“I was not demanding,” she argued, her cheeks hot.
“I hate to argue with you, Goldilocks, but you were.” He leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. “And I liked it.”
He was right. Last night, she’d been a woman possessed. Something about Brody flipped a switch on her libido. Like now. She grabbed him, rising up on her knees to kiss him.
He moaned, crawling onto the bed to pull her flush against him. “I can stay a little longer.”
As much as she wanted him to stay, right here, in her bed, she knew better. “You have three little girls who expect to see their father when they wake up,” she said between kisses. Her father’s anger she could deal with if she had to, but she wouldn’t keep little girls from their dad. She let go of him, pushing against his chest. “You can’t stay.” She cast one last look at his incredible chest and slid off the other side of the bed. She wrapped the sheet around her and headed into the kitchen to collect his shirt.
He followed, taking his shirt from her and sliding it on. “I’ll see you later on, with Cal? We’ll get his lessons started this afternoon at Click’s place.”
“I’m still not sure that’s a good idea,” she argued.
“You weren’t sure last night was a good idea, either.” He grinned. “It turned out pretty well, I’m thinking.”
How could he do that? Make her cheeks—and her body—burn with a simple grin?
He pulled her into his arms. “Making you come apart for the first time was one of the greatest gifts I’ve been given.” He kissed her. “Glad we didn’t stop at just once, though. You know, practice is always a good thing.”
She was too breathless to argue. There was no point in arguing. He was right. About everything. Instead she kissed him back, breaking off to say, “I’m now a fan of practice.”
He kissed her again. “I’ll make sure we get more practice time, Goldilocks, don’t you worry.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” With a final kiss, she stepped out of his arms. “Now get out of here before my daddy shoots you.”
Brody laughed. “Last night might have been worth it.” He winked and opened the door. But he hesitated on the front porch, shooting her a look she wasn’t prepared for. It wasn’t just attraction in his tawny gaze. No, it was more. It seeped into her slowly and cradled her heart in tenderness. “You’re beautiful.”
She leaned against the porch railing and watched him drive away. Even after he was gone, she stood, watching the sun break over the horizon.
The enormity of last night hit her. She had slept with Brody Wallace. She closed her eyes, flashes of their night together warming her through and through. She’d loved every minute of their time together. No one had ever treated her like that—like her pleasure mattered. Like he was honored to be with her.
Now that he was gone, there was nothing to chase away the fear and panic that clawed its way from her stomach to her throat.
Yes, there would be hell to pay if people found out. But...that wasn’t it. There was this very real, very intense, very undeniable sense that Brody hadn’t just introduced her to pleasure. He might have introduced her to something so much more...
* * *
“CAL AND TANNER?” Amberleigh said as soon as Brody opened his eyes.
“What??
? he asked, peering at the clock on his bedside table. It was six thirty. He’d driven home, taken a shower, fallen into bed, and thirty minutes later all three of his girls had climbed into bed to stare at him. Today was going to be rough. But damn it was worth it.
“Tanner okay?” Suellen asked.
“Go see him?” Marilyn asked.
He yawned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Not today, girls. Tanner probably won’t be going home for a bit. And then he’ll need lots of rest.” Not three rambunctious toddlers nursing him back to health.
Three identical frowns creased his daughters’ faces.
He flopped back on the pillows. “Maybe later.”
He dozed while they played princess ponies in his bed. But once Amberleigh declared she was hungry, he knew it was time to get up.
“Pancakes? After you get dressed,” he said, shooing them from his room long enough to get dressed himself.
His mother was already in the kitchen. “Good morning,” she said, planting a kiss on his cheek. “You sleep well? You came in late.” Her voice lowered, but he heard her say, “Or, should I say, early?” And, judging from the look she shot him, she wasn’t happy about it.