“Mine.” He definitely wanted to see her in his bed, her hair spread out over his pillow. If that made him some kind of atavistic Neanderthal, it didn’t make the urge any less true.
She didn’t protest, so he took advantage of her easy agreement to push for taking his truck. She protested but only briefly. Five minutes later, they were zipping down the coastal road toward his cottage. She’d started the ride in her own seat, but as soon as they cleared the main town, she’d scooted nearer. Her hand on his leg moved closer and closer to the danger zone. He had no idea how she expected him to drive.
“Piper.” Her name came out more growl than not.
“Cal?” She tucked herself against his side, her eyes twinkling up at him. She was good at keeping him off balance, he admitted. He never knew what she’d do next, just that it would be unpredictable.
“You might want to think twice about what you’re doing before I drive us off the road.” He enjoyed her touch, plain and simple, but he needed to keep his mind on the road.
She made a show of looking out the window. His window. Piper clearly liked living dangerously, because her breasts brushed his shoulder. Twice.
“At least it would be a water landing. We could play rescue swimmer.”
Right. He shook his head. And drove a little faster.
“You really want to play it safe?” she asked, when he didn’t say anything.
“Five minutes. Then you can be as bad as you want.”
“As I want?” she asked.
“Or I want,” he said, knowing he was smiling.
She settled back in her seat, a grin playing over her own mouth. He had the urge to lean over and kiss it off. “You need to learn to take a few chances,” she said.
The turn to his place appeared on their right, and he steered the truck down the winding driveway.
“Not right now.” He threw the parking brake on and killed the engine. “Last stop.”
“You probably locked your door, too,” she said, ignoring him.
The action was simply prudent. Piper was waiting for him when he came around the truck, however, so all thoughts of caution flew out of his head. When her fingers walked over his hip, exploring his pocket, he knew she could feel the thick ridge of his erection.
“Got it.” She produced his keys with a little flourish.
“You bet.” He dropped a quick, hard kiss on her mouth and then threaded his fingers through hers, tugging her toward the door. Getting the key in the lock, he flipped it open as he kissed her again. She laughed against his mouth, the husky, warm sound flooding him with another feeling as he pulled her inside.
“I’m not sure you needed to bother locking up.” She was breathless when she pulled her mouth away from his, laughing as she surveyed his place or what there was of it. He’d opened up one wall of the kitchen in order to rewire and rip out siding that had been riddled with dry rot. As a result, his kitchen “wall” consisted of a blue plastic tarp and several yards of caution tape.
“Feel free to leave and come back in through the alternate exit,” he said drily. Her answering laughter lit up her face, forming small crinkles at the corners of her eyes. She was beautiful, standing there in his house.
“I’ll stay put.” She gave him another smile. “Maybe next time.”
His kitchen definitely wasn’t winning any design awards. It still had the avocado-green appliances and the worn-out linoleum installed at least four decades ago by the original owner. Cal had decorated with stacks of paint cans, tools, and—she counted—three toolboxes. If he owned a kitchen table and chairs—or even pots, pans, anything remotely kitchenlike—she didn’t see them in here.
“Kitchens are for cooking,” she pointed out.
“And eating,” he agreed. “Mine’s a work in progress.”
* * *
“I HAVE AN IDEA,” he said.
“Oh?” Her rescue swimmer had a wicked look in his eyes as he prowled toward her.
“You don’t seem to have the proper respect for my kitchen. I think I should rectify that.”
“Did you bring me here for my opinion on your remodeling skills?” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Not a chance,” he said, and in one smooth move, he picked her up and set her on the counter. Then he stepped in, his palms on either side of her. The look in his eyes, hungry and wild, had her heart aching for him. She was proud of what he’d accomplished as a SEAL. Part of her wished she could tell him just how proud she was, but his diving issues bothered him and she was afraid he’d misinterpret her words.
“Kissing time?” Heat curled through her belly. Hooking her legs around his waist, she rested her heels on his fine butt and ran her hands up his chest.