“I’m fine,” he grumbled.
Jade eased off him and moved aside as she sank onto her heels and rested her hands on her thighs. “Wow. I can honestly say you’ve been quite a few firsts for me.”
Cash lifted himself up and turned to see the splintered chair. “Oh yeah?” he asked, then turned his focus back to her. “Such as?”
Her hair was a complete wreck, that lipstick he’d vowed to kiss off had vanished, smudges of mascara had settled beneath her eyes, but she continued to smile as if this were the greatest moment of her life.
“I’ve never broken furniture before,” she claimed. “I never had near-drunken shower sex, a secret fling, or been in an emergency landing. I’ve also never introduced any guy to my mother. I’m not sure if that makes you lucky or cursed.”
He listened to her ramble on. They sat on her kitchen floor totally naked with broken chair parts around them like this was a perfectly normal way to carry on a conversation.
Once she was done ticking off her boxes of firsts with him, Cash got to his feet and extended his hand to help her up. He made sure to angle her away from the splinters of wood that had shot across the floor.
“I hope this wasn’t an antique from Livie’s great-grandmother or something,” Cash said.
Jade laughed again. “It wasn’t, but I do believe it’s been here since Livie was a kid. Not an heirloom, though.”
“Where’s the broom and I’ll get this cleaned up?”
Jade glanced around the floor, then went to retrieve his clothes. He thought she was gearing up to kick him out, but she slid the T-shirt over her head and handed him his running shorts.
“I can’t concentrate when we’re both naked,” she told him.
He raked his eyes over her very fine form. “Well, I can’t concentrate when you’re wearing my clothes.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, then tiptoed carefully around the island and to the hallway. Jade got into the closet and pulled out a trash bag, a broom, and a dustpan.
“I can get it,” she told him. “Why don’t you take the food over to the counter? I have paper plates, or we can eat out of the containers.”
He met her at the entryway and took the cleaning items from her hands. “I’ll get this and I can bring you the food. Go in and have a seat on the couch. Or go on up to the bedroom. I kind of like the idea of eating in that fancy bed of yours while you’re wearing my shirt.”
Jade’s face flushed once again. “I’ll let you clean this, but I’ll get the food and take it upstairs.”
“There’s wine and beer in the plastic sack,” he told her as he started gathering the large pieces of the chair.
“My sack on the island has those cakes and some wine. Bring it when you’re done.”
He threw a glance over his shoulder. “That’s going to be quite a bit of food and drink. How long are you planning on keeping me up there?”
Jade flashed him a naughty grin. “Would you rather keep up your stamina or not be able to fulfill my needs because you need sustenance?”
His body already started stirring. “We’ll take all of it,” he commanded.
As she gathered everything, Cash finished bagging up the pieces and sweeping the smaller splinters. Jade’s cell chimed on the island just as she’d gathered everything in her hands.
Cash leaned over to stare at the screen. “It’s Livie.”
Jade’s eyes widened. “I told her I’d call so she could come over. Damn it.”
“I can hold the phone to your ear,” he offered. “I won’t say a word.”
Jade nodded, and Cash picked up the phone, swiped the screen, and held it up to her ear.
“Hey, Livie,” Jade said, the smile on her face strained, but the happiness came through in her tone. “I forgot to call. I’ve been busy.”
Jade stared at him as she listened to her friend. “Actually, tonight might not be the best. My stomach is cramping something awful.”
There were things Cash didn’t need to know, and even though she was lying, he still didn’t want to hear about stomach cramps.