Drew pulls me back against him and I’m able to stretch my long legs completely. Amazing. I normally can’t stretch out in a standard tub, I’m too tall. I use my foot to turn the knob and shut off the water, then I sink further down, my head resting back against Drew’s shoulder. His arms wrap around my waist and his fingers draw slow circles on my stomach.
We soak in silence, the hot water relaxing our bodies until our fingers prune and the water begins to cool. Drew massages my neck and shoulders, and I’m so relaxed, I could fall asleep right here in the water.
“Let’s get you to bed,” he whispers in my ear and guides us up and out of the water. Drew dries me carefully, not missing a spot before wrapping my body in the oversized bath towel. I’ve never had anyone take care of me before and it’s nice.
“My toothbrush is in that bag if you’d like to use it again.” He points to the leather toiletry bag sitting on the counter.
I blush in embarrassment. “How did you know?”
“You left the lid off the toothpaste,” he says with a smirk. Pulling his toothbrush and the tube of toothpaste from his bag, he hands them to me. “Maybe it’s anal, but I have a system. Everything has its place. Lids always go back on. Everything is organized—”
I snort. “I’m not like that at all.” Which is ironic, because being in control is my M.O., except for my bathroom. It’s a disaster of epic proportions.
“Obviously. It was a dead giveaway when I went into the bathroom this morning. Towel on the floor, toothpaste open, toothbrush sitting in a puddle of water.” He laughs as he describes what a mess I am. It’s the first time I notice he has a dimple. I don’t know why, but I reach out and press my finger to that small curve in his cheek.
He stills. The move is simple, but intimate.
“You have a dimple,” I say softly. “I like it.”
He snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me to him. His gaze holds mine. “And I like you.”
My heart stammers in my chest and he presses his soft lips to mine. His kiss is soft and sweet and my body sinks into his.
“As much as I want to make love to you again, Gracie, we need to rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”
Drew removes our towels and walks us to the king-size bed. I ease into the center, my bare skin sliding against the silk sheets. Drew slides in behind me and pulls me to him, caging me in his arms, where I close my eyes and easily fall asleep.
Seven
As much as I want to wake Gracie up and fuck her senseless this morning, I let her rest. It’s early, still dark outside, and she’s curled into herself, her face so serene and peaceful. I spend a moment listening to the soft sounds of her breathing that tell me she’s sound asleep. I slip out of the bedroom and work from the living room answering emails, texting my realtor, and ordering us breakfast.
I recently reached out to a realtor to assist me in finding a small apartment, but now I’ve asked her to find me something a little bigger. Hopefully, the last-minute change of plans won’t trip up today’s real estate viewing.
Just as breakfast arrives and our room service attendant is setting up our food on the dining room table, Gracie appears all wrapped in a plush robe.
“Smells good,” she says, her voice husky with sleep.
Gracie slides onto my lap and wraps her arms around my neck. I bury my face in the crook of hers and drink in the sweet smell of her warm skin. She’s beautiful in the morning. Her face is make-up free and her long wavy hair is all twisted into a high bun on top of her head. Her simple beauty is what’s most attractive about her.
“You smell good,” I whisper and I see her visibly shiver. I love the way I affect her. My touch. My words. Her body reacts to both. I run my hand under her robe and caress her bare thigh. My fingers trail higher to the apex of her thighs, where I stop before I get to the place I love to touch. I want nothing more than to eat her for breakfast, right here on this dining room table, but we have a big day ahead of us and I need her to eat and get ready.
The room service attendant quietly leaves and Grace pushes herself up and meanders over to the table.
“You could feed an army with all this food,” she says, her eyes scanning the elaborate display of eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, toast, muffins, coffee, and juices.
“I didn’t know what you liked,” I remark, and join her at the table.
“Everything,” she says with a small smile. She’s not afraid to eat, another thing I find attractive about her. She slides into one of the chairs and reaches for a plate.
“What can I get you?” she asks me as I take the seat next to her. She wants to serve me my food and I let her.
“Some eggs, bacon, and fruit, please.”
She plates up my breakfast and sets it in front of me before helping herself. You’d never know by how comfortable we are that we’ve known each other for less than forty-eight hours. I feel like I’ve known her a lifetime.
“What are we doing today?” she asks, biting into a bright red strawberry. She reaches for the cream and pours it into her coffee, turning the black liquid to a milky light brown.
“Shopping,” I say, sipping some orange juice.
“Shopping? You like shopping?” Her eyes widen in surprise.
“The kind of shopping we’re doing doesn’t involve stores or malls,” I remark, and she sits back in her chair, her forehead wrinkling in confusion. “You’ll see.”
We finish our breakfast and I hand her a shopping bag. “I asked the concierge to get you an outfit until we can get to your apartment. I’m sorry if it’s not your style, but I didn’t think you wanted to wear my shirt again, or that skirt you’ve worn for the past two days.”
She pulls the tissue out of the bag and I see that they sent up a pair of black yoga pants, a tank top, and jacket. Also in the bag are a pair of new tennis shoes and socks.
Her eyes widen when she sees the logo from that popular fitness store that women seem to rave about. “Thank you,” she says, shoving everything back in the bag. I can’t tell if she’s appreciative or embarrassed that I purchased clothing for her, but her face softens as the bag of clothes dangles in her hand, so I’ll take it as appreciative.
“Go get dressed. We’ll go to your apartment so you can grab anything else you need.” I rush her along.
She nods and slips back into the bedroom while I shut down my laptop and join her. By the time I get there, she’s dressed and in the bathroom brushing her teeth with my toothbrush again. If this were anybody else, I’d have thrown that toothbrush away, but with Gracie, I could oddly care less.
She runs her fingers through her long hair and reties it up on top of her head as I slip into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved polo shirt. I join her in the bathroom, take the toothbrush that is once again sitting in a puddle on the counter, and brush my teeth, before running some water through my short, dark hair.
“Ready?” I ask as I arrange the toiletries on the counter that Gracie has left a mess.
“Ready,” she responds, sliding her hands into the pockets of her tight-fitting athletic jacket. The form-fitting fabric of her pants and jacket hug every luscious curve on her body and I can’t help but get turned on. Her breasts and curvy hips are on full display and the way her ass sways when she walks damn near gives me an erection. She needs to change before we look at homes; no one else is allowed to ogle that body…just me.