In his room that night, she opted to leave her yoga pants and T-shirt on, though she did lose the sweatshirt. When she climbed beneath the covers, however, he snatched the blankets off her.
“What’s this?” He gestured to her wardrobe.
“I’m cold!”
“You won’t be with me next to you.” He gestured to himself. “Human heater.”
“By your own admission, you spent most of this year not sleeping next to a naked woman—” she sat up and gathered the blankets over her body “—wouldn’t want to spoil you unnecessarily.”
“Low blow, Andrix.” He tugged off his sweatshirt and dropped his jeans and she pulled the blankets to her nose and admired his rock-hard, sculpted, beautiful body.
He tossed his clothes over a chair and she found it cute. From the outside, he appeared to be a neat freak yet he never truly made his bed and always tossed his clothes instead of folding or hanging them. It made him somehow more approachable. More relatable.
On her side, he lifted the blankets. “Scoot.”
“This is my side!” she argued but scooted.
“Excuse me. This is my bed, interloper. Do as I say.”
Once under the covers, he looped one arm around her waist and shoved the other beneath his pillow. On his side, he faced her, his eyes heavy.
They’d had afternoon sex in her room today. After they’d eaten lunch and warmed up from playing in the snow, he’d come in and grasped her hips, grinding into her from behind. She’d gladly stopped what she was doing—packing—and made love to him.
Made love.
She thought the words with an eye roll, but there wasn’t a better way to phrase it.
He’d always had an intimate way about him that was impossible to deny. Temporary or not, when they were together, they were both focused on the finite. The immediate moment—the breaths they shared. The noises they made. The sensations in their bodies turning them inside out.
She hated to admit it, but she was hoping they’d have another go at it tonight.
“You’re too tired,” she said, but noticed her own eyelids weighing heavy.
“Too tired for what?” But he knew. He grabbed a handful of her T-shirt. “You’re the one who’s dressed. I took that as a lack of interest.”
“Where you’re concerned, Mr. Mayor, there’s never been lack of interest.” She’d meant the comment to tease, but her voice came out husky.
“I’m never too tired.” His hand warmed her belly and coasted north until he found her bare breast. He tweaked a nipple and she squirmed. He did it again and he smiled. “I feel a second wind coming on.”
Her answer was a lust-heavy exhale.
The blankets were gone in a sudden whoosh and his eyes went from half-lidded haze to heated gaze in a split second.
“Off.” He plucked her T-shirt. “I’ll wrestle with these stretchy prison bars,” he said of her tight pants. He made short work of them, throwing her socks over his shoulder as she tore off her T-shirt. He lost the boxer briefs next and lay against her body, every simmering inch of hard muscle warming wherever he touched.
“Still cold?”
She shivered but shook her head. That shiver had nothing to do with cold and everything to do with the anticipation of his clever mouth. His attentive hands. His—
Chase’s tongue circled her nipple and his fingers spread her legs. He dipped his middle finger into her well of desire, finding her wet and ready.
“No, I don’t believe you’re cold any longer.” With a wicked grin, he kissed his way down her body and positioned himself between her legs. He stayed down there a long time, not coming up for air even when she begged him not to make her come again. Instead he wrung one more out of her, one that sent her fluttering pulse into overdrive. Her shouts of completion echoed off his bedroom walls and rang off the wide windows overlooking the silent, snowy lake.
She didn’t know how long she lay on her side, suffering aftershocks from back-to-back powerful releases. When she finally heard his voice it was through a head stuffed with cotton.
“Sleep, beautiful girl,” he whispered into her ear. “You earned it.”
A soft but firm kiss hit the corner of her mouth and She meant to turn over and relay her appreciation, but instead slipped into the gauzy realm of deep sleep and dreamed of nothing at all.