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His scruples crumbled. That, he could give her.
His sleep pants hit the floor, but he froze. “Protection?”
She wrinkled her nose. “In the nightstand. They probably expired a long time ago.”
It bothered him that Laney had condoms beside her bed. And itreallybothered him that he was bothered.
While she stripped off her gown and robe and scooted over to make room for him, he grabbed what he needed and ripped open a packet. Her rapt gaze as he sheathed himself sent his hunger spiraling higher.
He was shaking all over, his heart pounding, his arousal white hot. Though he was absolutely sure he remembered every detail of her body, he was wrong. His teenage memories were shadowy, pastel recollections in the face of a living, breathing woman.
He explored her reverently, from her brow and her nose to her throat and the valley between her breasts. Laney watched him all the while, but she was frozen.
“Touch me, Laney,” he groaned.
When he skated his thumb over her raspberry nipple, it tightened. A tiny gasp marked her response. Her arms wrapped around his neck.
He gave her honesty. “I’ve thought about this moment for the last four years.”
Her eyes searched his face. A tiny smile tilted her lips. “You’re not the only one.”
She couldn’t have been any clearer about what she wanted. But was he being fair? To drop into town and let her think this was a booty call? He knew it was more than that. She couldn’t, wouldn’t understand what he was feeling unless he bared his soul.
That prospect was scary as hell.
When Laney curled warm fingers around his erection, he was lost. Carefully, he maneuvered between her legs. Then, feeling as if he was drowning, he surged into her until they were joined as closely as two people could be.
Though they had been lovers a decade ago, this felt brand-new.
His parents had taken him to Sunday school as a kid. He had learned the difference between right and wrong. What he didn’t understand was how a guy who had made as many dumb mistakes as Brit had could possibly end up in Laney’s bed.
Only moments before, he’d been on the edge, sure he wouldn’t last long. Now he found patience mixed in with the wanting. An urge to give Laney everything she deserved. He moved in her slowly, taunting both of them. In. Out.
The feel of her body clasping his was indescribable. “God, Laney,” he whispered raggedly. “Was it always like this?”
Her teeth were sunk deep in her bottom lip, as if she was trying not to cry out. To hell with that. He withdrew and stroked her hard, exulting when he felt her respond.
“Yes,” he crooned. “Come for me, Laney. Come for me.”
When she shattered in his embrace, he found his own release and collapsed, burying his face in her shampoo-scented hair.
Three
When Laney woke up the morning after Brit’s unexpected arrival, he was gone. Well, not gone completely, but gone from her bed. She could hear the shower running. The two rooms shared a wall.
Soon after, she heard a door open and shut across the hall.
Inexplicably, her eyes stung with emotion. What had she expected? That Brit would whisper in her ear as the dawn broke, ready to make love to her again?
Foolish fantasies were for women less grounded than Laney.
With her jaw tight and her heart bruised, she climbed out of bed and took her turn in the bathroom. Mr. Tom’s service was at one. No point in dressing twice. It was already almost ten. The disturbed night had caused her to sleep far later than normal.
In the back of her closet, she found the simple black dress she kept on hand for funerals. It was nothing fancy. Knee-length. Short sleeves. Scoop neck. It was also six or seven years old, but since she seldom wore it, there was no reason to get something new.
She dried her hair in the bedroom sitting at her antique vanity. The furnishings in her rental house were a mishmash of styles. Some had come from her mother. Other pieces from neighbors. It was Laney’s dream to one day have a small house that was all her own from the ground up. But new construction cost money, and her meager savings account had a long way to go before she could realistically begin.
Her reflection in the mirror as she twisted her hair in a loose knot at the back of her neck showed a woman with a wary gaze and a bent toward practicality. Though Brit had spent the night in her bed, Laney had to remind herself whatreallyhappened. She hadinvitedhim. It was her own fault if she now regretted that rash decision. Unfortunately, the all-grown-up Brit was an even better lover than her onetime boyfriend.
