“Absolutely.”
He captured her hands and curled them around the edges of the countertop. His thumbs stroked her fingers and palms as he positioned her.
“Don’t let go.”
“Are we playing kinky games now?” Oh, how she hoped so.
He gave her an amused look. “You have an impressive imagination.”
He placed his hands on her knees, stepping in farther until her thighs were spread apart and she felt the heat and hardness of his chest. His hands pushed gently, then stroked upward, pulling up the filmy skirt of her sundress. The adrenaline rush of diving, of competing, warred with Sal’s accident and Cal’s calm, determined rescue. Cal had been as effortlessly in control of that as he was of this moment.
Deliberately, he eased her back on the countertop, pulling her legs over his shoulders. Definitely promising.
Warm hands slid beneath her and cupped her butt as a wicked mouth blew gently over the center of her panties.
“Really? Right here?”
“Mmm. You accused me of never being spontaneous. I’m working on changing for you.”
She forgot all about the cool counter as he tucked an old sweatshirt beneath her head. The cotton smelled like his soap and an outdoorsy, fresh scent. Please, please, please, let this be as good as she remembered. She tugged on her ear for luck.
His fingers caught hers. “You don’t need luck.”
“A girl can never have too much luck.”
Instead of answering her, he leaned forward and kissed her, a soft, gentle pressure right on her center. His tongue traced her through the silky fabric. Once. Twice. Her breath shuddered out as she relaxed into his hold.
The next few minutes got heated. At some point, in between his kisses and her moans, he managed to remove her panties.
“Very nice,” he said huskily, tucking the pink satin scrap neatly on the counter beside them. She bit back a small smile. That was her Cal.
He came back to her, and his tongue touched her. He kissed her and loved her, and he was in no rush.
Everything in her tightened, a drumbeat of yesyesyesyes pulsing through her body.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said hoarsely. She exhaled in a hard, sharp rush of air, her lower body clenching as his tongue found her again.
She could fall for a man like this. The thought stilled her, and Cal, being Cal, noticed. His head came up.
“You okay?” Concern darkened his eyes, his fingers stroking lightly over her. “Honey? You with me here?”
She was in so much trouble. This thing she had with Cal was temporary insanity. Chemistry. Whatever they called it, neither of them had called it permanent. She had no business falling in love with him.
“I’m fine.” She tugged on his shoulders, bringing him right where she needed him.
“Back,” she demanded.
“Bossy.” The laughter was there in his voice again.
“I’m blaming you,” she said. Then his mouth found her again, and he drove her crazy, until her whimpers and moans filled the kitchen and she called out his name, pulling his head closer, harder...more.
A long time later, he pulled her off the counter and sat down with her right on the floor. Apparently, he really didn’t have any chairs. She only hoped he had a bed. Or a mattress. Something. She might be desperate enough to make do with a sleeping bag. Since she was parked on his lap, she was fine, but he was the one sitting on the floor. In just a few minutes, he’d acquired a film of sawdust on his blue jeans. He hadn’t been kidding about living in a construction zone.
He rested his chin on her head. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
He wasn’t allowed to have regrets until later.
She blinked, still breathless. “Speak for yourself, but if you’re worried about your technique, we can try it again in about ten minutes.”
His rough chuckle had her melting all over again. “I’m suddenly feeling unexpectedly attached to these countertops.”
She thought about that for a moment.
“Is there anywhere you’re done remodeling? Just so we don’t put your remodel on hiatus?”
His arms tightened around her. “Funny you should ask. The bedroom. And the bath.”
“Excellent priorities.” She wasn’t sure she was going to be able to stir.
“Can I interest you in a change in venue?”
“Only if it doesn’t involve moving,” she groaned. “And if you promise you have an actual bed in there. The counter’s fun, but it’s hard.”
“Not a problem.” He scooped her up and headed down the hallway to where she hoped and prayed he had a bedroom. With a bed. “I’ll show you something else that’s hard,” he said with a wink.