He swallowed hard, as if unsure what to do with her honest assessment of his invaluable worth. She wondered when was the last time someone had reminded him of just how special he was.
“About tonight—”
“If you’re going to apologize, I don’t want to hear it.”
He delivered a searing kiss that had her toes curling and her heart melting. “I was going to thank you. I needed an umbrella. I needed you.”
“You have me,” she returned, slipping her ankles around him. Gently crossing them right under his butt.
“I think I need to have you again.” His arms went under her and he stood, taking her with him. She squeaked and held on for dear life. Not that it was a hardship. Being wrapped around Colin, with hisI tackle riptide dailybiceps, andI also windsurfabs, while he walked unabashedly naked through his house was a turn-on.
“Where are we going?”
“Someone once told me that washing machines, when properly loaded, can make some nice vibrations.” He entered the laundry room and gave her a playful smack on the ass before plopping her on top of the washer. “All that’s left to decide, Bianchi, is regular or extra-large.”
“I think you’ve already answered that question. There’s nothing regular about you.”
Chapter 26
Silly me. Expecting too much from people again.
—Unknown
Colin stood in the kitchen helping prepare dinner and she couldn’t help but smile.
The last two weeks had been amazing. In one house or the other, they’d been together every day. Even successfully dodging Maddison, two toddlers, and a mooching douchebag of an ex. It forced them to be creative. And he loved it when Teagan got creative. His hot tub, her patio, the beach, the bathroom at the Lover’s Point, her car, his car, and even Ethan’s truck when he realized his car was too small to really bring it home.
Tonight was special. Maddison and Harley had organized a barbecue as a way to bring both families together. He wasn’t thrilled about sharing the night with Frank, but even they’d made strides. They’d downgraded from the OK Corral to the occasional pissing contest. Not that Frank wasn’t still inserting himself in their relationship at every turn. The coward even used his kids when necessary.
Colin wasn’t thrilled about Frank setting up house at Teagan’s, since the guy was clearly still in love with her and trying to work his way back into her life. He knew how stressed she was about keeping the birthday promise to the girls. Colin had asked her again if she needed space to figure things out, even offered to take a step back. All while assuring her that, no matter her answer, he was just a driveway away and not going anywhere.
The end of any relationship was messy.
Every day, in one way or another, his divorce from Amanda still affected his family. Maddie’s heartbreaking need to be validated, Colin’s instinct to guard himself from potential pain, even the way he’d handled his time at the clinic—staying far too long in hopes of salvaging the situation. But he’d suppressed all doubt, instead trusting Teagan that, in spite of all the crazy, there was room for him in her life.
Grabbing two beers from the fridge, he cracked them open and walked up behind her. Setting the bottles on the counter, he placed his palms flat, moving forward until he boxed her in with his body. She didn’t seem to mind because she pushed back up against him, her backside in an advantageous position.
She’d been a knockout in high school. Now, she had this sexy sophistication, which only came with age—andLord Almighty,she’d aged well. She smelled like a snickerdoodle that had collided with a lingerie shop. And she looked like sex. A no-holds-barred, from-morning-to-night and straight-through-the-weekend sexcapade that had his body giving her a hometown parade and good old-fashioned flag raising.
“I don’t know if I can wait till midnight,” he admitted roughly.
Another thing he didn’t know? Why he thought he could stand here with her in that sundress and not undress her. He was doing a pretty good job, just with his eyes, but his hands called a false start penalty since they were sidelined until later tonight.
“What do you have planned?” she asked, her voice hushed.
He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “No can do, Bianchi. The first rule about secret sex-dezvous is that you don’t talk about secret sex-dezvous.”
She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes twinkling with humor. “Not even if you are a member of said sex-dezvous?”
“Especially then.” Over the past few weeks they’d taken turns planning their late-night activities, and tonight was Colin’s turn. He already had a bag packed: wine, two glasses, two towels, and a plan to revisit their first kiss. “All you need to know is that at midnight sharp, I’ll be waiting below your bedroom window.”
“Maybe you should meet me on the porch, because unlike last night, I’ll be using the back door.”
“But I loved watching you shimmy down the trellis in those silky pajama bottoms,” he whispered, his lips grazing the rim of her ear and making her shiver.
“Is that why you almost let me fall?”
“I’d never let you fall.”
