* * *
CAL NOT ONLY had a mattress, but he had a bed frame. He’d paid a visit to one of those mattress stores with two hundred floor models, which was one hundred ninety-eight more choices than he’d needed. Hard or soft. That worked for him as far as choices went. He’d pointed, forked over a credit card and then spent more time arranging delivery to Discovery Island than he’d planned on.
It was worth every minute.
He set Piper down in the center of his bed, and she looked like she belonged. Her eyes were closed, but she was smiling. He sat down next to her.
“Better?” he asked.
“I could definitely take a nap. For which I blame you.”
“Hey,” he said, with mock offense. “Credit, please. I’ll take the credit.”
Her hum of agreement said it all. And the look on her face—sated, he decided. She looked sated. Along with tousled and pleasured. It was a good look for her. He hadn’t planned on taking a nap—parts of him were definitely interested in continuing their kitchen activities—but they had the entire night in front of them and spending it wrapped around her seemed like a fine idea.
She cracked an eyelid but didn’t move when the bed swayed as he stood up. He pulled his T-shirt over his head, folded it and set it on top of the chair that was almost the sum total of the furniture in the room. One bed, one chair, which doubled as a table, and his duffel bag of clothes. The only other thing he had was the Maglite he used for bedside lighting. He didn’t need anything else. Bending over, he unlaced a boot.
Which apparently got her attention.
“What are you doing?” He lifted his head as he pulled off the boot and set it on the floor. She’d rolled over and the move pulled her sundress tight against her breasts.
“You said you wanted to take a nap.” He shrugged. “I’m obliging you.”
“Oh.” She chewed on her lower lip while he worked on the second boot. “Are you always so literal?”
“Do you always say stuff you don’t mean?”
His hands went to the button of his jeans and her eyes followed right along, which made him feel like king of the world. Maybe it wasn’t nap time, after all. Just in case she still wasn’t feeling what he was, he gave her a nice, slow show.
“Wow. I had no idea you were such a tease.” Her eyes didn’t move from his buttons, though, and he was lost. He had no idea how she made him feel this way, but he had a sneaking suspicion Piper had him wrapped around her fingers.
He popped buttons two and three. “Maybe I have hidden depths?”
She grinned at him. “Or maybe I could be convinced to not nap.”
He pretended to think, letting his fingers hover over button number four. “Are you convinced?”
Button number four went the way of his predecessors, and her eyes darkened. “It’s looking good,” she agreed.
The fifth button was really just eye candy, he decided, but he undid it anyhow, then shoved his jeans and his boxers down.
“See anything you like?”
“Over here,” she ordered, sprawling back and pointing to the patch of bed beside her. “Now.”
She was definitely a bed hog. He’d noticed that before, but chalked it up to his being in her bed. This was his bed, however, and she’d claimed two-thirds of the space. He paused just long enough to remove a condom from his wallet, before dropping his jeans back on top of the pile. Then he moved swiftly, scooping her up and making room for himself. He put the unopened condom on the chair. Not the smoothest move in the world but in the interest of being prepared, he told himself. Not because he was assuming or because he might be reduced to begging if this didn’t go the way he hoped.
God, he was hoping.
“You’re overlooking one thing,” he said.
“Oh?” She linked her arms around his neck. They were close enough now for him to rest his forehead on hers, to brush his mouth over her cheek. He did both while she tried to formulate her question. He was getting to her, he thought, fiercely glad. “What’s that?”
“This is my night. I give the orders,” he growled.
And there it was...the heated curiosity he loved about her. “Don’t let me stop you,” she answered and, yep, her words were pure command.
“I can see this is going to be hard for you.” He pressed into her and she laughed. He loved her laugh. The sound reminded him of margaritas on the beach, sweet but with a wicked kick, the strawberry and salt on the cool glass leaving a warm burn in his belly. Maybe they could try this again in Mexico sometime. If things worked out with Fiesta, and she was still talking to him after learning he’d bought her dive shop.