“When I’m ready.” He took her hips in his hands and groaned. She was strong. Hard and soft. Sweet and demanding. All contrasts. He wasn’t under any misconceptions. She allowed him to take charge; she made the choice to give over, which was exactly how he wanted it. Otherwise it was a sham.

He put a palm at the small of her back and pushed down, keeping her just right. Her body clasped around him again, superheating, and he knew she was drawing close to another climax.

This time they’d go over together.

He leaned forward a little, reaching around with a free hand to slowly circle her clit. He heard a quick intake of breath as she gasped at the contact.

“I don’t know if I can,” she gasped.

“Pah, you totally can. It’s an orgasm, beauty, and given how fucking gorgeous you are when you have one, I know you can have one again.”

She groaned, but her body continued to respond as he slowly teased her higher and higher.

He got close, so close his body tightened up with anticipation. She sucked in a breath and came all around him, the heated, tight clasp of her inner muscles sending him hurtling into orgasm right along with her.

He thrust hard, over and over as the slap of skin against skin stroked over the sounds of moans and sighs.

He pulled out carefully, excusing himself to get rid of the condom and when he got back, he smiled at the sight of her in his bed and joined her.

“How about some juice and something to eat?” He stroked an idle fingertip over her shoulder.

“Yes, that sounds perfect.”

He leaned in to kiss her before he rolled from the bed and tossed her a robe that had been hanging on the back of his door. “You don’t have to wear it. No one is going to see in, but it’s a little chilly tonight.”

She pulled it on and he pulled on a low-slung pair of sleep pants.

When he opened his bedroom doors, he nearly tripped over his damned dog and the cats, who’d set up camp right outside the door.

She wisely hid a snicker, but carefully stepped around the cats winding through her legs as she walked. It just gave him an excuse to touch her again so he slid an arm around her waist. “Wouldn’t want you to fall.”

CHAPTER NINE

WOULDN’T WANT YOU to fall.

Ezra had said those words to her the week before. She’d been wearing little more than a robe and had sex hair at the time.

He’d meant to warn her not to trip over his animals¸ but the biggest danger was in falling for the man himself.

He’d dropped her off, walked her to her door and then, he said he’d call.

Which had made her distinctly uncomfortable, and yet, happy. He had called. Twice over the week. Things were easy between them. He checked in and was sexy and charming, but he didn’t push into her space. It felt a little like he held back. Which was okay, too. Hopefully he’d lose that over time and grow to trust her.

And here he stood in the doorway to her shop, giving her a look that made her parts stand up to attention.

“Hey there.” She was with a customer so she kept it at that. “Be with you shortly.”

He nodded and strolled to look at the art on the walls.

By the time she had found the right stuff for her customer and had rung it up, it was near closing so Tuesday flipped the sign and locked up before she turned back to Ezra.

“Hey, yourself. I was in town and I saw the lights on in here. I just went grocery shopping. How about I make you dinner?”

Flattered and pleased, she hoped she kept her cool when she nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like something I’d be up for, thanks. Why don’t I just drive up to your place in a bit? I need to go home to change.”

He frowned. Just a brief flash of displeasure and she wanted to kiss his lips to entice them to curve back into a smile. “You’re really spoiled, aren’t you?”

There it was. He grinned. “Come to me when you’re ready and if you ask me that question while you’re standing in my kitchen, I’ll answer it honestly.”

She moved to him. “When I’m standing in your kitchen, Ezra, you’ll most definitely be spoiled.”

He nodded, attempting to be solemn but amusement was clear in his gaze.

“I’ll walk you to your car when you’re ready.” He leaned against the counter. “I’ll check my email so take your time and do what you need to.”

But it was hard to concentrate with him there. In her shop. His smell was all over the place now, she realized. It made her happy to know the ghost of his presence would still be in the air when she opened up the following morning.

She counted the till and wrote a deposit sheet out and tucked it in the bag. This was one part of business that, while it was easier than in the old days before you could take a picture of a check and consider it deposited, still involved a trip to the bank to drop her day’s receipts off.

Only, that day Ezra was at her side as she headed down two blocks and another one over to the bank.

“You do this alone every day?”

“Every day I work, yes. Well, if it’s been a slow day and it’s mainly my cash drawer and all credit cards and paper receipts I just keep it in my safe. Tourist season is arriving so there are days, in the summer and fall usually, when I have to go twice because it makes me nervous to have all that cash around.”

“Tourists pick up a lot of framed art?”

She laughed as she dropped the deposit bag off and they headed to her car.

“I have a pretty nice selection of local artists in my store. I do small enough frames that people can easily tuck them into a car before going home. I have a booth for the market that I staff on weekends from June through September. That has jewelry, too. Used to be like an occasional sale here and there but now it’s over half my overall business. I have a part-time employee—she’s a good kid. She’ll take over the stall here in Hood River so I can staff the one in Portland when my space is finally ready.”