"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Well, you'd better behave. I'll call you tonight after we finish at Universal Studios and we'll set up a date for that dinner. Sometime this week?"
"Okay. I'll leave you to handle things here."
I stepped back, even though those lips were tempting the hell out of me. I wanted to pull her close again and kiss her hard, lift her in my arms, and take her inside the house. I'd sink inside her before we'd even make it to the bedroom. I hadn't gotten nearly enough of this woman last night. Not just her body, but the way she'd filled my house with her laughter and her warmth. A selfish part of me regretted not keeping her up until morning. I'd wasted those last few hours sleeping instead of enjoying her.
A strong breeze came from the ocean, ruffling her hair, bringing a few strands in her face. On instinct, I pushed them away, tucking them behind her ear. Lori darted the tip of her tongue between her lips. Her nipples pushed against her shirt, suddenly greeting me. I rubbed her earlobe between my thumb and forefinger, touching her bare arm when I lowered my hand.
"Go, before I get other ideas," I said.
I shoved my free hand in my pocket to keep from touching her again. She turned around and walked toward the workers, her hips moving seductively with every step. Did she have any idea how innately sensual she was? Did she know how crazy it was driving me to let her walk away from me?
"Guys, extra care with the flowers. Please! I told you already." She was magnificent, strolling around, dishing instructions. She was a strong woman, raising her son alone, making her own way through life.
I walked back inside the house, bringing the plates to the kitchen. Looking at the counter, I smiled. We'd fought over the last bite of our snack last night. I'd let her win. I climbed the staircase, making a beeline to my bedroom. The bed was unmade, and seeing the rumpled sheets brought another smile. The house hadn't seemed too big last night with Lori in it.
I usually spent Sundays going out for a run and watching soccer games. Occasionally, I also went over pressing sponsorship contracts, but as a rule, I avoided working from home. From there, it was an easy path to becoming a workaholic, and I didn’t want that kind of lifestyle. The club was rendering millions in profits the way I ran it, which was by working a solid nine to five, with the occasional phone call or meeting after hours. I didn’t need or want more money.
Today, I'd broken that rule. After completing my run and watching the third quarter of the latest game, I scrolled through my e-mails, answering the most pressing ones. And I still couldn't stop thinking about Lori. Last night had been incredible. I'd effortlessly opened up to her, and I felt deep in my bones that my life was going to change in a fundamental way. I wanted to make that change. I was so deep in thoughts that I barely heard my phone buzzing. Amber's name flashed across the screen.
"You're on your honeymoon. Don't you have better things to do than call me?"
"Wanted to make sure everything went smoothly today."
"Everything's fine. You wouldn't even know there was a wedding here."
"Graham, I know I've said it before, but thanks so much for everything. And this honeymoon, you shouldn't have. It's too much."
Ah, there it was. I knew we'd been having this conversation.
"Enjoy it."
"You've been sneaky about it."
"Was the only way." I hadn't given them any details about their honeymoon, just made it sound as if they'd be getting a weeklong getaway in a spa resort in the Los Angeles area. It was half true. They were in a resort... in the Bahamas. I got to my feet and headed outside, descending on the beach.
"So, Lori's gone already?" she asked.
"Yep. Three hours ago."
"Counting the minutes too, huh?"
"That obvious?"
"Saw how you were looking at her last night, but I was too busy enjoying the spotlight to call you out on it."
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"Right."
"You going to see her again?"
"Definitely."
"I sense a 'but' in your tone."