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He tried to speak, found he had no spit, and tried again. “Aren’t those pizza boxes?”
She tossed him a cheeky grin, her long, naked legs on full display. Full breasts strained against the black apron, ready to pop out any moment. He prayed really hard for her to turn around. “Yes, but I’m reheating them in the oven since you’re late.”
“Sorry, got stuck at court. Umm, have I told you lately you’re the hottest woman on the planet?”
“No, but I like that.”
She turned and he almost fell to his knees. Dear God, her ass was pure, curvy perfection. She swiveled back around way too soon. “Would you like to go to the bedroom first? Or after pizza?”
He stared at her, blinking.
“Owen?”
“Oh, now, please.”
“First, let’s talk. Sit and drink your beer.”
“Okay.” He had no brain waves left anyway; they all had left his body with one glance at her naked body. “What do you want to talk about? Can it be fast?”
She gave a low laugh and handed him the beer. He gulped greedily, trying to saturate his parched throat, and wondered if he’d fallen asleep in the courthouse and this was just a dream. Hell, if it was, he didn’t want to wake up.
“I want to ask you a few questions. You just tell me the truth. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Do you really want that job at Mario’s firm?”
He jerked. She’d managed to surprise him. All his snappy answers and defenses had seemed to disappear along with his brain, so he just talked. “I like the benefits, and the pay, and the idea of it. But no, I really don’t want the job.”
She gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you for telling me the truth. Why were you considering it then? Was it because of me?”
He didn’t answer. Something told him not to say anything, but he was staring at her left breast, and the nipple was hard and almost falling out of the lace and he got confused. “A little.”
“Why?” she demanded. “I need to know why you’d think I wanted you to have that job.”
“I don’t want to mess up again, babe,” he finally said. “I can’t lose you, and I’m afraid you may eventually get frustrated with this type of living. You deserve a fat apartment, and designer clothes, and five-star restaurants on a regular basis. You deserve to stay home without struggle if we decide to have a baby one day. You deserve everything.”
The release of his secret fears gave him a rush of lightness. He practically slumped in the chair with shame and relief, but then suddenly, she was sitting on his lap. Her warm, curvy body wrapped around him and she cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. “Look around you right now.”
“I can’t, you’re holding my face.”
“Okay, you don’t need to look. Want to know my dream? To get up every day and have a job that makes a difference. To be passionate about what I do and have my goal worthy.”
“You already have that.”
“Exactly. That was the first portion. The second is you. Having the man I love, fighting side by side for the same cause, loving me for who I am without ever asking me to change.”
“You have that, too.”
She smiled, and her scent filled his nostrils and he fell headfirst into ocean blue eyes that captured his very soul. “Exactly. I want dogs.”
“You have Gus-Gus and we can get more.”
“Yes. I think that covers it all. Money means nothing to me, Owen. I want us to love each other and be true to who we are—that’s what I truly need.”
“Then this was all in my head? You think I’ll always be enough?”
She made a fierce sound and then she was kissing him, her tongue plunging between his lips to make her own claim, and he gave her all of it, holding her tight against him. “You’re the man I love, Owen Salt. I love you with everything I am. The moment we danced that first time, my heart was never truly mine. It was just waiting for you.”
