out what one drawing was. Her lips pursed as she recognized the folds between a woman’s thighs. John was not only a wonderful artist, he was all male.
A male who’d just turned down one very real-life horny female.
Inez Kelley
77
She slapped the pad on the counter, grabbed her overnight bag, marched into the den and announced her intention of taking a
bath…naked…in the master bathroom…alone.
Damn him, he never even looked up. She left both his bedroom and bath doors open. John never darkened either one.
The pulsating jets of the Jacuzzi soon lulled her into a calmer state. Frothy liquid rolled over her skin, leaching tensions and annoyances away. She soaked until her fingers and toes wrinkled and her butt got sore from sitting. A vague, low cramp twinged deep in her hips and she groaned, popping out of the tub.
Well, she now had a better explanation of her pissy attitude than just horniness. Cursing fate, she dug in her travel bag for a tampon. Maybe it was a good thing John was so wrapped up with his monsters. It left her alone to battle Kotex.
John’s new couch cradled her far too well and she nodded off twice watching reruns. She flicked off the TV and locked the back door. It was near midnight and her eyes drooped. A floppy
nightshirt skimmed her thighs and her bare feet made no sound against the carpet. Fighting a yawn, she peeked into the depths of monster central. His typing was slower now. At some point, he’d eaten half the ham sandwich. The stale bread 78
Sweet as Sin
of the other half slid as she picked up the plate and set a glass of orange juice in its place.
He looks tired. His raven hair stood scattered about his head as if he’d run his hands through it several times. The dark shadow of a beard tinged his jawline, made even darker by the shine of his glasses in the computer glow. Livvy’s heart softened and she reached to stroke his shoulder.
With a soft cry, his arms flew over his ducked head and his back hunched away from her. The stance twisted her gut. Rather than jump as if startled or even lash out as if scared, John cowered like a kicked dog. Icy pricks of dread burst into her bloodstream.
His breath whooshed out and he whipped
around to face her. Fear seeped from his eyes, shame entering before being replaced by a hard, cold spark. The brazen smile was meant to charm but seemed forced and stiff.
“Damn, Liv, you scared the shit out of me. I didn’t know you were here.” His look bounced from her toes to her face. “Why are you here? In your pajamas?”
“Gina asked me to keep an eye on you, make sure you didn’t grow roots in here. I figured it was easier to do if I was just down the hall. Besides, it’s Andrea and Tow’s anniversary and I wanted to give them some privacy. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Inez Kelley
79
“Of course I don’t mind but Gina shouldn’t have asked. I’m not a little kid.”
“Karen Edwards called.” She watched for the freezing of muscle, the shift of guilty eyes, the bracing for a fight.
John just yawned. “Oh yeah? What’d she say?”
He stood and stretched powerful arms above his head, bones cracking like dry wood. His arms lowered and circled her waist, pulling her hard to him. Her hands flew to his shoulders. She’d known him only days and already her body
responded to his, comfortable in his power.
“She said to call her and she owed you a kiss, a big fat kiss actually.”
A wide smile spread across his face. “Really?”
“Yeah. Who’s Karen?”
“My editor. A big fat kiss means she likes the last rewrites. If she hated them, she’d say she owed me a swift kick in the ass.” He glanced at the timestamp on the computer. “Damn, too late to call her back tonight.”
“It is late. I was just heading to bed.”
“Since you’re ready for bed—” his head dipped to nuzzle her ear, “—think I could interest you in my bed rather than the guest room?”
“Uh, I tried that. You didn’t even look up
A male who’d just turned down one very real-life horny female.
Inez Kelley
77
She slapped the pad on the counter, grabbed her overnight bag, marched into the den and announced her intention of taking a
bath…naked…in the master bathroom…alone.
Damn him, he never even looked up. She left both his bedroom and bath doors open. John never darkened either one.
The pulsating jets of the Jacuzzi soon lulled her into a calmer state. Frothy liquid rolled over her skin, leaching tensions and annoyances away. She soaked until her fingers and toes wrinkled and her butt got sore from sitting. A vague, low cramp twinged deep in her hips and she groaned, popping out of the tub.
Well, she now had a better explanation of her pissy attitude than just horniness. Cursing fate, she dug in her travel bag for a tampon. Maybe it was a good thing John was so wrapped up with his monsters. It left her alone to battle Kotex.
John’s new couch cradled her far too well and she nodded off twice watching reruns. She flicked off the TV and locked the back door. It was near midnight and her eyes drooped. A floppy
nightshirt skimmed her thighs and her bare feet made no sound against the carpet. Fighting a yawn, she peeked into the depths of monster central. His typing was slower now. At some point, he’d eaten half the ham sandwich. The stale bread 78
Sweet as Sin
of the other half slid as she picked up the plate and set a glass of orange juice in its place.
He looks tired. His raven hair stood scattered about his head as if he’d run his hands through it several times. The dark shadow of a beard tinged his jawline, made even darker by the shine of his glasses in the computer glow. Livvy’s heart softened and she reached to stroke his shoulder.
With a soft cry, his arms flew over his ducked head and his back hunched away from her. The stance twisted her gut. Rather than jump as if startled or even lash out as if scared, John cowered like a kicked dog. Icy pricks of dread burst into her bloodstream.
His breath whooshed out and he whipped
around to face her. Fear seeped from his eyes, shame entering before being replaced by a hard, cold spark. The brazen smile was meant to charm but seemed forced and stiff.
“Damn, Liv, you scared the shit out of me. I didn’t know you were here.” His look bounced from her toes to her face. “Why are you here? In your pajamas?”
“Gina asked me to keep an eye on you, make sure you didn’t grow roots in here. I figured it was easier to do if I was just down the hall. Besides, it’s Andrea and Tow’s anniversary and I wanted to give them some privacy. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Inez Kelley
79
“Of course I don’t mind but Gina shouldn’t have asked. I’m not a little kid.”
“Karen Edwards called.” She watched for the freezing of muscle, the shift of guilty eyes, the bracing for a fight.
John just yawned. “Oh yeah? What’d she say?”
He stood and stretched powerful arms above his head, bones cracking like dry wood. His arms lowered and circled her waist, pulling her hard to him. Her hands flew to his shoulders. She’d known him only days and already her body
responded to his, comfortable in his power.
“She said to call her and she owed you a kiss, a big fat kiss actually.”
A wide smile spread across his face. “Really?”
“Yeah. Who’s Karen?”
“My editor. A big fat kiss means she likes the last rewrites. If she hated them, she’d say she owed me a swift kick in the ass.” He glanced at the timestamp on the computer. “Damn, too late to call her back tonight.”
“It is late. I was just heading to bed.”
“Since you’re ready for bed—” his head dipped to nuzzle her ear, “—think I could interest you in my bed rather than the guest room?”
“Uh, I tried that. You didn’t even look up
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