened the bathroom
door and found nothing…except the sliding door ajar.
“I can’t believe you’d go off and not lock
the door behind you!” She sprang from the bed and pummeled him with
her fist.
He stood, caught her wrist, and pulled her
close to his chest. “I didn’t leave the door unlocked.” His
words came out in a rasp. All he could think about was her body and
the single thin T-shirt that stood between them. He’d grown hard
again as soon as he had her in his arms. Dangerous territory.
“You’d better finish drying off or—”
Her brows shot up. “Or what?” Her breasts
rose and fell a little more rapidly than before.
He choked out, “I won’t be responsible for
what happens next.”
“That’s a cop-out if I ever heard one.” She
wagged her head back and forth, then mimicked his words. “I won’t
be responsible…” Then she turned away from him. Thank
heaven .
“All right,” she said with an indignant huff,
then got back in his face and challenged him. “Certainly wouldn’t
want to incite an attack on my honor—now, would I?” She jerked away
from him but stopped and glared over her shoulder. “Didn’t know I
was staying with a voyeur.”
Mad was good. Now if he could just keep her
pissed off—and out of his arms—he might just survive the next few
minutes. “How was I supposed to know you were a closet
exhibitionist?”
“I most certainly am not!”
“Couldn’t prove it by me.”
“As you might well imagine I didn’t have time
to dry thoroughly.” She pulled the damp garment away from her
breasts. “Get over
dog? Bastard.
What about the sliding door to the tiny
patio? She hadn’t bothered to check it. Had Alex?
She clenched her fists to stop their shaking.
She’d just have to face whoever it was alone, but she’d beat the
bastard to death with her bare fists if he’d hurt her baby.
Screwing up what little courage she
possessed, she eased back the lock, grabbed the knob, and opened
the door.
~~*~~
Alex unlocked the door to their room and
found Bette sitting on the bed wearing sweat pants, a T-shirt and a
big frown. She had the Sheltie cuddled in her arms and was crooning
a mixture of baby talk and nonsense. “If you two want to be alone,
I can come back later,” he said, giving her a leer.
“Where the hell have you been?” She jumped
from the bed and raced toward him. “What took you so long? Someone
got in here while I was taking my bath.”
He breathed in her fresh, clean scent, but
his gaze was riveted to her breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra. The
damp T-shirt clung to her fuller-than-he’d-imagined breasts,
leaving shadows where her nipples poked through the thin fabric.
Gentleman or no, he was a man. Should he say something? Yes, but
his mouth refused to form the words.
God, yes, he looked, feasted with his eyes on
her beauty.
He dropped the sacks of takeout and must’ve
groaned. Sure as hell couldn’t form thoughts, much less words.
“Uh—”
“Better not’ve been you who scared me to
death,” she said.
His chin dropped. Still having trouble with
his powers of speech, he shook his head. “Nuh-uh.”
The pressure in his groin grew until he had
to turn away. Count backwards. Ten. No, one hundred. Ninety-nine . He knelt in time to rescue their
dinner from the dog, and then slowly rose and set the bags on the
dresser. Ninety-eight. Ninety-seven. His hold on sanity was
stronger.
“If your eyeballs are back in your head, I’ll
tell you what happened.” She loosened the T-shirt and plopped down
on her bed.
He shut his eyes and turned away. “Sorry. I
just—”
“Got a damned good look. That’s what you
did.”
He nodded, walked stiff-legged over to his
bed, sat, and faced her across the space between the double beds.
“Yeah, go ahead. What happened?”
He listened to Bette’s tale of how she’d been
in the tub, heard the dog bark and growl, then opened the bathroom
door and found nothing…except the sliding door ajar.
“I can’t believe you’d go off and not lock
the door behind you!” She sprang from the bed and pummeled him with
her fist.
He stood, caught her wrist, and pulled her
close to his chest. “I didn’t leave the door unlocked.” His
words came out in a rasp. All he could think about was her body and
the single thin T-shirt that stood between them. He’d grown hard
again as soon as he had her in his arms. Dangerous territory.
“You’d better finish drying off or—”
Her brows shot up. “Or what?” Her breasts
rose and fell a little more rapidly than before.
He choked out, “I won’t be responsible for
what happens next.”
“That’s a cop-out if I ever heard one.” She
wagged her head back and forth, then mimicked his words. “I won’t
be responsible…” Then she turned away from him. Thank
heaven .
“All right,” she said with an indignant huff,
then got back in his face and challenged him. “Certainly wouldn’t
want to incite an attack on my honor—now, would I?” She jerked away
from him but stopped and glared over her shoulder. “Didn’t know I
was staying with a voyeur.”
Mad was good. Now if he could just keep her
pissed off—and out of his arms—he might just survive the next few
minutes. “How was I supposed to know you were a closet
exhibitionist?”
“I most certainly am not!”
“Couldn’t prove it by me.”
“As you might well imagine I didn’t have time
to dry thoroughly.” She pulled the damp garment away from her
breasts. “Get over
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