And there it was again, she was giving him more because that wet was for him. And it was then he knew how she felt the day they arrived in Carnal, overwhelmed by something unexpected, something good, something she never thought she’d have. He knew how she felt because he felt it, right then, looking into her eyes, her giving him that, something good, something, after that mud was flung at him and it stuck, he never thought he’d get a shot at. And there she was, his hands in her soft, thick hair, her eyes growing wet, giving it to him.
She fought it and beat it back and she did this by continuing to throw sass.
“Now, are you gonna go with me to buy flowers for the deck or what?”
He bent his neck and dropped his forehead to hers.
Then, his eyes holding hers, he muttered, “Yeah.”
“I’ll warn you, I’ve never done any gardening. They’ll all probably die.”
“Whatever,” he replied, fighting a grin.
She looked into his eyes for awhile.
Then she told him. “You need to shower. Do you need coffee? One of your powder thingies?”
Powder thingies.
Total goof.
“Coffee.”
She nodded her head, again moving his hands.
“I’ll fix it while you shower. Travel mug.”
He closed his eyes and pulled in breath. Then he moved the lower half of his face and touched his lips to hers.
Then he let her go and walked to the stairs.
He was one step up when she called his name. He looked through the open slats and saw her at the coffeemaker, her body turned to the side counter, her neck twisted, her eyes on him.
Then she dropped the bomb.
“FYI, there’s been no one since Ronnie. No one. For four years. You’ve got a year on me but, I figure, mostly we’re in the same boat.”
He fought the urge to move to her and drag her up the stairs to his bed.
Or, saving time and energy, take her to the couch.
Instead, he asked, “You gave me that, baby, what you want me to do with it?”
She looked to the coffeemaker and muttered loudly, “I’ll leave that up to you.”
Fuck.
He knew what he wanted to do with it. He also knew how he wanted to do it. He also knew he was going to do what he wanted to do.
But that was not for now. What he wanted to do would take time.
And control.
He didn’t have any of the last left. And they had plants to buy.
So he drew breath in through his nose and walked up the stairs.
Chapter Nine
Lady Luck Was Feeling Generous
I walked down the stairs behind Ty wondering what I’d been wondering the last twenty minutes while he took a shower, shaved and donned another black tee, faded jeans and boots.
Was I crazy?
Was I stupid?
Was I both?
Or was Lady Luck feeling generous for once and if I fucked this up, I’d piss her off?
We hit the utility room and Ty opened the door to the garage, stood clear of it but kept his hand on it, his long arm extended, keeping it open, he wanted me to precede him.
I did, took two steps into the garage, my mind cluttered then it uncluttered when what was hitting my eyes filtered to my brain. I stopped dead and stared.
This was because, parked across from my Charger, there was a kickass, badass, sleek, shiny, beautiful, oh my God black Dodge Viper sporting two, narrow, silver racing stripes up the hood and over the roof. Vaguely, it occurred to me it had to be there the other night when I’d taken off in a huff but that was how upset I was. I didn’t see it.
Now I was seeing it.
Ty moved around me muttering, “We’ll take the Snake.”
My head jerked to him as he headed to the driver’s side like he was walking up to a sedan.
Then my eyes drifted back to the car and, upon seeing it again, I felt a tickle between my legs.
Obviously, I enjoyed this tickle a bit too long because I heard Ty call, “Lex, what the fuck?” and my eyes went back to him.
He was standing in the open driver’s door. He looked hot standing in the open driver’s door of a Viper. He looked hot all the time but he looked smokin’ hot standing in the open driver’s door of a Dodge fucking Viper.
“Where did this car come from?” I forced out.
“Max brought it back to me the other day,” he answered. “He was keepin’ it in his barn while I was gone.”
“It’s yours?” I whispered.
“Yeah,” he replied.
“It’s yours,” I repeated.
“Yeah,” he repeated too. “What the fuck?”
“I knew you were good at poker but this… this…” I waved a hand vaguely at the car. “Did someone bet it or did you buy it from winnings?”
“I didn’t get it playing poker. I won the pinks street racing.”
I felt my mouth drop open.
Street racing?
“The guy sucked,” Ty went on. “College kid up from Denver skiing. Came to a gathering, thought his car could do all the work not his driving. Bet me, lost, I got the Snake, he got his bud to call a taxi to get a ride back to his Daddy’s condo.”
I stared.
Then I asked, “You street race?”
“Not anymore.”
“You used to?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you good at it?”
He looked down at the Viper then back at me.
“You’re good at it,” I whispered.
“He sucked. Raced him in my Skyline GTR. That I won because I’m good.”
“Where’s that?”
“You’re standin’ in it. Sold it for a down payment on this condo.”
“House,” I corrected and his lips twitched.