Explosive Alliance (Wingmen Warriors 9)

"Good morning, master of the ice cube."

Fist knotted in the sheet, she threaded the fingers of her other hand through his hair, still damp from his shower. Sheesh, she'd slept deeply not to have heard him. Regret flickered through over the missed opportunity to step inside the spray with him. Before they left tomorrow morning, she would take that memory.

Make the most of every second.

Pulling back, he rested both arms on the ledge and peered up at her. "So is it? A good morning? I didn't mean to lay all that heavy crap from my past on you last night."

"I'm glad you did." She traced along his forehead down to his mouth, which had brought her such pleasure with an ice cube clenched between his teeth. "Makes everything feel more equal since you've had to deal with so much of my heavy crap."

And she couldn't help noticing that he'd used sex to dodge further discussion, which also made her realize how little he'd shared about himself that didn't involve a funny story.

She might not have noticed before, but now she found herself wanting to know everything about him before he left.

"Fair enough, then." He nodded toward the cell phone. "I thought you might want to call Kirstie this morning."

"She's probably still asleep, with the time difference." Although they would probably be waking soon for church. "I'll check in on her a little later. Thanks for retrieving the phones."

"No problem." He hefted himself up, hooking a knee on the window to propel himself inside.

"Bo?" She startled back a step as he vaulted through and wrapped his arms around her seconds before giving her a toe-curling good-morning kiss.

Holy cow, freshly showered Bo smelled good. He tasted good, too, minty toothpaste and a hint of coffee. She melted into a puddle of hormones again at the stroke of his tongue searching her mouth.

He eased his head up from hers. "Have I told you yet you're gorgeous?"

"Yes, and you're so full of it."

"Not today." He traced her bottom lip with his thumb in an echo caress of some of his ice play the night before. "Being with you was even more mind-blowing than I expected, and let me tell you, I had high expectations."

What did a woman say to that? She had so little experience with morning-after chitchat.

None, actually, since she'd never done the affair thing before. He seemed to like her straight-up attitude. She would have to go with that. "I believe it's safe to say you put any of my worries about sex to rest."

Bo winked and dropped another quick kiss on her lips. "My pleasure."

He stepped back and she darn near lost her sheet she'd forgotten to hold because her fingers preferred the feel of his chest. She grappled to secure the wrap. Naked would be fun, but only if he joined in.

For the first time she looked beyond his blue eyes to his clothes—pressed khakis, a button-down shirt and tie, more formal than he'd worn at the wedding.

And so mouthwatering she gripped her sheet tighter to keep from yanking him back into bed with her when he was obviously on his way out the door. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Uh, yeah, for a few hours." Passing her, he strode to his closet and unhooked a dark blue jacket. Avoiding her eyes? "But I'll be back in time to take you out to lunch. I left breakfast on the counter if you're hungry now."

She'd thought they would have breakfast in bed. Where was the great Romeo player she'd expected him to be? Instead she was seeing a man as confused as she felt, which touched her heart more than if he'd showered her with an elaborate meal served up with roses.

"Do you mind if I ask where you're going?"

"To see Sister Nic." He shrugged into the sports coat. "We usually catch morning Mass and then have breakfast whenever I'm in town over the weekend."

Ah, now she understood. This man who worked not to share about himself would lose major privacy if she stepped into that part of his world. She waited for the invitation to join him while he gathered up his wallet and change off the dresser. How strange that she would be hurt if he didn't ask her to go along and scared if he did.

He smoothed his jacket and gave his tie a final tightening tug that must have darn near choked him. "Would you like to come with me?"

Nerves pranced in her stomach like one of her four-legged patients. "Yes, I think I would, if you really want me there."

"I do." He nodded, that tie so snug she feared he might pass out before they made it to the Jeep.

Even though he avoided discussing his biological parents, she understood well Sister Mary Nic had been the true mother figure in Bo's life. Was she reading too much into this invitation to join him?