Stack turned, sucked in a breath at finding her naked, and stared heatedly. “Done with your call?”
“Yes.” She could tell he was curious, but on a gut level she knew Stack would object to her picking up the tab on his sister’s salon visit.
“Anyone important?”
Well, shoot. Apparently he wouldn’t let it go without knowing. “It was Tabby.”
His brows came together. “Why is she calling you?”
Here she stood, naked, and there he stood, on the other side of the room. Unacceptable. “She invited me to the movies with her. I would have loved to go but couldn’t. Hopefully, we’ll make it another evening.” Leaving out part of the truth wasn’t really a lie, she promised herself. He’d eventually find out, but then it’d be too late for him to spoil her fun or Tabby’s excitement.
To shore up the arguments she’d just given herself, she grinned at him.
Suspicious, he crossed his arms.
And it was then she noticed his erection. Nice. So he wasn’t unaffected, just being alpha.
“I hadn’t realized you and Tabby were getting so cozy.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No. It’s just that you two are totally different.”
Hmm. So he didn’t mind that they were friendly. Perfect. “I’d love to have you expound on that—later. Right now I have other things on my mind.” She gestured at her naked body. “I’m beginning to think I should re-dress.”
“I much prefer you like this.” While striding to her, he asked, “How much time do we have?”
“Thirty minutes, tops.”
“Hmm.” He stopped before her. “I can do a lot in thirty minutes.”
“I was counting on that.” She looked him over, then met his gaze. “Strip.”
“First, let me see your arm.”
Heaving a sigh, Vanity said, “I don’t understand you.”
“I know.” Carefully, Stack opened the bandage and gently touched her skin. “Stay still while I rewrap it.”
Until that moment she hadn’t noticed the ointment and gauze wrapping he’d brought to her room and put on the nightstand.
“You’re making me feel foolish.”
He didn’t look up from her arm, but he asked, “Why?”
“I have this teeny tiny burn that most wouldn’t look at twice, while your arm looks like it went through a five-round fight and lost.”
The corners of his mouth tipped up. “Burns are serious. They can get infected. Bruises can’t. And they’ll fade quickly, I promise.” He finished tending her, kissed her arm through the wrap, and said, “There. All done.”
“Your arm doesn’t hurt?”
“Not much.”
She was still naked, and he wasn’t, but she couldn’t help asking, “Is that why Leese came by? Did he have news for you about the guys who jumped you?”
That startled him. He tried to hide it, but she saw it in his eyes.
“Stack, I keep telling you I’m not dumb.” He and Leese were friendly but not really friends. For Leese to stop by, especially during a snowstorm, he had to have reason to talk to Stack.
“You also told me you wanted a quickie, and we don’t have time for me to regale you with details of an insignificant incident and give you a screaming orgasm.”
How he said that, the look in his eyes, made her stomach flutter. “Screaming?”
He stepped closer. “And groaning. Maybe even begging a little.”
She inhaled, exhaled and nodded. “Okay, enough. Clothes off.”
Saying nothing more, his smile smug, Stack reached back for a handful of his shirt and stripped it off over his head. His jeans were already open, so he dragged down the zipper, but he didn’t take them off.
“Stack,” she protested.
“Shh, trust me. Taking off my pants might encourage me to jump the gun, but I want to ensure you come all nice and hot for me first.”
Vanity shivered. Hard to argue with that logic, so she again agreed. “Okay.”
“Rest back on the wall. Yeah, like that.” Taking her hands, he crisscrossed them over her chest so that she covered each breast. Looking into her eyes, he said huskily, “Hold these for me, okay?”
Beyond words, she nodded.
Smiling his approval, Stack gave her a small kiss. She wanted more, but he went to one knee in front her. “Open your legs.”
Heartbeat frantic and breath rushing, Vanity braced her feet apart.