Husbandry by Allie Ritch Page B

to do. Besides, I got sick of lying around.”
    “Well, you should still be sitting down, not tackling a
project.” This was what happened when a woman wasn’t around to supervise. The dolt
could have been in a full body cast, and he still would have insisted he didn’t
need rest. “What are you doing?”
    “Nothing strenuous,” he insisted. “Just a little interior
painting. I finally got the upstairs done, and I only have the hallway and
closets left to do down here. Oh, and the trim, but I’ll handle that another
day.”
    I gave him a stern look. “Aren’t you in pain? I’d think it
would hurt too much to do all that.”
    “A little.” He wouldn’t admit to more. “I’ve been moving
slowly, taking my time. I’ll wait and heal up a couple of days before I get to
the harder projects.”
    “You’ll give me gray hair,” I told him. “Go change and lie
down, and I’ll get you the ice packs.”
    “I just finished icing an hour ago.”
    “Well, at least go sit and rest. We can watch a movie
together if you want. Your pick.” If reason wouldn’t work, I figured a bribe
might.
    His response was a boyish smile so brilliant it scrambled my
brain. “You and I haven’t done that for a while. I’d love to. Just let me
finish the hall and closets, and I’ll be all yours.”
    I almost growled in frustration. How could someone I loved
so much be so aggravating? Here I was, concerned for his health, and he was
worried about painting a hallway. He was hardheaded enough to stand firm
against my objections, which meant I had no choice but to play dirty.
    “If you’re feeling that good, maybe you should put your
energy to good use.” With one finger, I traced a hardened drip of paint down
his chest.
    His eyes popped wide before they filled with heat. “What did
you have in mind?”
    “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe something like this.” I answered
him with a kiss.
    This was my real homecoming. His lips were a perfect fit for
mine, so giving and soft and firm. Our breath mingled, and my whole body filled
with a languorous, smoky sensation that made me moan into his open mouth. It
was a good thing I had something to hold on to—his broad shoulder under one
hand and those unruly curls threaded between the fingers of my other. The
rascal must have treated himself to a beer because I could taste a hint of malt
where our tongues met and tangled.
    Was he supposed to be drinking alcohol after a concussion? I
wasn’t sure, but I was more determined than ever to get him off his feet.
Without breaking the kiss, I reached down to pop the button of his jeans. He
pulled back, offering me the chance I needed to grasp the metal tab of his
zipper and slide open his fly.
    “Nothing wrong with your circulation,” I teased.
    His erection was as long and strong as usual. He hissed when
I slipped my fingers around the fat head of his cock and gave it a testing
squeeze. A tiny drop of precum oozed out. I took a firmer hold on his shaft and
used it to lead him to the couch in the family room. As soon as we reached it,
I dropped his pants and pulled off his shoes and socks so I could bare him from
the waist down. Removing his shirt was a trickier proposition since raising his
arms was painful. Between the two of us, we took it off very slowly.
    Once he was fully naked, he reached for my blouse. “You’re
overdressed.”
    “And you’re overeager.” I slapped his hands away and pushed
my body into him so he was forced to take a seat. “Why don’t you just sit there
and enjoy the show?”
    He looked surprised, though definitely interested.
    I’d never done a striptease before, but it was worth a try
if it kept him in place. Working from the top down, I unclipped my hair and let
it fall in messy waves. Although I wasn’t very graceful, I swayed my hips in
what I hoped was an erotic movement.
    My blouse came next. This one didn’t have any buttons, so I
had to slip it off over my head. I teased him by fanning the hem up and down