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I tilted her chin up. “Would you have changed what we did just now? Do you regret it?”
Her face softened, and she must have known exactly where my head was . This time, she slid her hands into mine. “I wouldn’t change a thing.” Then she snapped out of the softness. “But if you don’t get this splinter out of my knee, I might reconsider going down on you in the future.”
“We can’t have that. It would ruin the whole orgasm thing.”
Her lips twitched. “I think you should carry me.”
I couldn’t agree more. Bending at the knee, I lifted her up, her legs handing over my arm and her head cradled near my shoulder.
The sigh she released sounded like heaven.
“By the way, I’m invoicing you for that chair. I can’t have you going all hulk on my furniture.”
I chuckled. “These muscles aren’t just for show, you know.”
“Awfully cocky there, aren’t you?”
“Confident, Marks. I’m confident. Let’s not get it twisted.” I knocked the door between our backyards closed with my foot before bringing her into my house, being extra careful not to bump her feet on the door. I would never hear the end of it.
“Can you confidently get this tiny piece of wood out of my knee before morning because it really feels like you’re stalling and I need my beauty sleep,” she said on a yawn. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that you’re bringing me back to your house and not mine.”
“I know where my medicine cabinet is, Marks. Besides, this is starting to feel like our schtick.”
“You wish.”
I kissed her temple. “I do.”
Luna lifted her head from its place in my nook. “Are you trying to kidnap me again?”
“What will you do if I say yes?”
She cocked her head, then shook it as if shaking off whatever thought had popped into her head. I wanted to tease out that thought, whatever it had been.
I clutched her closer to my chest, before setting her down on the closed toilet seat in the downstairs bathroom. The loss of her warmth made me stumble back a step before I got back to the task at hand. Luna gestured toward the drawers in the vanity, amusement flashing in her hooded eyes.
The woman was clearly exhausted and needed sleep, so I got to work and when her knee was clean and splinter free—with only minor bouts of cursing from my patient—I put a Bluey bandage on her knee for good measure, certain that Alice would berate me if I didn’t.
Rather than taking her back to her place, I lifted her again, bringing her back to my guest room, Luna nearly asleep in my arms.
Just before setting her on the bed, she shook her head vehemently and tightened her grip around my neck. “Not this bed.”
My heart stopped, and I hovered over the plush floral comforter. “I’m not taking you home. It’s late, and I’d feel better if you were here with me.”
“Your room,” she said, her voice a little louder, and a lot firmer than before. “I want to sleep in your bed.”
“Luna—”
“I’ll make sure to wake up before Alice does.”
“This isn’t about Alice.” Although I appreciated that she considered what it might be like for my daughter to find a woman in my bed. Alice loved Luna. If anything, she’d probably be thrilled to have Luna in our house in the morning. I’d never brought a woman around my daughter before. I’d been very careful about that.
“This is about me not taking advantage of you,” he confided.
Luna cupped my cheek. “I’m pretty sure I just took advantage ofyou.”
“This body is yours. You can take advantage of me whenever and however you want.”
I watched the long lines of her neck as she swallowed hard. Then I remembered her swallowing something else just a few minutes ago and remembered once again that having her share a bed with me was a terrible idea.