Page 63 of Cowboy of Convenience
“It’s even prettier at night.” Evelyn sighed, the height of her shoulders easing down just a little.
“It’s prettiest in the morning.” Grady moved in behind her, wrapping one arm around her middle, holding her close. “Just wait.”
Evelyn’s head dropped back to his shoulder. “I can’t believe you were okay with staying at my house when you could have been staying here.”
“Your house had something mine didn’t.” He eased away from the windows pulling her with him. “But my house does have one thing yours doesn’t.”
Evelyn lifted her brows as he led her up the stairs to the loft. “You mean besides a view?”
He continued across his room. “Besides that.”
Her lips hinted at a smile. “And besides a good mattress?”
“So maybe my house has a few things yours doesn’t.” He flipped on the light in the attached bathroom, pulling Evelyn in behind him.
“Well it doesn’t currently have my grandmother and Bernard fucking in it, which is good enough for me.” Evelyn’s eyes landed on the item he thought might catch her attention. “But I won’t complain about that bathtub.” She crossed to the large whirlpool tub situated under a skylight offering an unobstructed view of the night sky. “Holy shit, Grady. How did you get that thing in here?”
“It wasn’t easy.” He’d almost talked himself out of installing the thing, but decided it was worth the effort and the money. Soaking his tired body every night might have been the only thing that got him through the past few years of non-stop work and stress. “But since I had to replace the roof anyway, we just pulled off some of the sheeting and used a crane to drop it right in.”
Evelyn’s eyes lifted and she gasped. “There’s a skylight.” She pointed, like he didn’t already know it was there. “Is that where you brought it in?”
“Pretty much.” Grady bent down to plug the tub before switching on the water. “Once I got it in, I saw how nice it would be if the hole stayed.”
Renovating the dilapidated A-frame was the last bit of fun he’d had before his father died and the weight of responsibility and illness tried to grind him to dust.
“It’s amazing.” Evelyn sat down on the edge and stared up through the glass. “You might have a hard time getting me to leave after seeing this.”
“Maybe that’s the plan.” Grady opened up the cabinet beside the tub and pulled out one of the plastic-wrapped spheres he kept on hand for particularly rough days. “Maybe I want you to stick around.”
Evelyn’s dark eyes followed him as he peeled away the wrapping and dropped the ball into the tub. The scent of sandalwood and vanilla drifted through the air as it melted into the water. “Was that a bath bomb?”
Grady snagged the hem of his T-shirt. “I’m a country boy, but I’m not completely uncivilized.” He tipped his head toward the warm water. “Now get your sexy ass in the tub.”
Evelyn’s laugh was everything he needed tonight.Shewas everything he needed.
But not just tonight.
He’d need her tomorrow too. And the next day.
And there was a really good chance he’d need her the day after that one too.
She almost acted shy, her eyes avoiding his as she worked off her shoes and wiggled out of her jeans, revealing long legs and smooth skin.
“Somethin’ wrong?” Grady tossed his shirt into the hamper, a little worried she might be enjoying his tub alone. Just because he was ready to go full steam ahead, didn’t mean she was. And if he needed to back off, he would.
He could be patient. He could wait until she saw how good this was between them. He could—
“I’m just trying to be respectful.” Evelyn’s eyes still didn’t come his way as she dragged away her shirt, leaving her standing in just a lacy, pale pink pair of panties and matching bra. “I get a little distracted when I look at you,” one hand waved in his general direction as she shimmed out of her panties, “like that. And you’ve had a rough day.”
Grady’s lips barely lifted at the edges, teasing their way into a hint of a smirk as he worked the fly of his jeans open and shoved them down, underwear and all, cock already fully hard and standing at the ready. “Sweetheart, I think we should get something straight.” He chucked the rest of his clothes into the hamper before moving closer, hoping to force her eyes his way. “You can disrespect me anytime you want.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EVELYN
SHE WASN’T AWARE of how tense she was until her whole body was submerged in warm, Grady-scented water.
“This is amazing.” Evelyn sighed, sinking a little deeper into the relaxing heat. “I gave up a lot when I moved here and I think I miss baths the most.”
