my heaving chest rising and falling as I attempted to catch my breath.
Teddy unwrapped her long legs from around me and leaned her delectable body against my rasping chest. “With you I am,” she purred, running her hands over my biceps and up my shoulders. “You are so…sexy and charismatic.”
“You know how to stroke my ego – in more ways than one.” That sounded smug, I know, but she did more than that. Much more. And I wanted more, my mouth finding hers once again.
Chapter Seven
Teddy
ARI HAD SPENT the last few minutes meticulously ensuring every section of his well-defined body was dry. I was far too busy leaning in the doorway of my wardrobe, admiring him instead of dressing. I had gotten as far as my lilac silk dressing gown, which was a start, I suppose. Then my unabashed gaze zeroed in on the delightful package swinging between his taut thighs stirring a familiar ache between my own. Oh, so worth it.
Throwing the towel over one broad shoulder, he glanced up and smiled perceptively. “Enjoying the show, are we?”
My mouth curved. “Vastly.”
A jet-black brow raised intuitively. “Are you torturing yourself?”
“Maybe…” I sidled up to the bed as he sprayed deodorant under his arms, followed by his cologne around the base of his neck, soaking my bedding with the inebriating fragrance.
Ari made a point of swiftly throwing on a pair of boxer briefs as he looked askance and tutted, “Stop it.” I smiled eloquently in return.
“I have to say, you brought quite a lot of clothes with you,” I said, jerking my chin at the countless choices laid out across the bed. His clothes were expensive, but his taste, impeccable. “…Unless you had plans of secretly moving in with me already?”
Ari briefly glanced up and scowled. “You ought to talk. It has me baffled how the weight of those oversized suitcases you call handbags don’t send you stumbling all over the footpath.” I got the feeling he was deflecting.
“It’s arduous being a woman. Preparation is the key you know, ‘cause the moment you drop the ball…anything could happen,” I taunted. “Knocking out a potential mugger is another advantage.”
He snorted irreverently. “Or bloody well kill them with it.”
I giggled. “Wouldn’t that make for an amusing front page; death by a handbag.” My stomach suddenly rumbled, loud enough for Ari to hear. I blushed. “I must’ve worked up quite the appetite.”
His mouth quirked as dark eyes twinkled at me. “Well, what do you want for dinner?”
“Not sure. You decide.”
“Well, what about we go out then? It’s a lovely evening,” he suggested shrugging on yet another shirt. “Perhaps ask the girls what they’re doing for dinner…” Hesitant, he paused.
“But?”
“My earlier misdeed left Dominique rather upset with me.” A frown marred his handsome face. “She hates me, and honestly, I can’t blame her. She’s rather adept at knife throwing too you know?” A peculiar comment that had my brows furrowing.
I slipped my arms around his waist and reassured him, “Dying would be such an imposition…” I mock sighed, raising a chuckle. “So, how about, rather than risk your sister’s wrath, I go speak with her?”
Ari smiled weakly. “Okay.”
“If I don’t return – run like hell,” I joked slipping from his embrace and swanning across the floorboards. His bright smile abruptly faded. “Lighten up; I was only joking.”
I left the room and made my way towards the stairs, pausing at the bottom; I must be a glutton for punishment.
Knocking softly, I tentatively pushed the door ajar to Dominique’s room and poked my head around the corner. “Is it safe for me to come in?” They met my presence with a heavy sigh.
“If you must…”
Upon entering the room, I noticed my sister was also in here saving me a trip to her bedroom. The pitiful sight of two grown women sulking like children had my eyes inevitably rolling. Except neither Dom nor Scarlett were children, nor was anyone punishing them. Mind you, with the way they were behaving; a good spanking wouldn’t hurt either of them.
I perched at the foot of the bed, crossing my arms and legs, my pensive gaze eyeing both women. Neither had bothered to look up from their iPads either. How bloody rude.
“I see you’ve been rather busy with my brother!” Dominique snapped abruptly and frostily.
Taken aback by her raw attitude, my mouth tightened. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes we have.” She glowered at me. Lucky Ari hadn’t come upstairs then. “Anyway, I’m not here to discuss my private life. I came to see if you would like to join us for dinner?”
“Us, as in you and Ari? No thanks,” she uttered irritably. “Besides, the thought of being around my interfering brother causes one to lose one’s appetite.”
Disheartened by her attitude, I sighed. “Are you sure you can’t forgive Ari? He was only looking out for you, not that I agree with how he handled it.” Which was the truth, but I reasoned anyway, “I know he feels terrible about the entire episode.”
Dom shrugged her shoulders indifferently. “Good, he should.”
Not wanting to cause any more angst, I relented and pushed to my feet. “Fair enough… I guess I’ll see you both later then.” Aggravated, I breezed from the bedroom and made my way down the hall into Poppy’s only to receive the same response, without the tantrum or the anger.
“I have a ton of marking that needs completing by tomorrow morning, sorry, Ted. Go out, have an enjoyable time. I’d only be a third wheel, a position no one wants to be in, not with you pair anyway.” She winked.
I laughed. “True. Don’t wait up.”
“Wasn’t planning too!”
Ari sliding an entirely new pair of jeans up his legs and over his boxer briefs as I re-entered the bedroom had my irritation sweeping away in an instant. The tapered cut of the faded denim hugged his rounded rear perfectly. The next item lifted from the bed was a white long-sleeved T-shirt and studiously pulled over his head, avoiding his artfully styled hair. The tight T-shirt fitted just like a second skin, showing every inch of a well-defined body underneath — what a mouth-watering sight.
“Weren’t you dressed before?” I said snapping out of my lust-filled reverie.
“And weren’t you supposed to be getting dressed?” he countered dryly.
He let out a small laugh when I smiled coquettishly and shrugged at him, setting my hands on my hips. My gaze cut back to the clothes spread over my bed. “I’ve concluded you’re a woman.”
“And how, dare I ask, did you arrive at such a conclusion?” Taking a seat in one of the wingbacked chairs, Ari tugged a pair of russet brown leather boots over his feet and tied the laces. Deep brown eyes glinted up at me.
I bent at the waist and picked up his expensively Swiss-made watch, admiring the textured dial and intricately engraved pattern on the face. “Well, for starters, you’ve seriously put a lot of thought into what you packed and not only that, you’ve changed at least three times in the last half an hour. I must say, it’s nice to see a man, oh, sorry, my bad, a woman who has great dress sense.”
Ari shook his head and rose from the chair, his long strides swiftly closing the gap between us. My body tingled breathing in his masculine scent. “Are you getting dressed?” he queried once again. “That is unless you’re planning on going out for dinner in nothing more than your dressing gown? What a delicious thought.” Deft fingers loosened the