He snorted. “Out, baby girl. Now.”
Drat. His voice had that stern note she couldn’t resist. The one that sent a shiver down her spine. She started to crawl out. As she grew closer, he stood and reached out with his hand, helping her up.
He stared at her. She noted that he hadn’t shaved yet this morning. The slight scruff on his handsome face suited him. Made him look slightly more dangerous and sexier.
“How you feeling this morning?” he asked, letting her hand go. Damn, she missed that contact. His hand was large, warm and calloused.
Delicious.
“Umm.” How to answer that? That she really wished a hole would open up and swallow her whole?
She stared down at the floor.
“Babe? What you staring at?”
“Hoping a hole will appear in the floor.”
He sighed then reached out and gently grasped hold of her chin, tilting her face up. “Ain’t nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Really? Has your memory gone faulty? Because I can remember lots to be embarrassed about.” She frowned up at him.
“Hmm, and here I thought you were so quiet and shy.”
“I am,” she muttered. “Until someone insults my fort and snack-making ability.”
“Babe, a two-year old could have done better.” He looked at her fort, shaking his head. “Sad, really. How your education is lacking.”
“You want to do better?”
“Another day. Go get dressed, babe. We’re going for breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry.”
He folded his arms over his very wide chest. He was wearing a pair of worn blue jeans and a blue T-shirt. His dark hair was scruffy, like he’d just woken up, pulled on his clothes and walked over here.
Which he likely had.
“Babe, word of warning. I’m grouchy before I get in my morning coffee or three so you might want to hurry it up before I take you out looking like that.”
She glanced down at the clothes she’d pulled on this morning. A pair of nearly see-through yoga pants and an old, paint-stained T-shirt. These were her housework clothes. She wouldn’t be seen dead outside the house in them.
She glared up at Duke. “I just lost my job; I don’t think going out for breakfast factors into my budget anymore.”
There, that was a nice adult reason not to go out. Nothing to do with the fact that she could feel herself blushing every time she looked at him and remembered the way he’d held her in the shower. . .oh Lordy.
“That was a shit excuse. I asked you. I pay. Now get. Before I dress you myself and haul you out of here over my shoulder.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re stubborn and rude?” She glared up at him.
“Been called way worse. You’re gonna need to up your game to actually insult me. Now go. I’m out of patience.” He took hold of her shoulders and turned her towards the bedroom, landing a heavy smack on her ass.
She rubbed the sting, turning to gape back at him. It didn’t actually hurt. But it was the first time anyone had smacked her bottom since Alan. Greg had been horrified the one time she’d suggested it to him, and he’d actually offered to find her a therapist to deal with her unhealthy desires.
Yeah, she hadn’t mentioned it again.
She stared in disbelief at Duke who just watched her calmly, his arms crossed over his chest, his T-shirt tight across his pecs and a stern look on his face.
Okay. She guessed she was getting dressed.