LITMIR.BIZ

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sure it’s hard when you have a child pounding down the door.”

      “Exactly. But there’s no child right now. And Jetta isn’t overly fond of water. So I’m pretty sure we’re safe.”

      “Safe is a relative word.” One side of his mouth went up. “Are you inviting me into your tub, Dr. Grimes?”

      “It depends on whether or not you’d accept the offer.”

      “I don’t think there’s any question of that. It’s more of a question of how long it will take to fill that tub.”

      “How about if I go in and get it started and then call you when I’m ready?”

      * * *

      Maddy scooted beneath a mountain of bubbles until only her head and neck were showing. The second thoughts that had churned to life the second she’d turned on the tap had now morphed into third and fourth thoughts. It was probably too late to back out now, though, especially since she was completely naked and was pretty sure Kaleb was waiting on the other side of that door. She could always send him away. But she didn’t want to.

      So what was the problem?

      The problem was she hadn’t done this in a very long time. And the last time had been when she was pregnant with Chloe, and it had been terrible. Matthew had barely been able to look at her back then. And now she had stretch marks and a little more meat on her hips than she’d had in her younger years. What if she saw the same look of disgust in Kaleb’s eyes that she’d witnessed in Matthew’s?

      She should tell him to leave. Now. Before he had a chance to see her.

      No. She was buried beneath the bubbles. It was one of the reasons she’d told him about Roxy’s gifts. It gave her an excuse to whip the water into a frothy mass that covered everything. He could feel her, and they could make love, but it wouldn’t be like lying naked on the bed, her every flaw exposed to his eyes.

      Yes. She wanted to do this. Despite her fears, she had a feeling that Kaleb, despite all the flirting he did, would be a passionate but fair lover. He wouldn’t expect perfection. At least she hoped he wouldn’t.

      She sank even lower, mounding more bubbles over her breasts.

      “Everything okay in there?”

      She’d turned the water off minutes ago, so he must be wondering what was taking so long. “Yes.”

      “Well, may I come in?” There was a thread of amusement in his voice.

      “Do you promise not to laugh?”

      This time there was a prolonged pause. “Why would I laugh?”

      Her face flamed to life. Did he want her to spell it out? “Because I’m not...I’m not... I don’t want you to laugh at me.”

      “Maddy, the last thing I feel like doing right now is laughing.” The doorknob turned, but he didn’t shove the door open immediately. “I’m coming in. If you don’t want me to, you’d better tell me now.”

      She bit her tongue to keep herself from shouting for him to stay out.

      The door opened just enough for him to slide through. Maddy half expected him to burst into the room fully naked, ready for action. But the man was dressed exactly as she’d left him. His chest was bare, but he still had on his jeans, which were slung low around his lean hips. Even his shoes and socks were still in place.

      He closed the door and leaned against it, studying her for several heart-pounding seconds. Long enough that she wondered if the bubbles had dissipated, allowing him to see her through the water. She forced herself to keep meeting his eyes, refusing to cower, even though she wanted nothing more than to leap from the tub, grab the nearest towel and cocoon herself in it.

      Moving from his post, he sat on the very edge of the tub. “Why would I laugh?”

      She swallowed. “I’ve had a child. My body isn’t... It isn’t like it used to be.”

      “You’re beautiful. I don’t need to see you naked to know that.” He dipped a finger beneath the bubbles and scooped up a small amount, plopping it onto her nose. He smiled. “Still not laughing.”

      “Thank you.” The simple words almost got stuck in her throat but she forced them out.

      He leaned down and kissed her mouth. “Are you sure there’s room in there for me?”

      “Oh, yes.”

      With that, he stood up and toed off one shoe and then the other while she watched. He rolled off his socks, revealing strong feet, the slightest dusting of dark hair across the top giving them a decidedly masculine edge. Maddy’s mouth watered.

      He was going to be in the tub in a few more seconds and those hands would touch her all over. Only this time there would be no clothes between them.

      His wallet came out of his pocket. He opened it. Took out a condom from a little side section. Lord, she hoped that was something he always carried and not something he’d put in there just for this occasion.

      Maybe he saw the uncertainty on her face because he stopped and traced a line down the length of her jaw. “I wasn’t scheming to get into your bed when I left my house this morning, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

      “Of course not.” But it was, and they both knew it.

      Some woman was going to be very lucky to have him one day. For a second she wished it were her, before shutting down that line of thought completely. She had Chloe to think about. And there was no way she was going to set up her daughter to be hurt by a man. She hadn’t allowed Matthew to do that. And she wasn’t going to risk it with anyone else. Not right now. Maybe when Chloe was old enough to understand that relationships were never a certainty.

      She shook that from her thoughts before she ruined everything.

      Kaleb fished his keys from one of his front pockets and set them on the side of the sink. Then he smiled. “Do you have a dryer?”

      “Yes, of course, but why do you—”

      She hadn’t even got the words out of her mouth before Kaleb stepped into the bathtub, still clad in his jeans.

      “What are you doing?” The words came out as a choked laugh.

      “Showing you that there’s nothing wrong with a little laughter.” He grinned and slid his body into the water until he was facing her, the bottoms of his feet sliding up her calves, over her knees and working their way up her thighs. “As long as that laughter ends with me making love to you.”

       CHAPTER EIGHT

      HIS JEANS WERE staying on. Because if he took them off, it was all over. The look of shock on her face had made the pain of not being able to immediately take what he wanted a little easier to bear. He would get there. Soon enough.

      “So this is your tub.” He stretched both arms along the ledge on either side of him. Set into the corner of the room, the white fixture was definitely big enough for the both of them. He was able to fully extend his legs without a problem. The only thing wrong with the setup was that she’d put so many damned bubbles into the water, he couldn’t see a thing.

      Do you promise not to laugh?

      When he’d realized what she meant, the words had hit his gut like a freight train. He couldn’t imagine anyone laughing at Maddy.

      But she’d felt insecure enough to think that he might.

      “Was I right about its size?”

      “You were. It’s far too big for my liking, in fact.”

      Her eyes widened in surprise. “It is?”

      “Absolutely. You are much too far away.” With that,

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