Bare It All

Just as she’d wanted to undress him and prepare his bath? All right, so now what?

“I’m bathed,” he told her. When was the last time he’d soaked in a tub? “Well fed, too.” The dinner had been fast but filling. “I’m even wearing clean clothes.” Clothes that she’d laid out for him. He would’ve definitely protested that, except that he had a feeling she’d deliberately chosen the draw-string athletic pants and soft cotton undershirt because they’d be easy to remove.

She dried her hands. “You could take Cash out one last time.”

He glanced at the clock. Hell, it wasn’t late. What did “one last time” mean? Unless...did she plan to keep him in bed the rest of the night?

Despite his best efforts at control, his Johnson jumped at the possibility.

Damned unruly body part.

“Sure,” he said, hoping she didn’t hear the lust sharpening his tone. “I can do that.” He left his chair.

“But Reese?” She came up to him, smoothed a small hand over his abs—abs now clenched tight with anticipation. A pretty blush warmed her cheekbones. “Make it fast, okay?”

“Not a problem.”

She got out Cash’s treat jar—a sure sign that she wanted uninterrupted time with him. “When you’re done, give him one and then come into the bedroom.”

Fascinating how her blush deepened, but her eyes didn’t waver. Bold. Sexy. Sweet.

He liked it. A lot.

Wondering how far she’d go, Reese dipped his head and took her mouth in a hot, possessive kiss. “Give me ten minutes, tops.” Sometimes Cash liked to explore every possibility before choosing the perfect spot.

Luckily, Reese didn’t run into anyone else in the lot, and Cash didn’t find any birds or squirrels to provoke him. With the promise of a treat, he urged Cash to hurry, and in record time he had him back in the apartment.

Reese hadn’t even been out long enough to work up a sweat in the thick humidity.

The second he closed and locked the apartment door, he heard Alice in the shower. Picturing her wet, naked, he started to join her—but he hesitated.

He didn’t want to steal her thunder.

Instead, he took a minute to play with Cash before giving him the chew treat. When he heard the water shut off, he went into the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed to wait.

Fully erect.

Every nerve ending sizzling.

Anticipation honed.

Wrapped in a towel, skin still damp and one hand lifted to remove a tie from her hair, Alice rushed in.

She halted at the sight of him. Those luscious eyes showed surprise, a hint of embarrassment, even a little disappointment.

Until determination overrode everything else. He saw the shift in her expression, in the way she moved.

Looking her over, Reese badly wanted to strip away the towel that kept her slender body hidden from his view.

Instead, he made himself sit there, the epitome of patience.

Movements measured for effect, Alice finished freeing her hair so that it tumbled down around her shoulders. “That was fast.”

“You thought I’d linger?”

In a small, telltale sign, the hand holding the towel clenched, and her breathing deepened. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

She stood there a moment longer, maybe working up her courage—or figuring out how to proceed. As sexual as they’d been, as open and honest as she was in bed, this was new for her.

She dropped the towel.

Just like that, with no warning. Reese sucked in a breath, soaking up the sight of her. It didn’t matter how many times he’d already seen her, this was a new attitude for her, and it fired his blood.

His gaze moved to her tight ni**les, the damp curls between her legs, her soft, pale skin now rosy all over.

He did his own heavy breathing.

Beautifully bare, she turned and closed the bedroom door. He heard the quiet click like a blast of thunder.

“Damn, you have me tightly strung.” Her ass was a special source of lust for him, and she knew it. “Come here.”

Facing him, she murmured, “I’d like to get your clothes off, okay?”

“Great. Clothes off.” He reached for her, but she shook her head.

“Raise up your arms so I can take off your shirt.”

Reese started to strip it off himself, but she stepped between his thighs, and the sweet scent of her body filled his head.

Catching his shirt, she tugged it from his hands. “Arms up, please.”

Jesus. Unable to recall the last time he’d been this frantic for sex, he lifted his arms.

Alice worked the shirt up, slowly, over his chest and arms until it cleared his head. After tossing it toward her discarded towel, she stepped closer still. Her plump pink ni**les were right there, close enough to kiss. The spicy scent of her arousal mixed with the scent of her soap, the scent of his need.

She touched his shoulders with both hands, gliding her delicate fingertips over his skin, around to his nape, up and into his hair—which brought her closer, so close he couldn’t resist.

He ducked his head to move his tongue over her left nipple.

Her fingers knotted in his hair. “Lay back.”

Tension coiled tight.

“This time,” she told him, “I want to touch your big, gorgeous body.”

He met her gaze.

And she whispered, “Without you taking over.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

REESE FELT RIGID enough to break as he tried to recline. Now he knew what she had planned, and it ratcheted up his temperature and his need until he couldn’t get enough oxygen into his lungs.