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My stomach does a roller-coaster dive, spreading the flutter of excitement throughout my body. The heat and hunger I know well form in his eyes as they rake over me. Rowan outdid herself with today’s makeover.
“Fuckin’ A.”
“Please don’t maul. I have to meet clients tonight, and I can’t look like a sex maniac.”
He smiles at the reference of the episode before the Christmas party. “I make no promises.”
“The only thing I have to do when we get to your place is get dressed and do my lipstick.”
His gaze drops to my mouth, and he leans down, pulling my bottom lip between his teeth. “You are stunning.”
The sexy roughness in his compliment sends a flood of heat everywhere. “Wait until you see my dress with the new Louboutins my fiancé surprised me with.” I press up, touching my lips to his.
The kiss starts slow, his tongue moving lazily through my mouth. I brace on his shoulders, giving him most of my weight. His hands sift through my hair, tenderly caressing my head.
A purr bubbles from my throat, and he increases his speed, curling his tongue with mine. A low, possessive groan vibrates in our mouths as he walks us backward. My brain fires a weak reminder of why we’re here. I try to slow our kiss, but his fingers dig into my scalp.
“I need you now.” The warmth of his breath coats my lips and my knees buckle. He takes advantage of my lust-induced state and lifts me off my feet. His mouth stays on mine as he carries me through our future front entrance.
“Sweetie,” I try to get in a word, but his tongue delves back in and does another sweep.
“I’ve waited all day, Harley, knowing exactly what this afternoon would bring. Don’t deny me a second of this.”
All rational thoughts vanish.
The schedule, the limo, our friends riding… none of it matters. Outside of his possessive ridiculousness, Achilles asks nothing of me. This means something to him, and I’ll give anything to make that something special. Even if we show up late and I look thoroughly disheveled, none of it matters.
“Whatever you need.” I scrub my hands through his hair.
He keeps walking, our eyes locked.
“All plumbing and electrical done and approved by an independent inspector today. They’ll be back to approve the final walk-through with us when it’s time. Framing done, the remaining windows installed tomorrow, insulation starts Sunday. Kitchen appliances are ordered, delivery date of four weeks. Tile, wood, brick…”
It all drowns out after he mentions the kitchen appliances, and my spirits drop.
“Appliances? They were a surprise.” They are the only items I picked alone since I was designing my gourmet kitchen.
“They still are.”
“Then how did you order them?”
“I didn’t.” His lips curl slyly. “Mom and Dad bought them for us.”
My eyeballs threaten to pop out of their sockets.
“Pre-wedding present.”
“We can’t accept that. I upgraded to top-of-the-line choices. Thousands and thousands of dollars.”
“Baby, they can afford it.”
“It’s too much.”
“I’ll let you tell Mom that. When I tried, she blathered on about lost time.”
I grimace. Sandy and Pete are a big part of our lives and frequently express how much it means to them. They take every chance to rectify those years we were estranged. Mostly by over-compensating. The few times we’ve tried to intervene, Sandy has been close to tears.
“I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
“Then say thank you, like I finally did to shut her up.”
I agree.
“Baby, look around.”
My gaze travels around our master bedroom in wonder. The frame-out brings the large space’s dimensions. I can picture the finished product. My line of vision goes past his shoulder, and he reads my mind, walking us to the bathroom.
My breath hitches at the sight of the huge spa shower. I visualize the free-standing tub on the raised platform at the back. “It will be phenomenal.”
“It will be complete on April sixteenth.”
My face twists back to his. “They can finish in seven weeks?”
“They will.”
“How can you be sure?”
“The builder knows Ford, Talon, and Major are building next. He also knows Celia and Doug plan to use this design as a reference in their new development. That’s strong motivation.”
“It’s surreal.”
“Baby, you picked the design and customizations back in November.”
With everything that’s happened, November seems like ages ago, and also like it could be yesterday. “Wow.”
“I filled my end of the bargain, now it’s your turn.” His lips go back to mine, his voice soft. “Move in with me.”
I have no control over my answer; my heart speaks up. “Okay.”
“Fuck, I hope there’s a solid surface somewhere in this place.”
Desire mixed with need floods my body, my hair and make-up forgotten. I yank my scarf and sweater off, flinging them over his shoulder. His eyes drop to my red lace bra, and a deep rumble echoes from his throat. He goes down to his knees, setting me on the ground and whipping his shirt over his head. The chill in the air instantly warms.
