on my chest and shoulders.
“I like this,” I murmured.
“I like taking care of you,” she said. Without opening my eyes, I reached out for her, pulling her flush against me, kissing the top of her head. For as long as I remembered, it had been about sealing the next deal, winning the next project. I’d never felt this sort of fulfillment, not one day of my life. I could feel Laney’s heartbeat against my chest. This was a huge leap for her, I could tell by how soft with emotion her voice was.
I wanted to claim just a little more of her, until I owned her completely. I was determined to make it happen, no matter what it took.
Chapter Eighteen
Cole
Next morning, I woke up to the sound of hummed music. I walked through the apartment, finding Laney in the guest bathroom. She was wearing one of my T-shirts and no panties, EarPods plugged in. Her iPhone was propped on the counter next to the sink, and a dance routine was playing on it.
Laney was mimicking the moves—some more successfully than others—and humming. She didn’t notice me immediately, even though I was visible in the mirror, but when she did, she shrieked. Turning around, her right leg glided on the tiles; one EarPod flew to the floor. I caught her by the arms, steadying her. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wide.
“Don’t break your neck, doc.”
She blew out a breath, straightening up. Her smile was sassy as she took out the other device.
“I was doing perfectly fine until you scared me. It’s the only workout I can stick to.”
“Why were you doing it in the bathroom?”
“I didn’t want to wake you up.” She blinked. “But I did anyway, right? Crap.”
“I heard you humming. But it’s all good. You just have to do one thing, and you’re forgiven.”
“Oh?”
“Shower with me.”
Laney threw her head back, laughing. I tugged at the hem of her shirt, and she wiggled her eyebrows.
“Are you offering to take off my clothes?”
“Yes,” I said seriously. “Whenever you need that job done, call me. I’m up for it.”
She raised both arms, holding them in the air. I yanked the shirt up over her head, kissing her shoulder and collarbone.
“I see. This is a double mission. I get bonus kisses.”
I kissed from one collarbone to the other, teasing her skin with my tongue.
“Cole,” she muttered. “Shower.”
I straightened, holding my hands in the air, by my head.
“Lead the way, doc.”
I didn’t have condoms in the guest bathroom, so I quickly discarded any plans of fooling around with the sexy doc. At least... that had been my intention. Under the spray of the water, I couldn’t keep my hands off her. Pushing her against the tiles, I explored her mouth in a deep kiss until she moaned.
“Good morning.”
She grinned, curling her arms around my neck. “Oh, yeah. Very good morning.”
After the shower, Laney put on my shirt again. I could resist her naked, perfect ass only for so long. My self-control was dwindling by the second.
“I think I need pants,” Laney said, correctly interpreting my gaze.
“I agree.”
Nothing fit her, so in the end she wore swimming trunks.
“I look ridiculous.” She twirled in the mirror with a cute frown.
“No, you look like you’re mine.”
I liked that so fucking much. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I looked at her in the mirror.
“I’m happy you have today off.”
“You seemed pretty upset yesterday, so I thought you might need some of my relaxation techniques today too.”
That caught me off guard. She’d done this for me? I kissed one of her hands, squeezing it lightly. “Hell, yes, I do.”
“I promised I’d share everything, and now I feel ready. What do you want to know?”
“Whatever you feel comfortable telling me. Seriously.”
“So, I met Ryan in college. We weren’t compatible in too many areas. He liked Star Wars, I didn’t. He outgeeked me too. But we worked somehow, you know? We had a super small wedding in my last year of med school, just signed papers at the courthouse. I wanted a big wedding, but neither of us was making money, so we let that one slide. We were focusing on other things, like saving for a house. That was the first thing we wanted to do after I graduated, but six months after the wedding, he...” Her voice wavered. She shook her head, as if steeling herself. I squeezed her hands. “He had a fatal heart attack. No one knew he had a heart problem. I think I