Colton’s kisses. My lips tingled. Those kisses were something I wouldn’t forget.
My gaze drifted down, over the slope of my shoulders and then across my chest. I pressed my lips together as I lifted my hands, placing them over my breasts. The skin was smooth, nipples puckered. Steam began to fill the bathroom, dampening my skin. I lowered my hands. My breasts were round and full. Definitely nowhere in the general vicinity of perkiness, but they…they matched the rest of me. My waist curved in slightly and then flared out, forming round hips. The shadowy area between my plump thighs drew my attention. Brazilian wax? Uh, no. I almost laughed out loud at that thought.
God, it had been so long since I had sex.
Could I do it? An image of Colton formed in my thoughts, and the flush raced down my throat. Biting down on my lip, I was pretty sure that I could do it. The man neared perfection when it came to his body.
That would be a lot to overcome.
As I twisted to the side, peeking at my behind, I tried to come to terms with how I felt about myself. It wasn’t easy and the steam covered the mirror before I had any answer. I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water beat down on me. I wasn’t sure if it was a lack of self-esteem or a lack of action that had my confidence bouncing all over the place. Or maybe it was the fact that I spent every day caught up in the fictional worlds of the authors I edited, experienced their love, their heartbreak and everything in between that I hadn’t, in the last four years, experienced anything in the real world or taken any time for myself.
When Kevin passed away, I had thrown myself into work. If I was honest, that was when I started to lose sight of myself, of who I was. I didn’t want that any longer. Last night I had decided that I couldn’t pass up the chance to feel again. And what I saw in the mirror wasn’t horrifying. It was the same body Kevin used to refer to as Botticelli beautiful. Curves weren’t a bad thing.
I just needed to get my mind on board with all of that.
Since I had gotten up early, I hit the computer after I’d showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a loose, cap sleeve blouse. I was able to work on a couple of pages before my phone dinged. It was a text from Colton. He was outside.
Heart jumping all around like a bouncing bean, I saved my work and closed the laptop. My bare feet were silent as I came down the stairs. The fresh pot of coffee I’d put on scented the air. Reaching the door, I opened it with a deep breath.
And the same breath punched out of my lungs.
The jeans he wore were faded along the knee and the old screen T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. He lived in these kinds of clothes. Not dress shirts and pants, and while he looked good in his detective getup, he looked damn good in jeans.
“Mornin’,” Colton drawled, stepping inside. He held a white cardboard box that smelled like heaven, and as I moved to close the door, he swooped down, pressing his lips against my cheek. The innocent brush of his lips across my skin sent an acute shiver down my spine. “I swung by the hardware store and picked up the stuff.”
Closing the door, I ordered myself to pull it together. “And the bakery?”
“Always the bakery.” He tossed a grin over his shoulder as he headed toward the kitchen, where he placed the box on the counter. “I got some muffins and éclairs. You haven’t eaten yet, right?”
My tummy grumbled happily. “No. Thank you for doing that—for doing all of this.”
“Like I said before, my pleasure. Do you prefer chocolate or fruit?”
I watched him from under my lashes. “Chocolate. Always chocolate.”
He chuckled as he plucked the chocolate éclair out, placing it on a napkin. “I’ll have to remember that.” Picking up a fruity éclair, he faced me and leaned back against the counter. “Did you sleep well last night?”
At first, I had tossed and turned, thinking about his kiss and what he’d said. I’d been turned on and I had to take care of that. Not that I was going to share that piece of info. Obviously. “I slept okay. You?”
His lashes lowered as