Missy came again. Or maybe it was the same orgasm. It was impossible to tell as he pounded into her. He tensed and yelled. She felt the ripples in his cock, the heat of him as he came.
T.S. bent forward, resting his head on her shoulder. Her thighs were still draped over his arms, his cock still throbbing inside her. She moaned as another contraction seized her. T.S. swore and held on to her hips.
They both lay there totally spent until she shivered. With her body cooling she was noticing the cool air of the apartment. She was also becoming aware of her aches and pains and the fact that she was lying naked in bed with a man she’d never even been on a date with.
T.S. raised his head. He studied her for the longest time. Then he smiled. It wasn’t a smug I’ve-just-gotten-laid male smile. Nor was it the one she saw him use in social settings. No, this one was different. This was a genuine deep-from-the-soul smile.
Missy smiled back, unable to resist.
He eased out of her, being careful to hold the condom in place. He rolled off the bed and padded naked from the room. She heard the toilet flush and water run. She shivered again and managed to drag the covers down and climb beneath them. The sheets were cold. She really should get a nightgown.
T.S. came back into the room with a washcloth in his hands. Not bothering to ask, he pulled back the covers and proceeded to wipe between her thighs. Missy was too shocked to protest. This was a first for her. Usually she slipped from the bed to discreetly clean herself up after sex. She should have known it would be different with T.S.
He hung the damp cloth over the knob of the nightstand drawer and crawled in bed with her. She had to shift over to give him room. He took up a lot of space.
He eased her into his arms until her head was resting on his shoulder. She felt him kiss the top of her head. “Sleep. I’ve got you.”
As if her body had been waiting to hear just those words, she closed her eyes and drifted off.
Chapter Six
When Missy woke the next morning she was alone. She ignored the pang of disappointment that sat like a stone in the pit of her stomach. It was for the best that T.S. was gone. They’d finally had sex after months of her speculating what it would be like. It was even better than she’d ever imagined it would be.
He’d been there for her when she’d needed him. That was more than she could have asked of him. But now it was over. Done. Finished.
And she was lying to herself.
A slight banging sound caught her attention and she frowned. Was he still here? Easing out of bed, she found her bathrobe lying neatly on the end of the bed and pulled it on. T.S. must have put it there for her. He was already proving to be a very thoughtful lover. Anticipation heightened her senses as she belted the robe tight and started down the short hallway to the kitchen.
The sight that met her left her slightly horrified, yet bemused and strangely pleased. Her usual pristine countertop was piled with bowls, utensils and food. T.S. was cooking her breakfast.
As if he felt her eyes on him, he turned and met her gaze. “Hey.” He walked over to her, caught her chin in his hand, tilted her head upward and kissed her. It was a brief, good morning kiss that had her bare toes curling into the tile.
She stood there like an idiot, simply staring at him. One corner of his mouth turned up and she shook her head. The man was lethal. He was wearing only a pair of dress pants that were zipped but not buttoned, exposing way too much potent male flesh for her liking. The pristine bandage around his arm was a stark reminder of the more unpleasant aspects of last night.
“How’s your arm?”
He shrugged and went back to the stove where he had eggs cooking. “It’s fine.”
Obviously, he didn’t want to talk about it. Missy made sure the belt to her robe was still snug before heading to the coffee pot. It was full and she needed a hit of caffeine. As she poured herself a mug and added sugar, she watched T.S. work. He cooked with competence, with no wasted movements.
She imagined he was like that when he was swinging a hammer or using a drill. She wasn’t quite sure what his everyday routine was like on the job but she figured since he owned his own company he probably did a lot of jobs, whatever needed to be done.
She admired the fact that he’d been able to keep his company not only going, but successful through the downturn in the economy when so many other businesses had faltered. He was a loyal friend to Lucas and Candy. He was a fabulous lover.
Missy’s hand shook as she lifted her mug to her lips and took a sip of coffee. Damn him, he even made great coffee. This wasn’t good. One night of sex was fine, but no way was she allowing herself to fall head over heels for a guy like T.S. She wasn’t ready to settle down yet and he wasn’t the right guy for her. They didn’t have enough in common to last for the long haul.
“You okay?” T.S. placed his hands on her shoulders. When she peered up at him she could see the concern in his eyes.
“Yes.” No way was she letting him in on her thoughts.
He gave her a little squeeze before turning back to making breakfast. She felt the loss of his touch and sighed. She was obviously losing her mind. “Can I do anything to help?” She needed to keep busy. Doing nothing gave her too much time to think.
“Nope. Got it all under control.”
“I didn’t know you cooked.” Was there anything more lethal to a woman’s senses than a man who cooked?
“I do okay. I serve a mean breakfast and can grill a steak, make some basic stuff.” As she watched, he served up scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast onto two plates and took them to her table. “Sit. Eat.”
He waited until she was seated before he sat. The gesture was totally unconscious, an ingrained part of his personality. The man might be a little rough around the edges but he had great manners.
Missy picked up her fork and stabbed a small bite of the fried potatoes. They were seasoned to perfection. Bemused, she pointed her fork at him as a thought occurred to her. “I didn’t have any frozen hash browns, where did these come from?”
T.S. chewed and swallowed his mouthful of food before speaking. “You had a couple potatoes in your fridge.”
He’d made them from scratch. Now she was seriously impressed. “They’re wonderful.”
He grinned. “Glad you like them. I wasn’t sure you would. A lot of women don’t like to eat real food.”
Missy snorted. “I’m not one of them.” She dug in and ate, not talking until she’d had her fill. There were still some hash browns and eggs left but she simply couldn’t eat everything he’d put on her plate. She sat back and shoved it away.
“You done with that?” T.S. waited until she’d nodded before dragging her plate over by him and finishing up what was there.
While he ate, she studied him. He was a contradiction. He was all male from his sleek, hard muscles to his choice of profession. Yet, he cooked breakfast like it was no big deal. He was rough and crude, yet kind and mannerly. She couldn’t pigeonhole him and that concerned her. He kept her off balance. Uncertain.
“What are your plans for today?”
Plans? She didn’t have any. Hadn’t thought that far ahead. Thankfully, it was Sunday. After last night’s episode she was glad she didn’t have to go to work. She had a lot of muscle aches and light pain from her various bruises. She felt…fragile. And that was a feeling she didn’t like. Reminded her too much of her childhood.
Don’t go there, she told herself. But that was easier said than done. The similarities were too close. Her father had been in construction. An angry man who drank too much and had a quick hand when displeased. He was a bigot too, always pulling the race card when he was turned down for work. Missy could have told him it had nothing to do with the dark color of his skin but his crappy attitude and his explosive temper.