Her Shirtless Gentleman by M.Q. Barber

Author:M.Q. Barber
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Sex on the brain.

Nora floated between her bedroom and the bathroom on a cloud of nerves. The door at the end of the hall stood open, a personal challenge. Sunlight on the hardwood turned Rob’s name warm and gleaming amid a dusty sea. Hall-crossings sent hope and panic soaring.

He’d be here soon for their fancy date night. After their relaxing, low-key outings, tonight should be a breeze. They’d done getting-to-know-you talk. She wouldn’t be going in blind or fearing a dating disaster.

Except the sex question loomed. Silly to pretend otherwise. She’d gone out and bought a new bra and panty set, for chrissake. New dress, too. Everything fresh, clean, and new for Rob. Even her.

She stared down the open door. The wedge heels on her sandals echoed. Long, confident strides, same as she’d done every night this week. A careful step across Rob’s name.

Throttling back her distaste for the room and its former occupant, she made a slow turn in the barren space. “I am not a failure.” Not as a woman, a wife, or a sex partner. David’s laughter rippled in the silence of memory. “You don’t get to decide who I am.”

The girls at work damn well didn’t get to decide, either. Once they’d shaken her down for the real reason she hadn’t joined them on the last two Friday nights, they’d teased without mercy.

Oooooh, third date.

Ellie, you’re so old-fashioned.

That’s like the sex date for old people, right?

“I decide.”

Even if the girls were right, and she was old at thirty-one. She hadn’t looked forward to a man’s touch in years. Not until Rob swept in with his sexy smile and his firm abs. His thoughtfulness. His gentle coaxing and his steady, demanding faith in her.

She twirled. Swaying silk tickled her ankles. No laughter. Only blessed silence and the expectation of Rob’s appreciation. He’d clasp her waist and slide free the decorative tie before she guided him to the zipper at the neck.

Mmm. Cloudbank of nerves throwing lightning.

The doorbell sang its two-toned greeting.

Panic jangled at her side, an unwanted companion down the hall to the front door. Could she invite him in for the sex first and enjoy dinner after without the question hanging over her head?

No, he’d probably made a reservation. Besides, if she chickened out during the sex, she wouldn’t get the dinner afterward. She’d be giving up laughter, conversation, and Rob’s sexy smile and gold-flecked eyes.

Third date.

She pulled open the door.

Sweet honeysuckle wafted through the screen. He’d brought a beautiful bouquet of orange, yellow, and white blossoms. “They’re gorgeous.”

“You’re gorgeous.” He swung the screen aside and held the petals under her nose. “The flowers wish they were so beautiful.” He kissed her cheek as she inhaled. “Probably fretting about whether I got the dirt off their stems.”

Wildflowers he’d picked himself, from his own yard, maybe. She accepted the bouquet with a shaky hand. Far better than store-bought roses, the insincere apologies David had always brought her. Inhaling again, she met the intense eyes watching her over sweet honeysuckle, butterfly milkweed, and lemony evening primrose.

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