Page 19 of Bit's Bliss

“I have to talk to someone at the bank today. I figured it would be better to show up in person rather than calling.”

“Good plan. What else has your mind racing this morning?”

She smiled for the first time since I opened the bedroom door and joined her in the kitchen. “Coffee?”

I chuckled. “That, I can help with.” I walked to the cupboard where I kept a French press, dumped the grounds into the bottom, then added water to the electric kettle that sat on the counter. “Old school isn’t as quick, but it tastes a helluva lot better.”

“I should probably get dressed.” When Eberly walked in the direction of the bedroom first, then turned toward the living room, where we’d left her sweatshirt, I caught her wrist.

“Don’t.” I let go of her hand, snaked my arm around her waist, pulled my shirt that hung to the middle of her thigh up, and cupped one cheek of her bare bottom. “I like you this way.” I squeezed her flesh and pulled her body flush against mine. “A lot.”

Eberly’s breath caught, her eyes drooped closed, and she brought her hands to my shoulders when I moved her hair out of my way and kissed the soft skin beneath her ear.

As much as I didn’t want to, when the kettle whistled, I let her go and poured the hot water over the coffee. Since Eberly hadn’t moved, I returned to her and put my arm back around her waist. “Now, where were we?”

“You were, um…” She put her fingertips on her neck where I’d kissed her.

“You like that?”

She nodded.

“Let me hear you say it.”

“I like it.”

“What do you like?”

“When you kiss me.”

I leaned forward and pecked her cheek. “That?”

She smiled. “Not as much.”

“As what?”

“When you use your tongue.”

“I see.” When I kissed her in the same place I had before but trailed my mouth down the banded muscle of her neck, Eberly shuddered and pressed her body harder against mine.

After taking a deep breath, I buried my face between her shoulder and jaw. “As much as I want to continue what we’re doing, there are things we need to talk about first.” She stiffened in my arms and tried to wriggle away, but I tightened my hold on her waist. “I didn’t say you could go anywhere.”

“Trevino, I haven’t…God, I can’t even say it.”

I brought my other hand to her face and cupped her cheek. “I think I know, and it’s one of the reasons it’s imperative we talk first.”

“I feel so stupid,” she said barely above a whisper.

“Let’s start there—no more calling yourself names or referring to yourself in a disparaging way. If you do it again, there will be consequences. Do you understand?”

Her eyes blazed. “Consequences?”

“You heard me. Next, when you and I are together like this, there are certain ways I want you to address me.”

Eberly’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Do you remember what you said last night when I told you to get under the covers for thesecondtime?”

Other than the sweet flush of her cheeks, she didn’t respond.