An hour or so later, she lay prone on the bedding, overly satisfied and overly warm. She kicked at the comforter, and it slid off the corner of the bed and onto the floor with a shiff.
“I’m thirsty,” she said.
“I’m hungry.” He kissed her forehead. “Be right back.”
How he’d found the energy to bolt out of his bed and strut across the room, she had no idea. She also had no complaints, because watching his athletic backside cross the carpet could easily become her new favorite pastime.
A minute later, he padded back into the room, two bags of Windy City potato chips in one hand, a bottle of water and a can of Coke balanced in the other.
“Junk food.” She smiled and stretched her overexerted limbs.
“You cannot refuel on health food after the night we’ve had.” He traipsed his naked body across the room as she blatantly stared. He didn’t mind, proudly wearing only his glasses and a smile. In bed, he opened both bags of chips.
She unscrewed the cap from the water bottle and took a drink. “Do you ever wear contacts?”
“Used to. Why?”
“I once knew a guy who needed glasses but refused to wear them.”
“A guy, huh?” he fished. Wisely, she stayed silent. “Why didn’t he wear them?”
“He thought they made him look weak.”
Landon’s brows scrunched. “Really? I always thought they made me look smart.”
She grinned. That “guy” she’d referred to earlier had nothing on Landon. No one did. The thought made her grin fade. He offered her the BBQ chips from the bag in his hand, but she twisted her lips and went for the jalapeño ranch.
“You like the hot stuff.”
“All evidence points to that fact,” she said, laying the flavorful chip on her tongue. She poked his taut abs. “Hot stuff.”
He ate a few chips. In bed. Never would she have guessed neat and tidy Landon Downey nommed potato chips in bed. “You’re getting crumbs everywhere,” she pointed out.
As if accepting a challenge, he crammed a handful of chips into his mouth. Crumbs tracked down his chest as he crunched. She brushed them out of his chest hair, off his abs, and stopped just short of palming the impressive length of manhood lying against his thigh.
“Stop staring.”
When she opened her mouth to lie and say she wasn’t, he put a chip onto her tongue. She ate the spicy morsel, losing her desire to argue. “These are good.”
“Good?” He reached into one of the bags between them. Leaning on one elbow, he elevated a single, perfectly round chip, dusted to ranchy, jalapeño-y perfection between his finger and thumb. “These are not good,” he said sternly. “These are the cornerstone of a sexy person’s pantry. These,” he let his eyes wander over the surface of the chip as if he was admiring a work of art, “are the Cadillac of chips.”
He winked, then popped the “Cadillac of chips” onto his tongue, munching happily as he gave her a quick lift of his eyebrows.
She repressed a laugh, but couldn’t help smiling. “That’s a good slogan.”
“Thanks. I came up with it myself.”
This man was so much more layered than she’d known. In a way, it wasn’t a surprise. Being a Downey, she inherently knew Landon couldn’t have bypassed the charm so easily conveyed by his brothers. Even Angel was irresistible by her own right. Landon was irresistible, too. A shame. Since Kimber’s sole job after their affair was to do just that. Resist him.
Four hours later, he opened the cab door and kissed her good-bye. A lingering, sweet, delicious kiss she was sure the cabbie gladly charged on his meter. No matter. She’d spend whatever it took to stand here in front of his building and kiss Landon like this.
The accusatory voice in her head whispered that she was being schlepped off like a lady of the night when she could be inside, snuggled deep in expensive bedding against Landon’s naked body. She mentally silenced that voice. Even if he had invited her to stay, she would have had to say no. She had a business to run, and whatever was between them didn’t include snuggling or overnight stays.
He finished the kiss and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Good night, sweet girl.”
“I’m not all that sweet,” she murmured, inserting a sensual husk into her voice. May as well leave him wanting more. He’d done the same for her.
Leaning in, he brushed his lips along her ear. “Yes, you are. Like honey and port and melted caramel.” He licked her ear, suckled, and Kimber forgot where she was… until she grappled the cab door for support.