teasingly. “Because I’m really only in it for the sex.”
He laughed, then leaned close to whisper in her ear. “You get more amazing by the day. There will be dinner and wine and sex.”
“Then I’ll be there.”
“And you’ll spend the night?”
She thought about the large dog who would be lurking and how much she wished Jasper had taken him somewhere safe that wasn’t his house. But she knew she couldn’t say that—there was no way he would understand and she really didn’t want him thinking less of her. Koda seemed like a very nice dog—seriously, what was the worst that could happen? A question she knew she shouldn’t tempt fate by asking.
“I’ll spend the night,” she said. “Oh, I went shopping a few days ago. I probably should have asked first, but where do you stand on the issue of sexy lingerie?”
His eyes immediately dilated and his eyebrows rose. “I’m in favor of it.”
“Oh, good. Then I’ll bring what I bought.”
He kissed her again, the pressure a little more intense. “You are an amazing woman. I’ll see you after work.”
“Yes, you will.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
RENEE ARRIVED AT Jasper’s place a little before five. Her morning productivity had meant she could leave early. She’d gone home, showered, packed a bag and had driven up the mountain. Whenever her thoughts had threatened to slide in the direction of Turner or Koda, she’d reminded herself that she was about to have hot sex with a guy who knew where all her buttons were and exactly how to push them. Thinking about that was just the distraction she needed.
She parked and got out her overnight tote. She’d left her work dress on a hanger. Before she could even close her car door, Jasper was heading toward her.
“You’re here,” he said, sounding happy. “I’m glad.” He took the tote from her. “I’m going to barbecue ribs.”
“You know how to do that?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. I marinate them in big batches and freeze them, then pull out what I want for the evening and cook them on the barbecue.”
“Impressive.”
“Tell me about it. Now a lot of people would consider ribs man food, so I made a pasta salad in deference to your fair gender.”
“Because women like pasta?”
“Yes. I say that with great authority.”
She laughed as they walked into the house. “I’m not going to argue. Sounds delicious. I brought a bottle of merlot, which should complement the menu very nicely.”
He closed the door behind them and motioned for her to lead the way down the hall.
As she walked, she was aware of a clicking sound following them. Koda, she thought grimly, telling herself she would simply ignore the dog. It wasn’t as if she were afraid he was going to attack her. Nothing that simple. She would just pretend he wasn’t there. Hopefully, with time, he would sort of blend into the background of the house.
She’d been so busy with her dog thoughts, she hadn’t paid attention to the house and unexpectedly found herself in a huge master bedroom. The space was one of the new additions, she thought, taking in the large windows and big fireplace on the far wall. There was a king-size bed, several rugs scattered on the hardwood floors and a massive dog bed in the far corner.
“You can put your stuff in here,” Jasper said, motioning to an open door that led to an apartment-sized master bath with his and hers closets. There were double sinks, a steam shower, jetted tub and one of those fancy toilets with lights and a remote control.
In the “hers” closet, Renee found built-in drawers, glass doors protecting shelves and a floor-to-ceiling shoe rack, along with what seemed to be miles of hanging space.
“I’m in love,” she breathed, turning in a slow circle. “Who knew I could be bought for the price of an amazing closet, but apparently I can be and I don’t even have that many clothes.”
“Really? It’s just a few shelves and hanging space.”
“Silly man. It’s so much more. It’s the stuff of dreams.”
She sighed happily, then quickly unpacked. Jasper only used one side of the long vanity, so she set her makeup case on the other and glanced longingly at the tub. For a second she allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to live here permanently—not just to enjoy the magical closet, but to be a part of all of it.
That wasn’t happening, she reminded herself. She wasn’t willing to go there ever again. She was going to