Who's the Daddy (Crescent Cove 3)
Page 27
“You really didn’t have to do this.” I stroked my hand down the simple lines of the headboard. I probably wouldn’t have picked something like this, but it worked in the space so well. I probably would have gone for something huge and tufted that wouldn’t work at all.
But I’d never been able to have a nice bed. I usually received hand-me-downs from my family and bought at consignment sales. I didn’t mind repainting crap furniture to make it pretty, but the new was pretty awesome.
“As I said, Beck owed me a favor.”
“But this favor could have been a pretty amazing bed for you.”
“I have one.” He sat up and gathered his tools. “You needed it.”
“But this is like a thousand-dollar set.”
“Two.”
My eyes went wide. “Dare.”
“It was a big favor. Besides, he makes this stuff. He charges too much.”
“He made this?”
“Yeah. Runs the furniture shop but most of it is his stuff.” He shrugged. “Local boy done good, right?”
I sagged onto the bed. “It’s too much.”
I nearly asked if he was trying to Christian Grey me before sense kicked in. Dare was no megalomaniac bazillionaire.
He did have a caviar-level penis though, if such a thing existed.
“You appreciate it, right?”
“Of course I do.” Just as swiftly, I stood up. “Thank you so much.” I looped my arms around his neck for a quick hug.
He didn’t seem to know quite what to do with his arms. Then he awkwardly patted my back. “It’s fine. Besides, I’m not being completely altruistic, Nuts Lady.”
“Is that so, Pizza Guy?”
He huffed out something between a grunt and a laugh. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”
I stepped back from him and the backs of my knees bumped into the bed. “You’re just saying that because there’s a big ole bed behind me.”
“I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Besides, you know you’re gorgeous. I’m not the first guy to say it.”
“Who says?”
He tunneled his fingers into my hair and gathered the strands at the base of my neck. Probably sweaty strands, but what was a little perspiration between friends? “There can’t be that many stupid men on this planet.”
“Wrong answer. But no one says it like you do.”
Six
I wished I hadn’t said that. His eyes went wary and I wanted to chew off my damn tongue. “I just mean all rough and gruff.” I swallowed down a
hysterical laugh. “Sometimes a girl likes it rough.”
“Is that so?” His fingers twisted my hair a little tighter.