Kim wiped her mouth with a napkin. “You’ve seriously never seen this movie before?”
Raze lay on his side with his head in hand, his gaze moving from the television to where she sat cross-legged on the bed beside him, drowning in his shirt. “Never even heard of it.”
“Wow. I love this movie.” She stabbed another piece of impossibly tender steak with her fork and lifted it to her mouth, her attention only partially on The Ghost and the Darkness . The naked man sprawled across the bed next to her was much more fun to look at. “Patterson went to Africa with a dream and a plan. And then he had to fight to hang on to it. I just love that. Do you like it?”
“I like watching it with you.” He smiled and ran a fingertip down the side of her thigh. “I like watching you eat, too.”
“I don’t know what’s the matter with me. I don’t usually get hungry after sex, but I’m freakin’ starving now.” Of course, it wasn’t usual for her to have sex for nearly three hours nonstop either. She was pretty sure that if her damn stomach hadn’t growled, he’d still be inside her now. The thought made goose bumps sweep over her skin.
“Are you cold?” he asked, displaying that amazing perception she’d appreciated all night. It was the nail in her coffin, she knew. There wasn’t a woman alive who could resist a man who paid attention to her, who made her feel like she was the only other person in his world.
“No.” She pushed aside the longing that kept reminding her it was there, just under the surface, waiting for her to acknowledge it. “I’m feeling piggy eating while you’re not.”
“Don’t. I’ll get something when I need it.” He squeezed her gently, then let go. “And you’ll need the energy.”
Invigorated by the promise of more mind-blowing sex, Kim ate faster. Raze turned his oddly beautiful gaze back to the television, and she let her mind sift through the impossibilities of the evening.
Christ, he was beautiful. It was stunning how gorgeous he was. His features were heartrendingly perfect, from the bold slash of his brows to the strong line of his jaw. His eyes were compelling, the irises lit like amber in candlelight. His lips were sinful, not just in their sensual shape but also with what they could do to the female body. His nose was elegant and his cheekbones a work of art. Everything about him was divine. Like a fallen angel , she mused fancifully-blessed with looks that drove every rational thought from a woman’s head and totally wicked enough to take advantage of that gift.
She almost sighed like a smitten teenager.
And the best part was that the miracle of him was more than skin deep. Despite his devastating attractiveness, she was as comfortable hanging out with Raze as she was with any of her friends. There was no awkwardness, no wariness, nothing to ruin the easy companionship between them. It was in her nature to be cautious. Not only was that trait necessary for the painstaking work she did, but it was also how she’d been raised by a family of cops. You could never look close enough, dig deep enough, or be careful enough.
But Kim could accept that some people just clicked. She had friends whom she’d known would become valuable pieces of her life from the moment she met them. That didn’t explain why she wasn’t at least partially scandalized by the things she and Raze had done to each other since she arrived. There wasn’t a centimeter of her skin that didn’t know the stroke of his fingers or the lash of his tongue. He knew parts of her body better than anyone, better than even she did. And his erotic abandon goaded hers.
She’d lost all inhibition. She had done things to him that she’d never imagined doing and she had loved every minute. There was nothing in her head about playing fair or returning favors. She pleasured him because she couldn’t help herself. She pleasured him because it made her feel as good as when he pleasured her. He’d shown her that any sexual act could be intimate and mutually pleasurable if you had the right partner. She didn’t think there was anything she wouldn’t let him do to her or anything he could ask of her that she wouldn’t do to him-a man she hadn’t known existed just a few short hours ago.
He glanced at her, caught her staring, and smiled. The curve of his gorgeous mouth was wicked, but the heat in his eyes was tender and warm.
Her chest tightened in a way that warned her she was wading into treacherous waters. Taking a deep breath, Kim set her fork down and wiped her mouth again. “Thank you for dinner.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Wasn’t it obvious?”
“I’ve heard stale chips can taste delicious after sex,” he said wryly.
She laughed and stood, collecting her tray off the bed. “I absolutely enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed everything since I arrived.”
Taking the dishes back out to the living area, she took a moment to herself, debating whether she should get going now while the getting was good. She considered it long and hard, but the thought of returning to her apartment alone at this time of night made her stomach knot. And the thought of leaving Raze bummed her out so much she knew she couldn’t go until it was absolutely necessary. It wasn’t like they worked together or had the same friends or even lived in the same city. So what if she moped a little after it was over? He wouldn’t be around to see it. He wouldn’t be around as a constant reminder of what she couldn’t have.
“Hey,” Raze called out. “Your phone’s vibrating.”
She went back to the bedroom, which was softly lit and intimately welcoming. It smelled like him and sex and delicious food. She really didn’t want to be anywhere else. Looking around for her bag, she found it on a chair near the closet, several feet away from the bed. “How can you hear the buzzing over the television?”
He shrugged.
Digging her phone out, she looked at the screen and sighed at the sight of her brother’s name. She answered without preamble, “It’s a little late, isn’t it, Kenny?”
“Why the hell aren’t you answering your phone?”
“Because I was busy. And it’s late.”
“Kimberly Laine McAdams. You can’t go off with some biker you spoke to for five minutes in a bar and not expect us to be worried sick.”
“Oh my god. This isn’t Kenny. It’s Mom sounding like Kenny.”
“That’s not fucking funny.”
“No, it isn’t.” She hit the mute button. “Raze. Do you ride a bike?”
He glanced at her with brows raised.
“You know,” she elaborated. “Like a Harley.”
His grin flashed fierce and sexy as hell. “Heritage Softail.”
“Shit.” So he was a biker after all. The thought made her hot and needy. Kim took the phone off mute. “I’m a big girl, Kenny.”
“Who is still dealing with walking into the murder scene of her best friend!” Ken growled and in her mind’s eye she could see him fisting his dark hair with his free hand and clenching his jaw. “You’re not the only one who’s freaked by what happened to Janelle. I worry about you all the damn time. You need to give me a break, Kim. Stop giving me gray hair. Now what’s this guy’s name?”
“Why so you can run him? Do you do a run on all your one-night-stands?”
“You’re not the one-night-stand type.”
“I am tonight. I’ll call you when I get home tomorrow. And tell Delia I’m gonna to kick her ass.” She hung up, then powered her phone off.
“Everything all right?” Raze adjusted his position so that he was propped against pillows piled against the headboard. Sprawled like that he was a sensual feast.
God. He was just what she’d needed. What she still needed.
She tossed her phone back in her bag and pulled his shirt over her head. “Everything’s great. And about to get better.”