The Hookup (Moonlight and Motor Oil #1)(32)

I nodded.

“And who was going to take care of you?” he inquired.

“I hadn’t . . . well, thought of that part, but it was kinda going the way that it would have, um . . . happened naturally.”

He gave me his sexy grin before he bent his head, flicked my earlobe with his nose, kissed my neck, lifted his head and caught my eyes again, but when he did he was a lot closer this time.

“You think you could come just by watching yourself make me come?”

“Evidence was suggesting that,” I told him uncomfortably.

Another sexy grin. “How ’bout, if we do that, you kneel to the side so I can get a hand between your legs and help with that?”

“I think that sounds . . . doable,” I breathed.

It was then that something slid over his face that wasn’t sexy or warm or sweet, but seemingly alert, like he’d just remembered something. Then uneasy, and if I read it right, it ended remorseful before he bent in to touch his lips to mine and pull away.

“Dogs need to be let out before we settle in?” he asked quietly.

“I think Swirl’s down for the night but Dempsey probably could take a wander,” I answered then began to make an impossible move, the impossibility of it being me lying under him. “I’ll do it.”

“I got him,” Johnny said, sliding his thumb across my cheek before pulling away from me.

He put on his jeans and nothing else before he whistled, and I looked to the room to see Swirl lift his head from his spot camped out on Johnny’s couch but otherwise not move, but Dempsey trotted Johnny’s way.

Man and dog went out the door and I heard them clamber down the stairs.

I pulled the sheet to my chest wondering about the unease and remorse I thought I saw in Johnny’s face.

Then I pushed the sheet aside, got out of bed, found my panties and tugged them on. I also tugged on the rust-colored T-shirt Johnny had discarded that had a very cool, faded, peeling away yellow decal that was designed to look kind of like an old-fashioned, fifties motor oil ad that said, On My Way Home, the only place to be.

That done, I went to my purse and took it with me to the bathroom.

I grabbed my toothbrush out of it, used it. I then unearthed the travel-size facial cleanser I’d brought with me and used that too. Finally, I found the travel-size moisturizer and I used that as well.

I tucked everything in my purse and found Johnny and Dempsey were back when I returned.

His eyes were on the T-shirt and his lips were now curled up at both ends.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” he teased.

“I can’t brush my teeth naked, Johnny,” I returned.

His gaze came to mine. “Yeah you can.”

I rolled my eyes, dumped my purse on his island and headed toward the bed.

Dempsey came up and rubbed against me, so I stopped to give him some pets before I headed toward the bed where Johnny stood close to it, not taking off his jeans, just watching me with my dog.

But when I got close, he hooked me around the belly and pulled me into his front.

He then wrapped his arms around me loosely.

I put my hands to his chest and tipped my head back to look at his face.

“I’m a guy who likes to control what he gets in bed.”

My body jerked against his in surprise at this announcement and his arms tightened.

“I’m thinking that isn’t lost on you,” he carried on. “And maybe it also isn’t lost on you that I got rules. You come. Then I come. That was not the way things were going. I was gonna blow before I gave it to you and that is not acceptable to me. I liked what you were doing. Too much. It was taking my mind off where I needed to be at, that being seein’ to you. I got slightly pissed about that and didn’t communicate that very well. I was unintentionally a dick, but I was still a dick and that wasn’t cool. I said I was sorry but I want you to know, Iz, that I really am.”

This moved me a great deal.

And maybe this was why he’d looked remorseful.

Something that relieved me a great deal.

“Thank you, Johnny,” I said softly.

“You can wake up when you normally wake up. I’ll follow you home and deal with Serengeti and Amaretto, get the dogs sorted, feed your cats and make you breakfast so you don’t have to miss any sleep.”

I relaxed into him.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t but I’m gonna.”

I smiled at him, and my hand, of its own accord, was sliding up with the intent to cup his jaw, my feet itching to roll up on my toes to kiss him, but I stopped both.

I ended up squeezing the spot where his neck met his shoulder instead of doing something more affectionate, more familiar, not where we were or who we were. But I hid my disappointment I couldn’t have that, couldn’t give that, by continuing to smile.

“Are you saying we’re done having sex?” I asked.

He returned my smile. “Had my big workout today, babe, and you gave me my second one, so it sucks, but yeah. I’m wiped.”

I gave his shoulder another squeeze. “So you do do healthy things.”

“This body is not a miracle of nature.”

“Do you eat vegetables?”

“Protein shakes but there’s an occasional green smoothie,” he admitted.