Then I mumbled, “Um…”
To which he grinned, his hand left my hair so both arms could give me a squeeze and he proved yet again that he could totally figure me out.
I knew this when he whispered, “In case you didn’t get me when you told me you got me, honey, just you and me means I’m gonna be in your pants tonight before I take them off so, right now, get over what’s polluting your head, tell me what you need so I can get to the hotel, get it, get back and get your fine ass on a boat and far away from a now up in both our business Luci.”
I stared at him. Then I forced myself to think about this. Then I made some decisions. Then I told him.
When I was done telling him, he stared at me.
Then he burst out laughing.
I was perplexed as I watched him and when he stopped I asked, “What?”
“You need all that to go on a boat?”
I tipped my head to the side not thinking “all that” was all that.
“Well, yes.”
He grinned, then he stood at the same time he slid me off his lap and put me on my feet but he didn’t take his arms from around me and, looking down at me, he muttered, “I’m gonna brush my teeth. You’re gonna find Luci to get a paper and pen and write me a list.”
“Sam, it isn’t that much.”
“Baby, I need underwear, jeans, a shirt, shoes and deodorant. I’ve got a good memory but lost track when your list became five times that.” His arms gave me a squeeze. “Find Luci. Paper. Pen. List.”
“I’m not high maintenance,” I informed him quickly. “All women would need at least that.”
“Not true. You are high maintenance and before you twist that to pollute your head, I don’t care about that either. I like it. I get to best the challenge then enjoy the benefits. But, right now, to move us on, what I need is a list. Yeah?”
I studied his face thinking that it appeared Sam Cooper could get grumpy.
So I felt my best course of action was to agree with a, “Yeah.”
He grinned. Then he dipped his head. Then he touched his mouth to mine.
Seriously sweet.
Then he lifted his head, turned me out of his arms and gently pushed me toward the door.
I accepted the prompt and kept moving but I looked back to see him bent at the waist, his long arm stretched to the toothbrushes, one of his hands in the bed.
God, I was a freak because I thought he looked hot even reaching for a toothbrush.
Then I thought it prudent to look where I was going so I didn’t run into the door.
I was leaving the room but eventually coming back to him.
I was coming back to him.
On that thought, I left the room.
And I did it smiling.
Chapter Six
God Granted You More Talents
I was sitting at Luci’s kickass wrought iron table outside on her terrace, my heels to the seat, my knees to my chest, sipping a cup of coffee while wearing her bright orange silk robe with huge even brighter scarlet red flowers on it that she let me borrow when she brought me a bunch of stuff so I could shower.
Upon seeing it, I told her it was totally awesome and she told me she bought it not far away and promised we’d go there before I left so we could pick one up for me.
“They have one exactly the same but this enchanting purple with a splash of vibrant pink flowers, cara mia, that would be perfect for you.”
I agreed instantly, wondering what Luci would consider was an “enchanting purple” that was “perfect for me”, completely forgetting my vow to quit blowing my admittedly large but shrinking by the day cash stash on stupid stuff and telling myself everyone needed a good robe.
Still, I knew by the feel of it that robe was expensive so I didn’t figure everyone needed that good of a robe.
But… whatever.
One more splurge.
Nothing wrong with that.
Right?
My hair was wet and combed back, I’d consumed a bowl of fruit and two pieces of toast that was more delicious than any toast I’d ever had except in Paris. My experience was that Europeans didn’t mess around with bread, no doubt about it. I didn’t know what it was but their bread rocked. What made it better was that the toast was spread with Nutella which meant I went from really liking Luci to seriously liking her considering her breakfast included Nutella.
She’d gone to turn on her laptop so I could pull up my webmail and I’d moved to studying a view I knew I’d never find anything less than amazing.
I was thinking that it was weird and cool she had a party last night that included loads of people, food, drink, red-coated valets and white-coated waiters but today her house (or what I’d seen of it on my way to the table) was completely tidy and sparkling clean, not a glass half full of champagne or a stray cocktail napkin in sight. It was like magic.
I was also thinking that last night, I’d laid it out for Sam and, right then, he was picking up my stuff so we could spend the day then the evening then the night together.
Which meant I wasn’t just studying the view.
I was studying the view smiling.