Page 31 of XOXO, Valentina

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Chapter 14

Gabi

Joey in person was infinitely better than any fantasy I had conjured.

He was all sleek skin poured over tight muscles. Sculpted and roughened by a smattering of dark, masculine hair, his chest belonged on the cover of a romance novel. My eyes couldn’t get enough of him. My hands were greedy too.

When he started to leave, I reached for him. He grinned and pushed me back onto the bed, his mouth finding mine for a smoldering kiss. His body was heavy, pinning me to the bed with a solid, heavy, all-male weight.

GodblessAmerica!

How long had it been since I’d been crushed between a gorgeous man and a soft mattress? I couldn’t begin to count the years. I melted against the cool cotton of Joey’s bedspread, and my hands spread against the smooth skin of his back.

His tongue parted my lips, and after a long, slow perusal of my mouth, he traced a hot path to my neck, pressing feather-soft kisses along my arched throat. I was surprised I felt like this so soon after sex, but I did.

“I’m going to make breakfast.” His voice was a soft, silky promise in my ear.

“Now?” I came up onto my elbows as he rolled off me.

He pressed me gently back to the bed. “Don’t go anywhere.” With an easy grin, he left the bedroom.

When I could no longer see him walking down the hall, I lay back on his bed and turned my face into his pillow. It smelled like him. I’d truly lost my mind against the door. I couldn’t believe I had been so bold to demand he screw me against the door. I didn’t even insist he use protection. I knew better than to be so irresponsible. I was the same woman who gave my son lectures on safe sex and preventing pregnancy. And Joey was obviously not a one-woman man.

Thankfully, he’d been sensible, while I’d been a fool. It felt strange to be the one making bad decisions. It felt even stranger to let someone take care of me.

I wondered what Joey’s version of breakfast would be. As a bachelor, he probably lived off frozen waffles and cereal. I heard him moving around in the kitchen, banging pots and muttering something unintelligible. From the one-sided conversation that drifted down the hall, I surmised that Frodo was back, and apparently, the cat understood Spanish.

It was silly of me to hang around. I’d gotten more than I’d come for already. Much more.

For a long time, I’d thought I was broken. My body didn’t respond like those women in the books I’d read about. I could get close to an orgasm with a man, but I’d never gotten all the way there. Sex had always been fun, even without the big O. I enjoyed the intimacy, the connection, the sensuality. All of it was great. But I’d never had an orgasm like they did in the books and movies. Not even close.

Until today.

Joey was the sexiest man I’d ever been with. He was handsome, charming, funny, and one of the best teachers I knew. He was also a player who had a woman’s bikini top hanging over his shower rod and a condom within an arm’s reach.

He could have a different woman in his bed every night of the week. He probably did.

The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. It didn’t smell like instant.

“How do you like your coffee?” Joey called from the kitchen.

The question startled me. No one besides a barista had asked me how I wanted my coffee in years.

I figured a bachelor living alone wouldn’t have milk, let alone fancy creamers. “Black is fine.”

A few minutes later, Joey came down the hall carrying two cups of coffee. I propped myself up on the headboard and tried to appear casual, but the closer he got, the harder it was to keep my cool, because he was only wearing a towel, and I knew exactly what was under it.

“Here.” He handed me a cup of coffee.

When the rich aroma of roasted beans reached my nose, something other than sex filtered through my foggy brain. I took a sip and savored the rich flavor. “Delicious.” The coffee was so good, I didn’t even miss the cream.

“Mm-hmm.” Joey watched me with a sexy half smile and sipped from his own steaming mug. “My mom sends me a care package from Costa Rica every month.”

I took another sip and sent a silent thank-you to Joey’s mom. “I forgot Costa Rica produces some of the best coffee.”

His white teeth flashed in a smile, and his eyes danced. “And the best men.”

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