I hoped not.

“Okay,” I whispered, placing my shaking hand on his cheek, drawing his mouth back toward mine.

Colton came willingly, and his breath hitched before he closed his mouth over mine. There was nothing sweet about this kiss. Our lips parted, and his tongue was a hot, moist demand inside my mouth. He took complete control, as if he was staking his claim, and there was a possessiveness in the way he kissed that shattered memories of any other kiss.

He splayed his palm flat against my cheek, still for a moment, and then he glided it down my neck. His hand stayed there, the touch gentle and so at odds with the fierceness of the kiss. I moaned, my body arching toward his, wanting to melt into him. Between my thighs, I pulsed and I ached. I was so into the taste and feel of him, but that voice was in the back of my head, this time preaching a different story.

Could I actually get naked in front of him?

Speaking of getting naked, I was pretty sure the Hanes boy shorts I was wearing were the least possible sexy thing I could have on, along with the checkered bra.

Would he still be so aroused once he realized there was more cushion for the pushin’?

His pelvis thrust against mine, scattering those fears like ashes in the wind. He nipped at my lower lip, the tiny bite sending a wave of pleasure through my veins.

Making a deep sound in the back of his throat, he lifted his mouth from mine. “I really need to fix that window.”

“What window?” I murmured, dazed.

Colton laughed as he dipped his head into the space between my neck and shoulder. “Cute.”

“What?”

“You’re cute.” He kissed my neck. “You can be cute.”

I opened my eyes. “I thought I was beautiful?”

“You’re both.” Pushing himself up, he paused just long enough to kiss me again and then he popped up onto his feet with grace I was envious of. “It’s good to be both.”

“Uh-huh.” I was still lying there, half sprawled on the couch, trying to get control of my thoughts and breathing. I wetted my lips that felt swollen.

Colton extended a hand. “If you stay like that, I’m going to be way too tempted.”

I glanced up at him. “What’s wrong with being tempted?”

His lips parted. “Damn if I remember right now.”

That brought a smile to my face. Placing my hand in his, I let him pull me up into a sitting position. “The window,” I reminded him.

“Oh yeah, that. Guess we need to get that fixed so we aren’t giving your neighbors a show.”

My eyes widened. Holy crapola, I hadn’t even thought of that.

Colton started to turn away, but stopped. A soft smile played across his lips. “You know something? It’s been a long time since I started a day and ended it with a woman. Glad it’s you.”

Chapter 9

Sunday morning, I did something I hadn’t done in a very long time. When I stripped off my pajamas and shoved the shower door open, I didn’t allow myself to gloss over my reflection or to pretend that I wasn’t purposely avoiding catching a glimpse of myself. Because that was what I’d been doing for a long time. Almost like if I didn’t see myself, I didn’t have to acknowledge how I felt.

But this morning, I looked.

The hollows of my cheeks were a bright pink and my gaze wary as I took in my disheveled hair. It was probably my imagination, but my lips looked swollen. There was no way that was the case, but I didn’t have to try hard to remember Colton’s kisses. My lips tingled. Those kisses were something I wouldn’t forget.

My gaze drifted down, over the slope of my shoulders and then across my chest. I pressed my lips together as I lifted my hands, placing them over my breasts. The skin was smooth, nipples puckered. Steam began to fill the bathroom, dampening my skin. I lowered my hands. My breasts were round and full. Definitely nowhere in the general vicinity of perkiness, but they…they matched the rest of me. My waist curved in slightly and then flared out, forming round hips. The shadowy area between my plump thighs drew my attention. Brazilian wax? Uh, no. I almost laughed out loud at that thought.

God, it had been so long since I had sex.

Could I do it? An image of Colton formed in my thoughts, and the flush raced down my throat. Biting down on my lip, I was pretty sure that I could do it. The man neared perfection when it came to his body.

That would be a lot to overcome.

As I twisted to the side, peeking at my behind, I tried to come to terms with how I felt about myself. It wasn’t easy and the steam covered the mirror before I had any answer. I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water beat down on me. I wasn’t sure if it was a lack of self-esteem or a lack of action that had my confidence bouncing all over the place. Or maybe it was the fact that I spent every day caught up in the fictional worlds of the authors I edited, experienced their love, their heartbreak and everything in between that I hadn’t, in the last four years, experienced anything in the real world or taken any time for myself.

When Kevin passed away, I had thrown myself into work. If I was honest, that was when I started to lose sight of myself, of who I was. I didn’t want that any longer. Last night I had decided that I couldn’t pass up the chance to feel again. And what I saw in the mirror wasn’t horrifying. It was the same body Kevin used to refer to as Botticelli beautiful. Curves weren’t a bad thing.

I just needed to get my mind on board with all of that.

Since I had gotten up early, I hit the computer after I’d showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a loose, cap sleeve blouse. I was able to work on a couple of pages before my phone dinged. It was a text from Colton. He was outside.

Heart jumping all around like a bouncing bean, I saved my work and closed the laptop. My bare feet were silent as I came down the stairs. The fresh pot of coffee I’d put on scented the air. Reaching the door, I opened it with a deep breath.

And the same breath punched out of my lungs.

The jeans he wore were faded along the knee and the old screen T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. He lived in these kinds of clothes. Not dress shirts and pants, and while he looked good in his detective getup, he looked damn good in jeans.

“Mornin’,” Colton drawled, stepping inside. He held a white cardboard box that smelled like heaven, and as I moved to close the door, he swooped down, pressing his lips against my cheek. The innocent brush of his lips across my skin sent an acute shiver down my spine. “I swung by the hardware store and picked up the stuff.”