Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
P almer was covered head to toe in dried, caked, and cracked cement dust. His clothes clung to him and yet were stiff and solid enough that he had a hard time bending his knees to sit in his truck. Thankfully, he’d learned long ago to keep towels in the back seat for such occasions. He still had to replace his seat covers often in the truck.
Some cement had even dripped down into his boots. Of course, his brother had been lucky enough to get a video of him falling off the ladder and landing face-first into the newly poured cement.
He’d washed most of the mess off but there was no getting rid of all of it until he could head home and stand under a shower fully clothed.
When he got back to his place, Sophia’s car was parked in his driveway. When she stepped out of her car and saw him, she burst into laughter.
“What’d you do? Try to make a statue out of yourself?” she said between chuckles. “You look like a Weeping Angel from Doctor Who.”
“You and everyone else has gotten a good laugh today at my expense,” he said, then he surprised her by pulling her into his arms and kissing her. “There, now we’re both in need of a shower.” He grinned and then kissed her again. This time she didn’t try to pull away and melted into his embrace.
Seconds later, he shoved open the front door without breaking contact with Sophia’s lips. He only pulled away when Loki whined to be let out.
“Sorry.” He held up his finger. “Give me one moment to let him out.” He grabbed Loki’s leash and quickly rushed the dog to the grassy yard area. “Hurry up, buddy,” he said as Loki turned circles, trying to find the perfect spot to go. “I’m about to get lucky.”
When he was done doing his business, the dog whined to be let off the leash to run. “Sorry, buddy. We can’t go play on the beach right now. After,” he promised him and then, to get the dog moving, he promised him a treat inside.
When he stepped back inside the house, Sophia was standing in the same place he’d left her. He removed Loki’s leash and tossed the dog a treat from the jar he kept by the door, then he took Sophia’s hand and led her back to his bedroom and, most importantly, the bathroom.
“You don’t have to be anywhere early in the morning, I take it?” she asked.
“Nope.” He smiled at her. “You?”
She shook her head. “I’m off tomorrow.”
“I have a meeting with Max around one,” he told her and saw her eyebrows rise slightly. Shit, he felt like a douche for not telling her in the many text messages they’d sent to one another since then. “I should have told you earlier. He has officially hired me, and we’re going to go over a few designs.”
“That’s wonderful news.” She reached up and kissed him after they stepped into the bathroom. “I knew you’d wow him.”
“I owe you.” He ran his hands over her hips. “Not only a shower, but dinner.” He kissed her. “After,” he mumbled against her lips.
“Deal.” She tried to unbutton his shirt but laughed when she had a difficult time with the first button. “You really are cemented together.”
“Short of standing under a hose of cold water, there was no way of cleaning it off completely. It was too chilly today to get that wet,” he said as he worked the buttons. When his flannel was off, he tossed it into the laundry bucket and started working on his boots and jeans while she watched.
“Don’t mind me,” she said after a low groan caused him to still and glance at her. “Just… enjoying the show.”
He tossed his jeans into the bin and walked back to her in only his undershirt and boxers. “Here, let me help you.” He reached for her blouse buttons. “We’ll have to wash these.” Instead of tossing them in the bin with his soiled clothes, he set her items on the sink area so they could be washed later.
“I have a change of clothes in my car.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Just in case of situations like this.”
“Oh?” He enjoyed the softness of her skin under his fingertips. She was only wearing a pair of soft pink panties and a matching bra, and he was having a very difficult time not just pulling her up into his arms and taking her right then. “Do you often need a change of clothing because someone who has fallen into cement hugs you?”
She laughed and shook her head, and then kissed him. “Only for you,” she whispered, sliding her fingers into his hair. “Palmer,” she sighed when his lips trailed down her neck.
In one quick move, his hands moved over her body, taking, giving, causing both of them to heat. Seconds after her bra and panties hit the floor, his shirt and boxers followed. Her fingertips ran over his skin while his did the same for her.
“Water,” she whispered. “You have cement in your hair.” She chuckled.
He backed them up, unwilling to release her, until he could turn on the water in his shower. He stepped inside, pulling her with him.
He let the water hit him full force at first until it finished warming. Taking a bunch of soap, he lathered her body slowly, enjoying the soft smoothness of her skin under his fingertips.
Seeing her, being here with her like this... none of his daydreams had prepared him for this moment. She was everything and more.
He wanted to tell her just what she was doing to him when she touched him. He mumbled the words, how he felt, what it meant to him to be with her. She let out soft groans as his fingers dipped in and out of her. He wanted to take her right there but didn’t want their first time to be standing up in a shower. So he waited and used his fingers and his mouth to send her over the first edge.
When he shut off the water, her eyes popped open.
“Let’s dry off and head to the bed.” He helped her out of the shower and covered her with a towel before grabbing one for himself.
When they were dried off, they headed into the bedroom.
“I like what you’ve done with the space,” she said, suddenly sounding nervous.
“The place was furnished,” he said, pulling her close to his chest. “Second thoughts?”
She shook her head quickly. “You?”
“Hell no.” His eyes moved to her lips. “If you do change your mind, let me know,” he said before kissing her softly. Her response told him all he needed to know.
“I came over here tonight for this. For you,” she whispered as he laid her down on the bed. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer.
Before he slipped inside her for the first time, he thankfully remembered to slip on a condom. He’d never in his life been so consumed by someone that he’d almost forgotten. Never had this many deep emotions or been overcome by want as he was now with her.
His chest hurt whenever he thought about her. His head and body ached when he went too long without seeing her face or hearing her voice. He chalked it all up to the fact that he’d had the flu a few days ago. But in truth, he was afraid that his feelings for Sophia were deeper than he’d ever had for anyone else.
Love wasn’t something he had experienced before. It was something he had never imagined he’d have in his life. He didn’t know how to go about showing or telling her his feelings.
So, for now, all he could do was make sure she enjoyed every moment he was with her.
Feeling her body tighten around his was the catalyst that set his entire body on fire, causing it to explode.
When he lay there, breathing her in, hearing her heartbeat, feeling her body cooling next to his, he knew he had to find a way to show her what he felt. Soon.
Loki’s whines shattered his peace a while later.
“He’s hungry,” he said, rolling out of bed.
“I’m a little hungry too. I seem to remember a promise of dinner?” she said, sitting up.
He smiled at her and then pulled on some gym shorts. He grabbed a pair of sweats and a T-shirt for her to wear. “We’ll wash your clothes,” he said, heading to the bathroom to grab them.
“Don’t bother. I really do have a change of clothes in my car. But these will do for now,” she said, pulling on his shirt and sweats.
He handed her the soiled clothing he’d taken off her, and she followed him back into the kitchen, where Loki was sitting patiently at his bowl, whining.
“I’m getting it,” he said with a chuckle. “This model of dog didn’t come with patience,” he joked as he mixed the dog’s food. “There, now that he’s fed, how about I make something for us humans?”
Sophia leaned against the counter, watching as he moved around the kitchen with practiced ease. “You cook too? What other hidden talents do you have?”
Palmer smirked as he pulled open the fridge. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. Let’s see… how do you feel about pasta?”
“Pasta sounds amazing,” she said, crossing her arms as a small smile played on her lips.
“Great. I’ve got some fresh basil and tomatoes I picked up from the farmer’s market the other day. I’ll whip up a quick marinara sauce.” He grabbed a few ingredients from the fridge and pantry, setting them on the counter before reaching for a cutting board.
Sophia moved closer, peeking at the ingredients. “Fresh basil, huh? Fancy.”
He chuckled, pulling out a knife. “You’ve got to make the effort for the good stuff.” He gestured towards the cabinet near her. “Can you grab me the box of linguine?”
She found the pasta and handed it over, then leaned back against the counter as he started chopping tomatoes. “This is impressive. I was expecting takeout.”
“Well, I do make a mean call for delivery, but I figured I’d step it up tonight.”
She laughed, the sound filling the small kitchen. “Step it up, huh? Should I be flattered?”
“Very,” he said, his tone teasing as he slid the chopped tomatoes into a pan and set it on the stove. The sizzle and aroma of garlic hitting the hot oil filled the air.
He had her grab a bottle of wine from the fridge.
“Perfect pairing,” Palmer said, stirring the sauce. “Glasses are over there if you want to pour.”
“Got it.” She poured them each a glass, then took a sip. “This is turning into a proper date, you know.”
Palmer glanced at her, a soft grin on his face. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Not at all,” she said, her voice lighter now.
“Soon I’ll take you out on an official date,” he promised her. “When our schedules align.”
While the pasta boiled, they chatted, the easy rhythm of their conversation filling the gaps between the sounds of cooking. Loki had finished his dinner and sprawled out near the doorway, his tail wagging lazily as he watched them.
Once the food was ready, Palmer plated their meals and set them on the bar area. Sophia grabbed the glasses of wine and followed.
“It’s raining again,” she said as she sat down.
“It’s spring in Oregon. It’s always raining.”
“This looks incredible,” she said, twirling her fork through the pasta.
“Let’s see if it tastes as good as it looks,” Palmer said, sitting across from her.
She took a bite, her eyes widening. “Okay, this is amazing. You weren’t kidding about those fresh ingredients.”
Palmer laughed. “Glad you approve.”
As they ate, the conversation flowed effortlessly, the warmth between them growing with each passing moment. By the time their plates were empty, the bottle of wine was nearly gone.
Sophia leaned back in her chair, a contented smile on her face. “Well, you’ve officially set the bar pretty high for dinner dates.”
“Good,” Palmer said, gathering the plates. “That means you’ll have to come back for more.” He tapped his glass to hers.
“I have the party the day after tomorrow at my place,” she said with a sigh.
“Saturday?” he asked with a nod. “I’m still planning on lending a hand for setup. What time do you need me there?”
She thought for a moment. “As early as you want. The party starts at one.” She reached over and took his hand. “You know, maybe you and Loki can have a sleepover at my place next time?”
He smiled and knew without a doubt that he’d do everything in his power to make that happen.