“Good to you?” she asked as she sat by him on the edge of the bed. “I enjoyed that. All of that.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you I was about to come. I know it’s kind of a lot to take in.”
“You warned me. I didn’t mind.”
“I did warn you?”
She nodded. “In the midst of telling me all the things you wanted to do to my body and a few things you wanted me to do with yours, you warned me.”
“I have postorgasm amnesia. I say this stuff and don’t even realize I’m saying it. I hope none of it offended you.”
“It didn’t. Although some of it’s probably impossible. I don’t think I can bend that way. And I’m pretty sure one of your suggestions is illegal.”
“Illegal?”
“Last I checked, indecent exposure is still a crime in Oregon.”
He rolled his eyes. “Clearly you’ve never been to Portland during the annual Naked Bike Ride.”
“I knew I lived an hour from that city for a reason.” She bent and kissed him on the center of his chest. He didn’t know why she did that but he liked it. “I did enjoy that. My first full blow job. Very exciting.”
“You’re good at it.”
“You told me exactly what to do. You’re a very good teacher.”
“You get an A in BJs.” He glanced over at the clock and back at her. “It’s 9:35. Lose the lace, toots.”
“A deal is a deal,” she said. Clover stood up and shimmied out of her gown and pulled her panties off. Her naked body glowed in the light of the bedside oil lamp and he couldn’t tear his eyes from her full round breasts and the little patch of hair between her legs, nearly as soft and pale as the hair on her head. “Happy now?”
“You are naked. I am the happiest man on earth. Are you the happiest woman on earth?”
“I think so. I mean, I can’t guarantee that,” she said as she sat on the bed next to him again. “I don’t know the happiness quotient of every other woman on earth at the moment, but I’d guess I’m in the top ten at least.”
“Ruthie said I can’t speak to her again until I’ve made you the happiest woman on earth.”
“You can call your daughter. I’ll vouch for you.”
“I’ll call her tomorrow. Now I’m going to put you in bed next to me and sleep for fifteen minutes. Then I’m going to wake up and fuck you. If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. Only fifteen minutes?”
“Hmm...good point. After that orgasm, we better make it thirty minutes.”
“I’ll be here when you wake up,” she said, and it was the sweetest thing she could have said to him. He held her against him, and she rested her head over his heart. Was she thinking what he was thinking? That he wanted her to be there when he woke up, every time he woke up, forever? He tried to tell himself he was going too fast, feeling too much, rushing into things he should be tiptoeing into. But it wasn’t like they were strangers. He’d known her a year. They’d had more than one long serious talk about Ruthie and her situation after Clover had hired her. He’d gotten to know her well as his daughter’s boss and as a businesswoman. He trusted her with his kid, and if that wasn’t a sign that they were good together, he didn’t know what was. But this week, it was just about the two of them. No work. No Ruthie. Just him, just Clover, just them together. They were attracted to each other and the sex was incredible. Ruthie had already given her blessing—sort of. As long as he took good care of Clover and made her happy, Ruthie would give her blessing. And it seemed Clover was having as much fun this week with him as he was with her. If they could make it through Thanksgiving without him telling her family they were assholes to their faces, maybe he had a good shot at making this, whatever this was, into the real deal.
“Can I ask a girl question?” Clover said.
“I’m not a girl.”
“Okay, can I ask a girlie question?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You were smiling. I wanted to know what was making you smile.”