Jaded (34 page)

Luke turned to face the door, a lazy smile on his face as he watched her come toward him. In one hand she held a glass of water and in the other hand...he squinted, eyes still blurry from his languid rousing process. It was his handheld recorder. His stomach twisted.

She offered him the glass of water and sat onto the bed next to him. He gulped it eagerly, water dribbling down his chin. When he’d consumed it all, he groaned with satisfaction. “Thanks, babe, I needed that.”

“After last night, I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to take you to the hospital for some extra fluids.”

He laughed, sitting up and kissing her cheek. He nodded toward the recorder. “Whatcha got there?”

“Just this little thing I found in your living room. I wasn’t snooping, I swear.” She held it up for him to see. “But, well, it reminded me of when Mark told me about the bet. He told me you had agreed to record it.”

“Which I never did.”

“But this would have been what you used, right?”

His stomach dropped, fearful of where she might be taking this. “Right.”

She nodded, turning it over in her hands. She paused, mouth halfway open as she mulled her next words. “What if we use this sometime to record
us
?”

Luke knitted his brows. He certainly hadn’t been expecting
that
suggestion. “You mean like...”

She looked at him, eyes sparkling, smile so sexy he thought his heart would stop. “Exactly.”

A grin overtook his face. “Whatever you want, babe. Consider me a willing participant.” He kissed her, hard and sloppy, feeling that same lightness pervade his body as she returned his kiss eagerly. There was no vestige of resentment or anger there, something he appreciated so deeply that he didn’t know how to express it. He cupped the side of her face and looked deeply into her eyes. She smiled back at him, her hand finding his.

“I forgot to mention that I rifled through your medicine cabinet.”

His heart throbbed in his chest. The grin on his face doubled. “And?”

“Luckily, your assessment came back normal. I agree with your choice of toothpaste and as a reward, I left tampons strewn about and my underwear crumpled in the corner.”

He laughed, holding her face in his hands. The Isabella shining back at him was so beautiful and alive that he could barely believe this was his reality. “Babe, I don’t think I’ve ever heard sexier words in my life.”

Biography

Ember Leigh has been writing erotic romance novels since she was far too young. A native of northern Ohio, she currently resides in South America with her Argentinean partner, a detail she uses to justify her Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Literature. In addition to romance novels, she also writes travel articles, maintains three blogs, and continually attempts to complete a mildly-gripping short story. In her free time, she practices Ashtanga yoga, travels the world, and eats lots of vegetables.