investigating like your brothers. I’m not even reporting like Bekki. I’m checking to make sure that work passes inspection so that my clients are happy. Other than that, I’m out of it!”
They soon left after hugs and promises to come back soon. Driving back to her townhouse, she twisted in her seat and peered at him, his face illuminated by the dashboard and streetlights. “So, when were you going to tell me?”
His brow furrowed. “Tell you?”
“Yes,” she huffed. “Tell me about looking for a place to live.”
“Oh.”
“Rory! Oh? Is that all you have to say?”
He parked outside her condo and cut the engine. Turning to face her, he sighed. “I wasn’t trying to keep it from you. It’s just that I… well, I’m out of my element and that’s kind of embarrassing to admit.”
“Embarrassing? I don’t understand, sweetie.”
“I’m twenty-nine years old and have never had my own place.”
“Well, of course not, but that’s not embarrassing. You went from home to the military. You haven’t been out very long, and you’ve been working and saving. Honey, nothing is embarrassing about that at all!”
He was silent for a moment, then blew out a long breath. “The apartment I’m in now is okay but I’ve got three other roommates. Granted, we’re all on different shifts so sometimes it feels like my own place, but not a place I’d want to take you to.”
“What did you do with other women?”
“Shit, Sandy, I’m not going to talk about that!”
“Look, it’s not like I thought you were Saint Rory, Defender of Chastity before we got together.”
He snorted. “Christ, you’re a goof.”
Laughing, she shrugged. “Well, I saw you with enough women from the Cock to know that sainthood wasn’t your calling.”
His mirth fled his face. “I’m sorry about that. It was… well, insensitive at best and downright stupid and mean at worst.” She remained quiet, and he finally added, “I didn’t hook up as much as you might have thought. Never enough time or energy while working and studying. But, well, I guess I figured out what worked depending on where everyone was.”
She nodded, a little sad but hardly able to be upset over what he did when they hadn’t been dating. He was now quiet, and she reached over to place her hand on his, licking her dry lips. “You know, there’s no reason for you to need a place for me to visit when you can come here… anytime you want.”
He leaned closer, his hand cupping her cheek, his thumb sweeping over her cheek. “Anytime?”
“As far as I’m concerned, you don’t need to rush just because of me. If you want to get your own place, fine. If you want to stay where you are to save money until you know exactly what you want, that’s fine, too. And as far as us… you’re perfect here with me whenever you desire.”
He held her gaze and she warmed under his perusal. “Better be careful what you offer, Sandy. I might be tempted to take you up on it.”
She smiled, slowly at first, then wider. Leaning the rest of the way in, she kissed him. “Let’s go inside, and I’ll show you just how much I want you here with me.”
Pulling her close, he took the kiss deeper. Just like the first kiss they shared, she felt the tingle down to her bones. As his tongue glided over hers, she clutched his shoulders, wondering if she could straddle him without her ass hitting the steering wheel or sitting on the horn. As though he knew what she was thinking, he pulled back, mumbling, “Let’s get inside.”
She hated to separate but agreed with his plan. Alighting from his truck, they hurried to her door, quickly unlocking it and rushing through.
Making sure her front door was locked behind them, he stopped and held on to her arm as she tried to pull him toward the stairs. “Babe?”
She turned to look up at him, her head cocked as she waited to see what he wanted to say.
“Being here with you is perfect, but you’ve got to know that while I don’t have my own apartment right now, I can’t consider this my place. I know that might seem stupidly macho or something but—”
She placed her fingers on his lips, halting his words. “I know. I know that you’d always feel that this place was mine and not ours.” Lifting on her toes, she stopped when her lips were a bare whisper from his. “So, when the time is right, we