‘It’s wonderful. So is that finger you’re trailing over my breast.’ Totally uninterested in where she was, and only in what he was doing to her body, she stretched like a cat, her arms above her head, her feet reaching to the bottom of the bed. They were never going to find it, the bed being super-king-sized and Harper being about five-six.
But, now that he’d relaxed again and put other things out of his head, he loved watching those cute feet with their—blue?—nails moving back and forth across the cover. ‘What colour’s your nail polish?’
‘Dark pink.’
‘Not blue, then.’
Those eyes he’d grown very fond of twinkled with mirth. ‘Nowhere near, buster.’
‘For what it’s worth, I like dark-pink-slash-blue.’ He stretched out on his side beside Harper and draped an arm over her waist. ‘It would look good on these walls.’
Her eyes widened and the twinkles just got brighter. ‘Very masculine, I’m sure. You could have light pink curtains to match. Duvet in pink and white. Yes, I can see it now.’ Her gaze roamed the room and her expression got a little serious. ‘What an amazing space. You can do so much with this.’
‘Starting with showcasing the view. I’m planning on bigger, lower windows so I can see out over the bay while lying in bed.’ He still pinched himself that he’d been able to purchase this property. There’d been two other buyers trying to outbid him, but once he’d started he’d had to have it. He’d probably spent tens of thousands too many but as he intended staying put for the foreseeable future he knew it was money well spent. As long as he got the renovations right, as well as the colour scheme.
Harper was giggling. Giggling? What happened to serious? Now very immature and absolutely loveable. ‘Don’t make those windows too low or you won’t be able to do anything interesting in this bed without an audience. Even if you are two storeys up.’
There was his cue, if he needed one. ‘Then we’d better make the most of how things are at the moment.’
‘I like the way you think.’ She rolled into him, all soft, pliant and utterly desirable.
Would he ever be able to get enough of her? He hoped so or he was in trouble. ‘Lie back and enjoy. This is your moment.’
‘But I want to play too.’
‘Oh, Harper, you’re going to play, believe me.’ And he proceeded to show her exactly what he meant.
*
Harper rolled over and put a forearm over her eyes to blot out the sunlight streaming in through the windows. Her body ached pleasurably everywhere, even in places she hadn’t known existed until now. Not that she was complaining. Not at all. They were delicious aches. This had to be the best way ever invented to wake up. Shaking her head, she stifled a laugh. She’d got it bad. Got Cody bad. Crikey, but he’d delivered, more than once. More than twice. Even after taking time out for food, because they’d needed sustenance to carry on playing, he’d known how to keep her keen and willing. The man rocked.
She grinned and stretched, making herself as long as possible, reaching for each end of the bed and not quite making it. Maybe she’d finally found her hobby. One that didn’t give her grazes or bruises, or bored her senseless.
‘What’s making you look so satisfied with yourself?’
‘Oh, you know. It’s Saturday and I’m not going to work. The sun’s shining and the wind hasn’t come up yet. I’ve got nothing I have to do by any specific time.’
‘Zero to do with amazing sex, then. I get it.’ Cody stood at the end of the bed, grinning down at her, that well-honed body just as mouth-watering now as it had been the first time she’d seen it. ‘You won’t be wanting your messages, then.’ He held out her phone.
‘Where did that get to?’ She pushed up against the pillows and took it to scroll through the latest texts.
‘Behind a flower pot and under these.’ He held up her panties and swung them on one finger. ‘Just as well we haven’t reached the technological age where our phone screens automatically show the view.’
‘Drat. I forgot to cancel that.’
‘Cancel what?’ The bed dipped as Cody sat down beside her.
‘A paddle-board. I was going to give it a go but changed my mind.’ She felt a little sheepish as his eyes widened and a laugh rumbled over his tongue.
‘You what?’
‘I figured if I fell off…make that when I fell off…I’d have a soft landing and no scrapes or bruises.’ She stared out at the sparkling blue-green harbour and shook her head. ‘But why spend all that money when I know I’ll only give up after the first attempt? I don’t have a sports bone in my body.’ She could give the board to the kids.
‘I beg to differ. You can be very athletic when you find the right activity.’
When she caught his gaze, she saw amusement gleaming out at her and she blushed. ‘Didn’t even graze my knees.’ Her eyes cruised over him and stopped at his scratched upper arms. Gulp. ‘Did I do that?’ She couldn’t have.
‘Yep.’
Contrition jarred her. ‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered. ‘I don’t… Haven’t… Sorry,’ she repeated lamely and stared at her fingernails. She must’ve been out of her mind with desire. Yeah, she had been. Cody had driven her over the edge easily, often, and she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions.
‘Hey.’ A large hand covered both hers. ‘What’s a few light scratches in the heat of the moment? I didn’t notice until I got under the shower and added soap to the mix.’
‘Now, there’s a thought. A shower.’ Her muscles were in need of a warm soak—a long one, at that.
‘Help yourself. There’re towels on the heated rail. Want to stroll down to Oriental Parade after and find somewhere to have breakfast?’
‘Sounds perfect.’
But as she stood under the jets of hot water she couldn’t help wondering where this was going. One night of sex, the best sex ever, didn’t change everything. She still had to work with Cody afterwards. She still couldn’t give him children—which was getting way too far ahead of things. She still couldn’t trust her heart to anyone either, not even Cody. Again, getting way too ahead of herself. Or was she? The feelings rolling through her at the moment were warm, soft, happy and…exciting.
Rinsing the knots out of her hair, she lathered Cody’s shampoo through while her mind worked overtime. She was definitely getting way ahead of herself. She’d done that with Darren and had believed everything was working out perfectly. She needed to take a back step to protect herself, remind herself what the future held, because already it was apparent she couldn’t have a few nights of sex with Cody and wave goodbye as she’d done with the two previous sexual encounters she’d indulged in since her marriage had caved.
A few nights? Who’d said anything about any more nights together? Neither of them had, but there hadn’t been time. Easy enough to remedy. She’d started the ball rolling yes
terday when she’d hauled him out of the pub. She could, and would, do something similar today if necessary, and somehow she didn’t think Cody was finished with her yet.
She reached blindly for hair conditioner and opened her eyes. None. Damn. Her hair felt hard and icky with only shampoo through it. Suck it up. There wouldn’t be a blow-dryer either. Bad hair day coming up.
Snapping off the water, she reached for a towel, soft, large and smelling of aloe vera. Rubbing her nose against the soft weave, she sighed with pleasure. So the man had taste in towels and soap powder. And she had it real bad. Forget it, Harper. He’s not for keeps. He could be, if she’d had what he needed, but she didn’t.
So, should she dry off, shuck back into yesterday’s clothes and head out the front door with a casual wave and a thanks for the great sex, see you on Monday tossed over her shoulder?
Something like that made a lot of sense.
She always did sensible these days.
A little gremlin woke up fast. So don’t. Be different. Instigate more sex later today. Accept what you can’t change and go for whatever you want anyway.
That could end up with someone getting hurt. Cody. Or her. But the idea of having a relationship expanded as fast as she tried to push it away. After Darren, she’d believed she’d be single for the rest of her life unless she found a man over eighty who didn’t want children interrupting his sleep, and she still thought that. But her conversation with Jason echoed somewhere in the back of her mind. Maybe she could have a different dream. What she could do, and it seemed really wanted to do, was have fun with a man. Not only in bed, or on the floor in the entranceway, but over breakfast on the Parade, going to the movies, playing cricket together with the brat pack, or spending time with her family and getting teased silly. Or choosing paint colours.
‘You going to be all day?’ Cody leaned against the doorframe, hands in his jeans pockets, for all appearances like he had the whole day to wait for her. ‘You left the door open.’
She hadn’t noticed. Warmth stole through her. Not rampaging heat that ended in an orgasm, but soft heat that touched her heart, her toes, her tummy and all places in between. He made her feel good about herself. Not something she’d experienced for a long time. For too long. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve got a drawer full of make-up anywhere?’