Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(24)

“Then let’s get going.”

  Thirty minutes later Sophie was lying on her back, doing her best to catch her breath. She’d been hoping for a semidecent, man-induced orgasm. Dugan had more than delivered. He obviously understood the basics of female anatomy, including what a clitoris was for, and he hadn’t expected her to climax after two minutes of intercourse. All excellent qualities in a man.

“You’re judging me.” Dugan rolled on his side and placed his very large hand on her bare belly. “I can hear it.”

“Only in a good way. I was appreciating that you wanted me to come first.”

“It seemed polite.”

His eyes were a dark blue, with thick blond lashes. His face was chiseled. Yup, he was pretty and built and good in bed.

“Not all guys are polite,” she told him.

“I’ve heard that. I’ve never understood why not. It’s fun to make my partner happy.”

“I agree.”

“How is being back after all these years?”

She blinked at him. “What?”

“Back on Blackberry Island. You grew up here, moved away, started a business and now you’re back. That has to be good but also unsettling.”

She scrambled into a sitting position and pulled up the sheet. “Now you’re scaring me.”

He sat up, as well, not bothering with the sheet. And while she appreciated the view, she wasn’t going to let herself get distracted.

“Don’t be scared.” His smile was easy. “Kristine talks about you. It’s nice. You two have a connection.”

“We’re family.” She studied him, trying to figure out his angle.

As if he read her mind, he grinned. “I don’t want anything, Sophie. Don’t freak. Like I said, I’ve heard about you and I think you’re interesting.” One eyebrow rose. “It’s nice when the hype turns out to be true.”

Okay, she appreciated the compliment, and the sex had been great, but still. Who was the man? She swore silently, thinking that hey, she should have asked that question before, you know, the deed.

“You want some breakfast?” he asked.

And there it was. The awkward “after” part. “I’m good.” She sat up and smiled at him. “This was amazing and exactly what I needed, but here’s the thing. I’m not really good at relationships. I’ve been married before and it didn’t go well. I’m into my work and even more so now because I just relocated my company and I’m trying to get things up and running.”

She paused, wondering if she should explain what she did or what a relocation was, then decided it didn’t matter.

“So while what just happened was great, I’m not going to stay for breakfast. Having said that, if you were open to this in the future, then I’m your girl.”

Dugan’s expression was unreadable. “You’re clear on what you want.”

“I am. It’s kind of how I do things.”

“I’m down with that.”

Down with that? Had he really said that? She held in a sigh and got out of bed. It took her a couple of minutes to find her clothes and pull them on. Once she was dressed, she looked around the bedroom.

It was large, with a stunning view of Puget Sound. There was the bed they’d just been in, a rock fireplace and, from what she could see, a giant master bathroom.

The furniture was all high quality and oversize. This was not some bachelor apartment, she thought, remembering they’d had to walk a ways from the front door to the bedroom. Not that she’d been paying much attention to her surroundings. She’d been too busy kissing and being kissed by Dugan.

Now, as he escorted her to the front door, she saw the rest of the place was as nice as the bedroom. The hardwood floors gleamed and there were views of the Sound from nearly every room they passed. She caught a glimpse of a gourmet kitchen with miles of counter space and a family room nearly the size of her entire rental. Yup, this house had cost a fortune.

She glanced at him. “So do you do something other than your Tai Chi classes on the beach?”

“I do some teaching. Life balance kind of stuff.”

She doubted that paid very well. He must come from money or have inherited it. She thought of her ex and wondered if, like Mark, he’d married someone successful and then had taken her to the cleaners. Thinking that made her postorgasm glow fade a little, so she pushed the thought away.

They paused by the front door. Dugan smiled at her. In response she felt a distinct quiver down low in her belly. He was just that good.

“Want my number?” he asked.

She saw her bag where she’d dropped it and dug out her phone, then handed it to him. He entered the info.

“Want mine?” she asked.

“You call me. You’ll be more comfortable that way. Plus, I’ll be around.” He returned her phone to her, then leaned in and kissed her. “Thank you for a very good morning, Sophie Lane.”

She kissed him back, liking the way she already anticipated the pressure of his mouth on hers and how it would make her feel.

“Thank you,” she said, staring into his eyes. God, he was good-looking. “Oh, wait. I don’t know your last name.”

He reached behind her and opened the front door. “That’s more of a second date kind of thing, don’t you think?”