style="font-size:15px;"> She spread her arms in a long, languorous stretch, again drawing his gaze to her breasts as they thrust forward in a most enticing way. The open neckline shifted, teasing him with a glimpse of her creamy shoulder.
His throat tightened. In spite of his long history of taming his libido around her, Lauren’s womanly nature proved impossible to ignore this morning. He couldn’t take his gaze from the clear outline of her erect nipples.
“Quit nagging.” She gathered the cotton shirt in her hand, pulling it up to reveal the soft curve of her belly. She rubbed it, running small circles around her navel. “Hmm…my stomach’s empty. If I don’t eat right now, I think I’ll drop. Let’s make breakfast, then you can tell me why you rousted me from my bed.”
Her bed. He stood speechless. Didn’t she realize her words, not to mention that little gesture, set his mind on a track he made a habit of avoiding? As her hand made another pass, he imagined his tongue following in its wake.
That he was having this fantasy about Lauren made it all the more intense. Forbidden.
What would it be like to make love to a woman he actually cared about? Not that he hadn’t cared for any of his previous partners, but he’d never felt the depth of attachment he felt for Lauren with any of them.
The idea invoked a strange warmth in his chest.
“Well, if we’re not going to eat, then I’m going back to sleep.” Her lower lip rounded in the sexiest pout he’d ever had the honor of witnessing.
“Uh, no. Breakfast, I mean, that’s why I came—I’m here…to take you to breakfast.”
“I don’t feel like going out.” She motioned him toward the back door. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen. We’ll see what we can cook up.”
Was he imagining that challenge in her gaze? His mind raced with the possibilities. She had been intrigued by the idea of them being more than friends. He hadn’t imagined the awareness in her eyes the other night.
He stood dazed, staring at the assortment of potted plants gathered by her back door. Then dropping to one knee, he lifted half a dozen of them before finding her door key.
Seconds later, he stood in her kitchen. His gaze fell on the table where they’d eaten so recently. It suddenly seemed small, intimate. Her footsteps padded down the carpeted stairs. His pulse raced.
He turned to face her as she entered, still wearing the oversize T-shirt. Rather than conceal her, its loose fit accented her curves with every movement. His gaze traveled below the hemline, down the tantalizing length of her legs. Apparently, she wasn’t wearing much else.
He’d seen her in various states of undress before, but he’d never reacted like this, not even when they’d gone swimming at their hideout by the lake and she’d worn that skimpy bikini of hers. What was different now?
She moved toward him, a smile playing across her lips. Her gaze drifted over him, sending his hormones tripping. She was different. He hadn’t been imagining it the other night. One thing he’d become very adept at over the years was reading the signals. As she closed in on him this morning, she was throwing out all kinds of signals.
Open-armed, she stood before him. “I need a hug. You’re right. I stayed up too late.”
She slid into his embrace, as she had done throughout the years, but her arms slipped tighter around his neck and she lingered long enough to imprint her body on his. A bolt of lust pierced him. Then she breezed away as though nothing unusual had passed between them.
He exhaled as she moved to the refrigerator. Maybe he was imagining it all. Without taking his gaze from her, he settled at the table. He’d follow her lead. What he’d do if she took him down the same path as his wayward mind he wasn’t sure, but the temptation of her forbidden fruit might prove more than he could resist.
“How about eggs Benedict?” She glanced back at him as she bent low over the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The T-shirt rode up the back of her legs. Satiny, cream-colored panties teased him, hinting at the treasure guarded by her thighs.
A small groan escaped him.
Her eyebrows furrowed. She rubbed one hand over her hip, further exposing the sight of her covered mons for his view. “No? Maybe French toast, then?”
Somehow, he managed to move his gaze to her face. “Whatever you want, Lauren.”
The glow in her eyes intensified. “Eggs Benedict, then. I have a taste for something familiar but new.”
His throat constricted, so he nodded his agreement, then closed his eyes as she finished rummaging through the fridge. He drew deep breaths and tried to relax the tightening in his groin. This was Lauren, familiar, yes, but definitely new and exciting this morning.
Once he had his libido under control, he stirred himself to make coffee. Perhaps the task would busy his mind. She stood at the counter, whisking sauce in a bowl, and he leaned around her to reach the filters she kept in an overhead cabinet. He took advantage of the moment, fumbling with the filters, while he inhaled her warm scent. She smelled clean and earthy, without the trace of perfumes or soap.
“Excuse me,” he said as he pulled a filter from the stack and bumped against her.
“No problem.” Her gaze traveled over him again, and that same intriguing smile played at her lips.
Once he got the coffee brewing he took his seat, trying to relax as she prepared their meal, her gaze drifting to him on occasion. She hummed softly to herself, and he savored the sight of her hips’ gentle sway. Mouthwatering scents filled the air as the coffee gurgled and Canadian bacon sizzled on the stove.
“Taste.” She scooped sauce from a ladle with her finger, then held it to his lips.
He met her gaze, his throat tightening. By the glint in her eyes, they were definitely charting new territory here. His rational side reeled from surprise, but his adventurous side refused to quell its curiosity.
He drew her finger into his mouth, laving the sauce from her skin. She withdrew her finger, then dipped it again into the ladle.
This time, she took it into her own mouth, closing her eyes as she slowly withdrew it. “Mmm, it’s hollandaise, with a twist. I put a secret something in it, something I got from my new recipe book.”
“It’s decadent.”
Her eyes sparkled. “According to the recipe, the real secret is in how you eat the meal.”
With deft movements, she spooned the sauce over one plate, covering the layers of English muffin, Canadian bacon and eggs. Her teeth worried her bottom lip as she returned with the dish to his side, but her eyes remained bright. “You see, in this particular cookbook, they recommend sharing.”
“I like to share.”
Blood rushed through his ears. Was this really happening? She stood so close that he couldn’t resist the urge to slide his hand along the back of her thigh.
Her eyes widened slightly, and her breath stirred her lovely bosom, but she made no attempt to pull away. “Well, then, it says we should start like this.”
Lauren
