you.”
She eased up onto her forearms and found his eyes. “I don’t know,” she said with a small smile, “those names are beginning to grow on me.”
Chapter Twenty
Ana tightened the knot of the black silk robe she’d thrown in her bag at the last minute. A lightning-quick shower after her dip in the pond while A.J. phoned Harper had done nothing to cool off the desire her sexy cowboy had awakened.
I let him go down on me. What was I thinking? She cursed the guilt trying to rope her in. Stop thinking. You were giving yourself permission to finally live after refusing to feel anything real for a long, long time.
She clamped her legs together and set a hand to the wall outside her bathroom door when little pulses of need began clamoring for her attention yet again at the memory of A.J.’s hands and mouth on her body.
When she told him the truth about her parents, it felt as though the weight of her past had been lifted. A.J. accepted her, flaws and all, and she wondered, as crazy as it seemed, if she was starting to—
“It’s me. You decent?” A knock followed A.J.’s words.
It was unlocked, but she slowly strode toward the door. Nervous and excited at the same time to see him again. Was it ridiculous that she felt like a teenager about to open the door for her prom date, hoping that he’d like her dress?
Prom. Something she’d only wished she’d experienced. A.J. would’ve made an amazing date. He probably had every girl in school hoping he’d asked her to the dance.
“One second.” She took a deep breath and placed her palms on her warm cheeks, praying they weren’t as red as her hair at the memory of his mouth between her legs.
She swung open the door and stepped back. One hand braced against the wall outside the door, the other positioned at his side. He looked clean and smelled delicious.
His fingers began to drum against the leg of his khaki cargo shorts, and she followed the length of his body up to see him staring at the plunging neckline of her silk robe. Was he nervous, too? “You promised I wouldn’t see you in that.”
“Yeah, well, things change. This robe seems downright modest after the pond and, you know . . .” And there went her cheeks, probably firecracker red now.
His brows pulled together, making a show of pretending to be confused, and then he brought his arms across his chest. And oh, those arms. Defined, but naturally sculpted, like A.J. had tossed bales of hay over and over again, not like he’d pumped iron at the gym.
And that six-pack with the V that disappeared beneath his boxers . . .
His strong back muscles. The trim waist that went up to broad shoulders. Per-freaking-fection.
“No, I don’t actually know.” His lips curved into a knowing smile. “You should tell me.”
She set a hand to the fresh white tee he wore, her palm settling on his chest above his crossed arms. His heart was beating fast. Was it because he had news from Harper or because they were no longer denying their scorching chemistry?
“Now that I think about it, I seem to remember you taking your shorts off and pretty much begging me to lick that sweet pussy of yours. So, I guess you’re right, that robe doesn’t do much considering I’ve seen what’s underneath.” Humor infiltrated his tone.
“And you’re such a bad liar. This little thing still turns you on.” She surprised herself with a jab right back. “Undressing me with your eyes right now.”
His cocky grin had her playfully rolling her eyes and using her hand on his chest to push herself away. She turned and walked back into the room, expecting he’d follow, but when she stole a look back, he remained in the doorway. “You’re right, which is why I shouldn’t come inside.” His forehead was tight, lips barely parted as he spoke. An attempt at restraint?
“Phone call that bad?” She sat on the bed and fidgeted with the belt of her robe, adjusting it to ensure there was no boob action. She peered up, finding him still standing rigid in the doorway.
And . . . maybe stiff below the belt? His pants were a bulky material, but there’d been a twitch of something down there just now.
She never had a chance to get a look at him beneath those starred and striped boxers down by the pond, but she’d certainly felt his