Part 19 (1/2)

Shay nodded. ”Better than good.”

A wicked grin broke out over his face. ”Excellent,” he said as he thrust into her several more times before finding his own release with a heavy groan as he collapsed on top of her. Shay luxuriated under the weight and warmth of his hard body, gently trailing her fingers down his spine. Then she did something she never imagined doing in a man's bed: She fell fast asleep.

Twenty.

The sixty-inch flat-screen television mounted on the wall provided ambient light to the room. Brody had the sound on low as he watched Jimmy Fallon from his post on the bed. Shannon lay next to him, curled up in the thick comforter fast asleep. She'd been that way for the past five hours, sated and tousled in a deep slumber, her breath steady-he'd checked it often enough. He'd slept, too, but his hunger for food had eventually won out over his hunger for her and he'd ventured down to the kitchen for something to keep his blood sugar stable.

Diving into a bowl of Greek yogurt-Shay had purged the ice cream from his freezer long ago-drowned in fresh blueberries to kill the bitter taste, Brody sat quietly beside her, his back resting against the headboard, feeling at peace for the first time in weeks. Desire for the woman dozing next to him had definitely been distracting these past few days, not that he was going to admit that to Connelly, Coach, or anyone else. He was glad to finally be able to move on in their relations.h.i.+p.

Whatever he expected from his encounter with Shannon, nothing could have prepared him for what he got. While she was innocent in some ways, she was also uninhibited and exuberant in others. Not surprisingly, she was a conundrum even in bed.

A breathy sigh slipped through her lips and Brody's semi-aroused state became a bit more interested. He'd wanted her again five minutes after he'd had her the first time, but she'd relaxed into sleep so quickly-a sleep she needed from the look of her weary face-that he didn't have the heart to wake her. Not that he wasn't hoping for a second set of downs before morning.

With a m.u.f.fled groan, Shannon rolled over onto her back, her eyelids fluttering open. Brody smiled down at her as wonder adorned her face before it was replaced by a flush of pink.

”Oh, gosh.” Her voice was huskier than usual and Brody's skin tingled. ”I fell asleep.” She glanced around the room. ”How long have I been lying here?”

Five hours and twelve minutes. ”I don't know. I just woke up myself.”

”I'm sorry, Brody. I didn't mean to.”

”There's nothing to be sorry for. Great s.e.x will do that to you. It makes you sleep like the dead.” He winked at her. ”I take it as a compliment that you pa.s.sed out so soundly.”

”Um, well, I'm sure you want to get some sleep yourself. I should be going.” She eyed her clothes that Brody had brought up from the great room, now neatly piled on a chair.

”Going where?” He nearly laughed at the obvious inner battle she was having about how she would get to her clothes without parading naked in front of him. ”It's the middle of the night and it's raining. Have you got another job to go to or something?”

She propped up on her elbows, the comforter slipping down to expose the tops of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. His teasing had roused her completely out of her slumber. ”No, Brody, I don't. It's just . . . I can't sleep here.”

Brody arched an eyebrow at the comical statement. ”I think we've just established that you can.”

With an exasperated sigh, she flopped back down on the mattress. Brody set the bowl between them as he lay down on his side, his head resting on his hand. ”Stay, Shannon,” he said quietly. ”That's how this usually works. We spend the night and one of us sneaks out of the other one's house the next morning. You'll miss out on that part of the ritual if you go now.”

She rolled her eyes at him. Opening her mouth to likely lodge another crazy protest, she clamped a hand over her lips instead as the sound of her growling stomach filled the room.

”Well, if your excuse is that you're hungry, I happen to have plenty of food downstairs in my kitchen. I'll even share my snack if you'd like some.” He dipped the spoon into the bowl of yogurt. ”Open up.”

She pushed up on her elbows again, this time the comforter fell lower and Brody was distracted by the peek of pink nipple he got. He held the spoon up in front of her mouth, but just as she leaned in, he dumped its contents on her breast.

”Oh, wow. What a mess. Here, let me clean that up.” Brody leaned over and lapped at the yogurt, cool on her warm skin. A hiss escaped Shannon's lips as he took her nipple in his mouth and suckled. Before he knew it, he'd slathered another spoonful down her belly and beyond. Squirming beneath his tongue, she clenched her fingers in his hair as her hips rose up to meet his lips. The yogurt now forgotten, Brody crawled up her slick body to find her hot silky mouth. His fingers threaded through her hair as he devoured her lips. Shannon wrapped her long legs around his waist and he could barely hold on long enough to sheath himself with a condom.

The erotic moan she uttered when he entered her caused him to shudder. She nipped at his shoulder. ”Please, Brody,” she pleaded. He was only too happy to oblige, burying himself deep inside her until her body squeezed around his in climax, pulling him to his own release.

It was a few moments before both their breathing returned to normal. He pushed up on his forearms so as not to crush her, but she kept her legs loosely draped around his hips. Her stomach rumbled again.

”Brody,” she whispered, her whiskey eyes dancing. ”Can I please have my own bowl of yogurt?”

Leaning down, he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. ”If you promise not to leave, you can have anything you want.”

She nodded and the tightness in Brody's chest disappeared as he left the bed in search of food for his woman. He'd definitely gone caveman, all right.

Shay quietly slipped out of Brody's bathroom, where she'd hurriedly washed and dressed. The suns.h.i.+ne had returned and she worried the bright bedroom would wake Brody. h.e.l.l's bells. Too late. He was sitting up in bed, wide awake and naked as a jaybird.

”When I mentioned the sneaking out part, I meant sneaking out so you aren't seen by neighbors and paparazzi, not sneaking out without saying good-bye.”

”I-I was going to say good-bye,” she lied, his nude magnificence unnerving her.

”Uh-huh,” he said, climbing out of the bed and stalking toward her. She focused on his face so she wouldn't get weak at the knees. His eyes told her that he didn't believe a word she said.

”Shannon, there's nothing to be ashamed of here. This doesn't have to be awkward.” He cupped his hand against her cheek and she unconsciously leaned into it.

”But it is awkward,” she whispered. ”I'm not good at this.”

He chuckled softly. ”I beg to differ. You're very good at this.”

Her cheeks burned as his hard body penned her in. Brody brushed his lips across her hairline. ”Okay, go home, but walk tall. You were amazing last night.”

His words made the fluttering begin in her stomach again.

”I'll see you later, right?” he asked.

Shay nodded. ”I'll be at the practice facility today. Then I have to drop off your dinner.”

”Don't make me dinner tonight. Let me take you out. Some place nice. You can tell me what to order and everything.”

His lips had found her juncture of her collarbone and neck and she was having trouble thinking. ”I-I can't. It's Friday night and I have to work.”

Brody pulled away and stared at her.

”Celtic Charm. I'm a bartender there, remember?”

He shook his head slightly as if to remind himself what they were talking about. ”Call in sick.”

”I can't call in sick. The money I earn pays my rent, my Internet, my cell phone bill.” She didn't bother mentioning all the other things her tips helped her pay for. Brody was born with a platinum card in his hand and he'd never understand her precarious finances.

Lines appeared along his brow. ”How much would you miss if you didn't go in one night?”

”A lot.” A trickle of unease began to worm its way through her. ”Thanks to you and my newfound celebrity, I make nearly double the tips I used to.”

Brody's blue eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. ”Fine. Tell me how much that is and I'll give it to you. You shouldn't be slaving away there anyway.”

The unease was now a full-blown storm rolling over her as Shay backed up against the wall. Her mouth gaped open, but for once, words failed her.

”That didn't come out right,” he said, tugging his fingers through his hair as he swore.