Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

S omething heavy and warm pressed down on Penny's chest. It took her sleep addled brain a moment to process it was an arm. A large, slightly hairy arm that rested on her waist and curled across her body, the firm, masculine hand cupping her shoulder in a protective gesture. She hadn't woken up wrapped in a man's arms in… Never? Lance never stayed over after their lovemaking. Should have been her first clue he was an ass.

This felt nice. Safe. Right.

"Mmmmmm, good morning."

She smiled as BJ kissed the soft spot right below her ear. She loved it when he did that. Made her tingle all the way down to her toes.

"Is it?" In her opinion, mornings were never good. She wasn't a huge night owl, but she also appreciated sleeping in past the sunrise. She never understood those morning people who could jump right out of bed and be ready for the day. Any time before eight a.m. called for caffeine for her to resemble anything remotely chipper.

"Mmmmhmmmm." His voice rumbled against her back, vibrating off the delicious chest pressed against her. "I get to wake up in the arms of a beautiful woman after an amazing night of sex. What's not good about that?"

He called her beautiful again. No matter how many times he said it, the words still caused a flutter low in her belly. Not many people commented on her looks unless it was an observation on all her freckles or a joke about the carpets matching the drapes.

Tamping down the silly reaction—because this wasn't about a relationship, this was about making a baby and maintaining their friendship—she turned to face him.

"Technically, I am in your arms, not the other way around."

His eyes were still closed, but at her observation, he cracked one open. The pale blue, as crystal clear as the creek after snowmelt, stared at her. The corner of his mouth pulled into a half grin.

"My mistake, Ms. Mensa."

"It's an organization, not a title."

He silenced her with a kiss, which she readily accepted. This might be all about getting her the child she wanted, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the benefits too. And boy, were BJ's benefits enjoyable. He'd taken her body to places she didn't even know were possible last night. She always suspected her best friend would be amazing in the sack. Just look at the man!

When he ended the kiss—far too soon, to her dismay—he turned onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Since they'd both gone to bed in nothing but their birthday suits, she could feel every hard, glorious inch of him pressed against her. His morning erection nestling against her sex. Shifting her legs to fall on either side of his hips, she moved against him.

"I can think of a way to make the morning even better." Who was this brazen temptress who had taken over her body? Penny didn't know, but she liked her.

"Can you now?"

His eyes blazed with heat, desire leaping from their depths to singe her. The hands stroking her back moved downward, where they gripped her hips, lifting her until they matched up perfectly. They both let out a moan as he pushed inside, filling her in one quick thrust.

"Ride me, honey."

No need to tell her twice. Using all the courage her new, unabashed persona gave her, she placed her hands on BJ's chest, pushing herself up as she moved her hips. His hand came around to rub small circles on her clit. She cried out as the sensation overwhelmed her.

"Damn, you're so beautiful."

He could say the words a million times and they would never get old. Some might say she wasn't a very good feminist to gain such pleasure out of a man calling her beautiful, but she didn't care. She knew she was smart. She had multiple documents to prove it. People commented on her intelligence all the time and not always positively. Her worth didn't lie in one aspect of her being. But hearing BJ call her beautiful—a man who could pass for a reincarnation of Adonis—made her feel…powerful.

"Bravo!" she cried out, falling onto his chest as the wave she rode crested, bringing her down like a crashing waterfall into a tranquil pond.

He continued to move inside her, shouting out his own release, gripping her hips tight as he held her to him, pressed as close as two people could be.

"You're right," he panted out in labored breaths. "That did make it better."

She laughed, stroking her fingers through the coarse hairs on his chest. "They don't call me a genius for nothing."

Warm lips pressed against her forehead. "What do you have planned for today?"

"I have a few websites to work on and laundry." She led a very exciting life.

"I've got to check in on the newest vodka infusion, then we have some restaurant stuff to go over since Del is on his honeymoon for the next week. Thankfully, he already hired all the servers."

She chuckled. Word around town was many of the single women had been applying to work at the restaurant even if they had no experience or need for a job. The lure of working for the Jackson brothers and possibly nabbing one of the twins was too tempting for the unattached women of Kismet.

A small pang of—she wouldn't call it jealousy, but…maybe unease was the right word—yes, unease snaked through her. The thought of BJ having to work with women who threw themselves at him daily didn't sit right with her. Because he was her best friend, and she didn't want him to have to deal with that headache. She knew he didn't like overly pushy women. Yes, that was it. It had nothing to do with their recent intimacy.

Nothing at all.

"How about you meet me at the restaurant for dinner? The chef is going to be testing out some dishes."

Since she hated to cook, she would never turn down an offer of someone else making dinner. It had nothing to do with the giddy butterflies taking flight in her stomach at the mention of dinner with BJ.

We have dinner together all the time. Stop making this into more than it is.

She needed to listen to herself, or someone was going to get hurt. And the fear inside her told her it would be her.

"Sure. What time?"

"Around six."

"I'll be there."

Because this felt right, because she never wanted to leave the bed, leave BJ's arms. She made herself get up, tugging the blanket free and wrapping it around her. Dummy. She hadn't thought that plan through. Although she was fully covered, now BJ lay on her bed, naked and tempting as sin. Her eyes ate him up, body heating again. And to even greater surprise, as her gaze traveled down his sculpted stomach, she found he was also gearing up for round two.

"How is that even possible?"

He laughed at her gasped words. "You're an incredibly attractive and engaging woman, Penny."

Still trying to comprehend all the emotions and physical reactions going on inside her, she stumbled toward the door. "I, um, I need a shower."

"Me too."

He rose from the bed, but her gaze didn't rise any further than the appendage that held her rapt attention. She swallowed, the logical part of her brain telling her the more intercourse they had, the better chance of impregnation. The horny part of her screamed do him!

Since all parts were in agreement…"We should do our part to conserve water."

He grinned, stalking toward her, and scooping her up into his arms. She was beginning to see the appeal of mornings.