“Mills,” Troy said, answering the phone. He sat up and adjusted the sheet around his waist.
Julie took the time to admire his six-pack abs and the muscles that defined his chest and accentuated his narrow waist. Despite the crazy mondo orgasm she’d just had, she felt her insides go all melty just looking at the man. She’d done things with him—and let him do things to her—that she hadn’t with anyone else. She trusted him on a level she almost didn’t understand. It went deep down where she felt it in her heart.
“No, it’s okay,” Troy said on the phone. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. She rested her head against his chest and listened to the comforting thump of his heartbeat. Yeah, she could get used to this very easily. “You didn’t,” he said into the receiver. “We weren’t busy.” He squeezed her shoulder and she smiled. They’d been busy all right. Troy most especially had been busy. “A half hour?” he said, glancing at the clock. “Sure. That’s fine. We’ll be here.” He paused. “I understand. Yeah. Me too.” Troy hung up and turned on his side to face her.
“Uncle Zach’s coming over, eh?” she asked, despite knowing the answer.
Troy nodded. “Sorry.” He wrinkled his forehead in that way that made him look so adorable. “I couldn’t really tell him no.”
She stroked his cheek. “I don’t expect you to. I’m sure he’s dying to talk to you. How long has he had this information and how long has he been wishing to see you? Years,” she said answering her own question. “It’s only natural that he wants a private conversation.”
He took her hand and kissed her palm. “You’re a very understanding...”
She waited for the word. Girlfriend? Chick? Actor? What the hell did he want to say?
“...person,” he finally said.
He’d opened the door wide to have the conversation she wanted to have, but it didn’t seem fair to heap relationship matter at his feet when he had a different relationship to work on in about twenty-seven minutes.
“I should get in the shower,” she said. But she didn’t budge because she loved looking into his dark intense eyes.
“We could conserve water, but we have to be careful with your stitches,” he murmured, his eyes growing darker.
“That’s very eco-friendly of you, Mr. Mills.” She threw the sheets off, lunged for the bathroom and ignored the pressure in her thigh. “Last one in the shower is a rotten egg!”
* * *
Troy finished shaving as Julie ran a hand through her wet hair. She looked like a model for a soap commercial. Fresh, clean and absolutely flawless. Except for the scars from two bullets and the shrapnel wound on her leg, barely covered at the moment by a thick beige towel. He hated those reminders. He glanced at a similar scar on his own arm and fought an involuntary shudder. That had been one hell of day.
Julie wrapped her arms around him from behind and the fresh clean scent of her shampoo went straight to his head. He’d never been so...so...domesticated in his life. Had never shared a bathroom with a woman, ever. The tips of her fingers slid beneath the waistband of his unbuttoned jeans and Troy held his breath. She glanced in the mirror and caught his eye. One eyebrow waggled suggestively and Troy laughed. It didn’t matter that they’d made love before they got in the shower, or that they’d made love again in the shower, she still wanted him. Damn if he didn’t feel the same way about her. Apparently her leg wasn’t bothering her as much as it had a couple of days ago.
But the clock ticked on.
“You know my uncle is going to be here in—”
“About twelve minutes.” She took her hands out of his jeans and reached for a comb on the counter. “Bummer. Maybe after he leaves we can pick up where we left off.”
“You wouldn’t be getting any complaints from me.”
This time she waggled both eyebrows. “I better not. I’d hate to have to do something against your will.”
“You know, that sounds kind of kinky. I like it.”
She faced him, her smile soft and as beautiful as the woman herself. “Well, I like...” She paused, her eyes serious despite her grin. “I like you,” she said quietly. Then she turned toward the mirror and combed out her hair.
Yeah, okay. He was in serious trouble here because he more than just liked this woman. He had serious