On the Run (Whispering Key #2) - May Archer Page 0,56

and pulled me against his chest. “It’s not the way someone should look at me if he wants to leave the house,” he explained, sidestepping the soul mate issue neatly. “That kind of look is more ‘Let’s curl up in bed, watch Lucifer on my laptop, and fuck around,’ and I know that, because it’s the look you gave me last night before we curled up, watched Lucifer in bed, and fucked around.”

“Yes, well, we can’t do that every day.” I sounded a little waspish because I was totes fighting the urge to give in and do exactly that. “I get weak-kneed contemplating the data charges we’d be racking up, streaming shows that way.”

“You do know I have plenty of money, right?” Beale murmured the words against the join of my shoulder, making me shiver… then chased the shiver up my neck with his lips. “And other than donating to charity, buying you a phone with a hot spot is the most worthwhile thing I’ve done with it all month.”

I bit my lip. This reminded me that, in reciting the litany of evidence that I’d fallen into a sex-induced fever dream, I might possibly have failed to account for Exhibit A, the smoking-gun: I’d allowed Beale Goodman to buy me—yes, me—a cell phone.

And yes, I had made him pinkie swear I could pay him back for it as soon as I got the replacement credit card that would be arriving the following morning, but still. I did not do gifts. I did not do loans. And the knowledge that getting good dick three nights in a row made me swoon like a middle schooler with his first case of puppy love and abandon all the principles I held dear was lowering in the extreme.

Aunt Hagatha would be horrified, and for once, she’d be right.

“How ’bout I make you weak-kneed in other ways,” Beale continued, nudging my face toward his. “Or at least try.”

Like he had to try. The very idea was laughable.

“You showed me your ‘other ways’ thirty minutes ago, and you can show me more ‘other ways’ when we get back ho—here,” I corrected, feeling my cheeks flush. Whispering Key was not home. “But Littlejohn will be expecting us, so I’ve gotta finish getting dressed.”

Beale snorted, but let me go. “Alright. But I think someone’s got a crush.”

I spun in place. It was bad enough that I felt like a teenager; he didn’t have to call me on it. “Excuse you? No one is crushing around here, I regret to inform you. And if you think—”

Beale blinked, all adorably bewildered and held up his two big hands. “I was just teasing, Toby. I meant Littlejohn. You know, ’cause he brought you his SpaghettiO Surprise? And ’cause he’s never invited me or Mase or Fenn to trivia night before? No harm meant. It’s cute.”

Ohhh. He meant Littlejohn had a crush. Well, I doubted that was the case either. “I think he just wants to beat the Cooter Key trivia team, and he thinks I’m a ringer.” I shrugged. “I know a little bit about a lot of things.”

“Yeah, you do.” Half of Beale’s mouth turned up in a grin. “I wish I did. It’s fun watching your brain work.”

I shook my head and ignored the little leap in my belly. “Nonsense. It’s much better to be an expert at a few things, like you are, but alas, my brain doesn’t stick on any one thing for too long. Anyway, here’s breakfast for tomorrow done.” I grabbed the casserole and put it in the fridge. “Now I just need to get some decent clothes on.” And by decent, I meant my Thom Browne twill shorts and a white button-down, which was maybe the most casual thing I’d brought with me.

I maneuvered past Beale’s outstretched hand and headed for the bedroom.

A second later, I found myself spun around and tacked to the wall by Beale’s hard body.

“Just to say, I have no complaints about your ability to focus this week.” Beale’s voice was a rumble in my ear, and when he rubbed that body idly against mine, my cock perked up with no hesitation. “Also, have I mentioned how very glad I am that we managed to rescue you before Marjorie cat-strated you?”

“Shush,” I said against his lips. “She’ll hear you and feel bad.”

And Beale laughed as he kissed me.

God, every time he touched me was better than the time before, which was amazing and scary and… really amazingly scary. I fucking