Chapter 15
She threw his clothes in the dryer before they made a simple dinner of hash browns and eggs, then Merit led her back to the bathroom to wash every inch of her addicting curves in the shower. She dropped to her knees and nearly brought him to his before he took her against the tiles, slow and easy, until she convinced him she and the baby were fine, and her whispered demands for harder and faster made him lose control. She came apart in his arms, and he fell right with her.
After they dressed again, she checked in with Ian—who was having a blast at the water park—made a huge bowl of popcorn, and they watched Eagle Eye—her pick—then moved on to Fallen Skies—his pick.
Merit was on the edge of his seat with her action-packed suspense thriller, but during his sci-fi horror selection, her backside spooned against his front became a distraction he couldn’t resist. Because, like the night of the wedding, he couldn’t get enough of her. He suspected he never would, and marveled at the lack of panic that realization caused.
He started out tracing his finger along the neckline of her snug tank top. When he noticed her breathing go from rested to shallow, he dipped his finger in lower, easing his way under the material to the tight little buds just begging for his touch. His first light pinch made her breath hitch, and the second drew a soft moan from her parted lips.
“Aren’t you going to watch your movie?” she asked breathlessly.
“I’ve seen it already.”
“Then why’d you pick it?”
“I wanted you scared enough to stay close.”
She wiggled her backside against him, teasing his hard length pressed against the firm curves. “This close enough for you?”
He gave her breast a light squeeze. “Almost.”
Merit spent a few more minutes playing with her breasts, and when he pulled his hand from her top, her husky sound of protest made his erection throb in agreement. But he wasn’t done yet. Flattening his palm against her ribs, he slid his hand down to slip under the waistband of her form-fitting shorts. His pulse skipped when he felt how wet she was for him, and he groaned at the thought of stripping her bare to bury himself in her heat again.
He shifted position to pull her shorts down her silky thighs, but this time, he wanted a taste of her sweetness, and he didn’t stop until she’d screamed his name with her fingers clenched in his hair. Then he shut off the TV and the lights, and carried her back to her bedroom.
Two steps from the bed, he slowed when he realized she’d fallen asleep in his arms. He stood there for a moment, staring at her lashes fanned against her still flushed cheeks as her head rested against his shoulder.
His chest tightened and emotion swelled a lump in his throat.
The day had turned into something so much better than he ever expected, he kind of hated that it was over. But she was clearly exhausted, and she definitely needed her rest, so he pulled the covers back and laid her down. He tugged the sheet and blanket up to her shoulder, smoothed her wavy blond hair back to press a kiss to her temple, then reluctantly straightened to leave.
He’d send her a text and write her a note so she—
“Stay.” Mae’s lashes lifted, and her sleepy gaze met his. “If you want…”
The only time he slept at a woman’s house was when he was too drunk to remember to leave after sex—and it had been a couple years since that had last happened. The thought of choosing to stay so he could see her beautiful face and those blue eyes in the morning sunlight should scare the shit out of him.
Then again, finding out she was pregnant should’ve scared the shit out of him for longer than an hour or two, and right now, his tripping pulse had absolutely nothing to do with fear.
She shifted toward the middle of the bed to make room for him, and he didn’t give it another thought before stripping off his T-shirt and jeans to slip in behind her in his briefs. Her slow, even breathing told him she was out again, and despite the ever-present desire strumming in his veins, he was asleep shortly after.
The digital clock on the nightstand read six thirty-three a.m. Merit slowly lowered his head back to the pillow. Tracing his gaze over Mae’s face, he’d give anything for a paint brush right now. That, and a clear canvas so he could immortalize the view in front of him. He quelled the urge to brush aside the wild, wavy strands of blond hair spilled across her cheek and settled for committing the vision to memory. Maybe he could do it justice later.
His eyes drifted shut in the peaceful silence, and next time he woke, he was alone in the bed. This time, the clock read seven forty-nine, the washing machine hummed from somewhere down the hall, and he could hear the faint sound of the TV in the living room.
As he stretched, a deep inhale had the faint combination of Mae and coffee teasing his senses.
Thought she wasn’t supposed to have caffeine?
He brushed aside the covers and grabbed his clothes for a quick trip to the bathroom. Mae had left a clean wash cloth, new toothbrush, and toothpaste on the counter. After he donned his pants and brushed his teeth, he pulled his T-shirt on as he ventured into the kitchen. With each step, his pulse picked up pace.
It settled back down when he saw Mae in front of the coffee pot, back to him, swaying her slim hips to the music playing on a commercial in the living room. She still wore those sexy little form-fitting cotton shorts and tank top from last night, her wavy blond locks barely dusting her bare shoulders.
He grinned as he moved forward to stand beside her. “Morning.”
She startled, the teaspoon in her hand clinking against the mug in front of her. As her gaze met his, a smile spread across her face—along with a blush. “Hi.”
Before he could dip down to give her a kiss, she turned back to the mug and started stirring again. As her arm brushed against his, he took note of the empty hot chocolate packet next to a gallon of milk, and a jar of caramel sauce with a bowl of ice cream on the label.