She crossed her arms over her chest. “You don’t reward the puppy that misbehaves. It tends to confuse the poor thing.”

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. “God, I missed you tonight.” He brought her close and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair. She always smelled so good. “You didn’t go clubbing tonight, did you?”

“No. I didn’t feel like it. So, I went to the library instead and then met up with a friend for coffee.”

He none-so-subtly corralled her back to his room. “A male friend?”

“Her name’s Megan.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said gruffly. Gazing at her in his arms, outlined by the moonlight, he could still see the lingering traces of hurt in her eyes. “I’m sorry your feelings were hurt today.”

Brushing a light kiss on her lips, he asked, “If I promise not to ravage you, will you at least come to bed with me? I find I sleep…better with you here.”

It was true. With her tucked in his arms, perfectly fitted against him, he experienced a bone-deep comfort he’d never had before in his life.

After studying him carefully for a beat, she nodded and headed for the other side of the bed. “Fair warning though, I have to get up really early in the morning to meet with some teachers at one of my research schools on res. It’s my first and only chance to talk with them all together at once.”

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that? What I think I heard you say was that it’s a good thing you stayed here instead of going back to California.”

She smothered a grin and volleyed back, “So about that kiss…”

Ouch. “Early in the morning, research on the reservation. Got it. So I guess we better hit the hay.”

Her chuckling smile turned into a wary look as she watched him climb under the covers. “You swear you’ll keep your hands to yourself tonight?”

“Scout’s honor,” he promised.

She giggled. “You’re supposed to hold up three fingers, not two.”

“No, this is right. I never made it past the cub scouts.”

She burst out laughing.

With his two finger salute he vowed, “I swear on my slightly tarnished honor that I will try my best to keep my hands away from any of your good parts tonight…or bad parts, rather, since every part of you is pretty spectacular.”

Shaking her head, she stated simply, “You’re incorrigible.” Releasing her hair from its ponytail, she added, “And unlucky for you, so am I.”

With just that one warning, his beautiful Abby proceeded to remove every stitch of clothing she was wearing, before sliding into bed next to him.

He gave a heartfelt groan. “You’re a mean, mean lady.”

“Goodnight, pup.”

He loved hearing the humor back in her voice.

She turned over and parked her curvy backside up against his front side. But not in a lewd manner.

Shame.

He reached out and pulled her back into him fully, making sure he kept his hand on her belly—no higher or lower—as he snuggled her in. She stilled for a second and then relaxed against him.

“Good night, Abby.”

“’Night Connor,” she sighed in a voice already half asleep. “I missed you tonight, too.”

The smile on his face stayed put, long after he began drifting off to sleep as well.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“YOU REALLY WANT to read my dissertation?” Abby was floored by Connor’s request.

“Only if you’re comfortable with that. I look over legal briefs and book-length contracts every day. You never know, I could help you see if there are any holes in your argument, or maybe find ways you could improve your write-up.”

Who could pass up an offer like that? She grabbed the latest draft and held it out. Then yanked it back again. “Wait. You’re busy with that huge cyber-company case. You can’t possibly have the time.”

“Actually, there isn’t anything more I can do on that deal right now. Their decision on our latest proposal should be coming through either today or tomorrow.” He snatched the folder out of her hands. “I’ll read this while I’m eating lunch today.”

Did he realize how many pages it was? “It’s a few hundred pages.”

He shrugged and downed the last of his morning coffee. “I took speed reading seminars during law school.” Flipping through the pages, he estimated, “This should probably only take me an hour, if that. We can discuss it over dinner tonight.”

That sounded so domestic, Abby warmed at the thought...before sobering back up an instant later. Heck, there’d be a Connor shaped hole in the door if he knew she was thinking of him in the happily-ever-after sense.

Which is precisely what she kept reminding herself when he leaned down to give her a quick kiss goodbye in a very have-a-good-day-dear sort of way. It was also what possessed her to purposely turn the heat up a nondomestic bit by playfully slipping her tongue past his lips. Then right back out.

The response was almost disproportionate.

His arms came barreling down around her, caging her against the breakfast bar as his tongue returned the favor in spades via a search and destroy mission for any and all non-sex-related thoughts in her brain.

Mission quickly accomplished.

“Don’t start something if you’re not going to follow through, sweetheart,” he warned, dragging his lips over the side of her throat. “Because it’s been nearly thirty-one hours since I’ve had you last. I’ll damn well reassign every one of my court hearings today for a chance to be inside you right now. In a heartbeat.”

How did this turn around on her so drastically?

With his forearms just barely touching either side of her ribs, and his warm, freshly shaven jaw under her lips, she was supremely tempted to strip him bare and have her wicked way with him.

But the shrill appointment reminder alarm from her phone tossed that possibility out the window.

“I-I have to meet with my committee advisor today,” she replied, the raspy, untamed embers in her voice sounding practically 1-900-ish to her own ears. “Rain check?”

He nudged his hard arousal against the inside of her thighs, close, but not quite high enough to break her resolve. “You’re going to owe me…” And then he did nudge higher. “…with interest.” A kiss and a nibble, and then a soft, “Have a good meeting today,” in her ear was his politely monogrammed acceptance of said rain check before he stepped back to straighten his suit.

She almost fell off the stool.

Now what meeting was she going to again?

* * * * *

PULLING UP TO HER driveway, Abby couldn’t believe how tiny her cottage looked now, after just over a week staying at the mini McMansion. Careful not to step on any industrial power cords or knock over any ladders, she slipped around back to where the builders were making excellent progress on the patio enclosure. “Hey Tom,” she called out to the foreman.

“Abby, hi.” A worried look flashed over his expression. “We’re not behind schedule are we? I could’ve sworn you were coming back next—”

“No, no. Don’t worry. I’m just here to pick up some books I left behind.”

Connor would collapse in laughter over that one, she thought to herself.

Tom raised an eyebrow. “Tell me what kind of books make you smile like that and I’ll go to the bookstore right now and get a set for my wife.”

She blushed. “They’re just research books my advisor wants me to re-read.”

“If you’re looking for more hands-on research, honey, count me in,” called out the journeyman passing by carrying sheets of drywall.

Goodness, her face would never return to its normal color at this rate.

Slinging a dusty arm around her shoulders, Tom led her away from all the whistling and howling echoing from his crew. “You’re too easy to tease.”

She walked with him into the kitchen and offered him a bottled water, taking one to cool off her cheeks. “You guys are horrible,” she pouted, chuckling despite herself.