Kissin' Tell (Rough Riders #13)(96)

A gust of wind blew so hard it rattled the screen door.


“Has that been a big life goal of yours? To have your own * posse?” Georgia asked without sarcasm.


Tell spun around, ready to deny it, but something in her eyes curbed his intent to lie. “Not my only goal, but a * posse was definitely one of them.”


“Did you reach it?”


“A long time ago.”


“Thank God you crossed that one off your bucket list.”


Thank God she wasn’t pissed off and throwing things at him. “I’m sorry, Georgia. I was a f*ckin’ idiot today. Remember when you told me that selling advertising to my relatives had nothin’ to do with me personally? This is sorta the same situation. Me flirting with those women had nothin’ to do with you personally. And you hafta believe I didn’t plan on takin’ any of them women up on their offers.”


“I believe you. I surprised myself by how much I wanted to challenge them all to a hair-pulling, eye-scratching cat fight.”


Nice boost to his ego that she had been jealous. He rested his chin on top of her head. “So are we okay?”


“I guess. Once again we dropped the ball on that adult relationship thing.”


“Yeah. Fightin’ with you sucks. I hate it. I’ve never been in a relationship long enough to fight.”


“Now I feel special.”


You are special. So special it scares the crap outta me.


“But I’ll point out the weeks we’ve had fights is when we haven’t spent time together.”


“A simple solution would be to spend all our free time together.”


“Mmm.”


“Georgia, darlin’, will you stay with me tonight?”



She tipped her head back to look at him. “Yes, but no sex, remember?”


“Are you really gonna hold me to that?” Tell feathered his thumb over the pulse point in her neck. “I haven’t touched you all week. It’s makin’ me crazy. I’ve been thinkin’ about the wild, raunchy, kinky things I wanna do to you.”


“Then another night will allow you to add to those fantasies, won’t it?”


He groaned. “It might kill me.”


Georgia laughed softly. “You’ll survive. We’ll find something else to keep us occupied.”


“Like what?”


“You could teach me how to play poker.” She held up her hand. “Not strip poker.”


“Spoilsport.”


“Or we could watch a movie. Heckle bad TV shows.”


“Would that include makin’ out on the couch and letting me at least cop a feel?” Tell waggled his eyebrows with such exaggeration she giggled.


“You’re such a guy.”


“And I can prove it. Three or four times at least.” Then he blew in her ear and felt her shiver from head to toe. “Am I changing your mind, sweetness?”


She shook her head. “As much as I love slipping between the sheets with you, I just like being with you. You make me laugh. You’re easy to talk to. And you don’t treat me like a dumb cheerleader.”


“Who the hell ever said that to you?”


“Lots of people. Not just kids at school. I heard someone say it was a good thing I was a pretty girl because I’d never get by on my brains.” She smiled sadly. “One time Smitty made that kinda crack around RJ. My brother clocked Smitty so hard he broke Smitty’s glasses. So you’re not the only one with self-doubts, Tell. As much as I’d like to pretend I overcame it, some of those attitudes and comments have stuck with me.”


“Why is it we have a better memory for the bad things that are said?”


She shrugged. “Maybe because it makes us appreciate it more when someone says something nice?”


He smooched her nose. “You’re so smart.”


The sweet-smelling scent of woman roused him.


Handy that she wasn’t wearing panties.


Tell squinted at the clock. Four thirty. He had to start chores in another hour anyway, so he may as well use this time to his advantage.


Georgia slept on her side, curled into a ball.


He slipped his fingers beneath the hem of the T-shirt she’d borrowed, finding her warm, soft skin. When his hands began the thorough ascent of her spine, her back bowed and she made a humming sound. A sound which traveled straight to his dick.


“Georgia,” he whispered, breathing in the heady scent of her hair.


“Mmm?”


“It’s morning. Do you know what that means?”


“We went to bed too late?” she murmured sleepily.


“No.” His mouth found the shell of her ear and he followed it with his tongue. “It means I can make love to you since night is over.”


She half-rolled into him, tangling their legs and rubbing her smooth, muscular calf over his. “But I’m tired.”


“I’ll wake you up.” He kissed the corners of her eyes. Her temples. The edges of her smile. “I want you like this. Warm and sweet and barely awake in my bed.”