Page 60 of Afraid to Hope

“Clara’s dinner was great. Nice of her to feed us. They’re a wonderful couple.”

Natasha lounged on the pillows, alternately contemplating what the need for privacy disclosed to Emmet, her grandfather’s possible involvement in the American, visiting the bank the minute it opened in the morning, and how magnificent Bane was.

“They are,” she said. “Clara and Oliver loved you. Thanks again for taking pictures after dinner. Can I have copies? I don’t have a lot of pictures. How do you stay so lean when you eat so much? And how do you keep all that definition?”

Bane slid his tee up over his head and tossed it over the back of the chair before approaching her with a glint in his eye. “You can have anything you want. You want to know more about my body?” he said suggestively, narrowing his eyes at her, his deep voice dropping lower.

“Well, about you.” She fought to repress the delicious shivers coursing through her system as her gaze roamed leisurely over his face and torso, eventually lingering on the series of tattoos covering his left side from shoulder to flank. “And your body is part of you.”

“Very astute.” He smirked.

“Ha ha ha. So, how do you do it? You eat constantly. You obviously enjoy beer.”

“I only had four. We have an early morning.”

“Would you have drunk more if we didn’t?”

“Probably not.” He cocked his head at her. “Why this interest in my beer consumption? Look how big I am. Worried I won’t be able to perform?”

Natasha’s laugh sounded like a bark. “Well?”

“Genetics, I guess? And I’m very active.”

“Active how?”

“I run. Other things.”

Fascinated, Natasha sat forward and hiked up her skirt, massaging her calves and ankles. “Such as?”

Bane’s eyes followed Natasha’s fingers as they moved over her skin. “I’ll tell you after I shower. And I’m more than happy to massage your legs, sweetheart. And so much more.”

The throbbing in her body intensified. “You’re not tired?”

“I am, but I also like to turn in clean.”

“Huh?”

“Go to bed clean. My mom always had us shower at night. We were stinking, dirty kids at the end of the day. It became ingrained in me.” He unzipped his fly and dropped his jeans and boxers to the floor. Now fully naked and hard, Bane said, “Come on, sweetheart. Shower with me. I’ll get a second wind and share it with you. Take care of what I started at dinner.”

“What did you start at dinner?” she asked innocently.

“Good try.” He smirked. “You were totally turned on during dinner.”

“That was underhanded, Bane.”

“Perhaps, but you love the foreplay, as do I. Come on. A shower will revive me, and one with you doubly so.”

“You seem to be revived already.” She grinned, her eyes dropping to his massive erection.

“Hmm,” Bane growled. “I promise you’ll sleep like a baby afterward.”

“You promise?” she asked, breathlessly.

“I do indeed.”

Natasha stood and held Bane’s gaze. She sauntered past him with an impish smile, casually stripping her skirt and top, moving toward the bathroom in a matching pale yellow bra and boy-cut panties. “Let’s get you clean, husband,” she purred over her shoulder.

If the minaret falls, blame the barber.

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