Chapter 22
Relief filled Garnet as they headed home. They’d worked until ten that evening, and her eyes hurt from looking at screens. It was a slog to get through all the photos of everyone who attended the conferences, picking out who had attended her sessions.
She fell asleep fast and woke to the sounds of the coffee maker brewing. When she rolled to get out of bed, soreness hit hard. There’d been too many hours in the same position. Today, she needed to move around more.
She couldn’t believe they’d slept in the same bed with nothing happening between them. Then again, they’d both been tired, and she’d fallen asleep way too fast for him to try anything.
After a quick shower, she wrapped her hair in a towel, put on clothes, and headed out to the main room. Brady set a mug on the bar, his smile warm.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?”
“Good. I’m ready to get back at it.”
“I have a good feeling about today.”
“Good. So do I.”
“How long will it take your hair to dry?”
She shrugged. “I was thinking about letting it go natural, so I need to keep it in the towel for a few more minutes, then I’ll put product in it, and we can go.”
His lips tipped up more. “I like your hair curly.”
She picked up the mug and took a sip. “Good, because the curly version is easier.”
He came around the bar and leaned against the counter, his gaze on her as he sipped his coffee. She held his gaze, wishing she knew him well enough to put her hand on his arm, then pull him into a kiss.
Heat rose, tracing a path up her neck to her cheeks. She was pale and knew he could see the effect he had on her.
They were still holding eye contact, the intensity growing, when he set his mug down. He took her mug and set it on the counter before he cupped her face and leaned in. His thumb smoothed over her cheek, and his breath warmed her.
“If you don’t want this, tell me now,” Brady whispered.
“I’m not very experienced.”
“We can go slow.”
“I get wrapped up in my thoughts, and I can be oblivious at times.”
“I know. I like your intensity and your passion for your work.”
She put her hand on his chest, exploring the hard planes of his pecs. She put one hand on his arm, feeling his strong biceps. “Your muscles are big.”
“Your skin is soft. I love how it feels under my fingers.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time.” Her voice shook as she spoke, anticipation filling her as she waited for the soft brush of his lips.
She’d wanted to see what it felt like to be held by him like this for so long that she couldn’t believe it was happening. A shiver snaked through her, and his lips tipped up seconds before he closed the distance.
The first touch of his lips against hers sent a burst of lightning through her that made even her toes vibrate with need. She clenched her hands, pulling at the material of his shirt.
When his tongue licked against her lips, she moaned and opened for him. No kiss had ever made her feel this way. She sucked in air through her nose as his tongue smoothed against hers, then ducked out of her mouth before plunging in again.
The kiss was slow and sensual, making her wonder if she had ever experienced a kiss before now. This was everything a kiss was meant to be, and so much more than she’d ever known could happen.
Bean hadn’t meant to kiss her this morning, but hot damn, this was better than he’d expected. He wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go.
He ended the kiss and pulled back, loving how her eyes fluttered open slowly. She looked mesmerized. Her cheeks had pinked up, and she looked freaking amazing.
He wanted to take her back to bed and see what they could get up to, but they had to head to base. He took a step back.
“Work calls, but I’d rather spend the day alone with you.”
Garnet drew in a slow breath and let it go just as slowly. “Yeah, work. Jesus, that kiss.”
“Yeah. That kiss.”
She shook her head, then took a step back and wiped her hands over her face before smiling at him. “So, we have work to do.”
He chuckled. “We have work to do. The drive will allow us to clear our heads.”
She nodded. “I need that time.”
“So do I.”
He shoved the desire down, forcing himself to push thoughts of kissing her from his mind. It was difficult, but he had to focus on work.
“Okay, let me grab something from the bedroom, and then we can go.”
He’d showered while she slept and was ready to go, except for the fact that his cock was hard. He shut the bedroom door and reached into his pants, pinching the base of his dick, willing his cock to deflate.
No question, working around her was distracting, but he could hold it together. There was room in his mind to hold the thought that Garnet was sexy and amazing, and that work had to be done.
What they were doing was important. Once they worked through this problem, found the person who wanted to use Garnet’s knowledge for destruction, they would have time to focus on a relationship, and then he would have time to explore her body.