“Ahh, this isn’t as bad.” She went to the doorway of the bathroom. “Would you believe, a safe zone? There’s not a single heart to be found in the bathroom.”

“An oversight,” I said. “You know there’s only one bedroom here?”

I was still standing next to the heart-pillow-covered bed, and she turned and came out of the bathroom.

“I do,” she said, crossing the room toward me.

When Chloe reached me, both her hands went to the knot in my tie, and she fidgeted with it, as if to straighten it, but I was pretty sure it was perfectly straight. I’d checked it in the restroom at the restaurant.

“Everything okay?” I asked, gazing down at her. Her lashes were long and lightly mascaraed, and she’d glossed her lips in the car with that bold pink I hadn’t seen her wear before today. As she raised her gaze to meet mine, I couldn’t help but think how pretty she looked. My body responded as well, my pulse kicking up, blood going hot with her so close.

I thought I must’ve imagined it when her gaze flicked down to my lips.

As she looked into my eyes again, she moistened her own lips, and when she said, “I was thinking…” her voice was soft, lower than usual, and she sounded unsure of herself.

“What were you thinking?” Hell, my voice went low and a little rough too. I could swear she had me under some kind of spell.

She averted her eyes and fixed her attention on the top button of my vest, running one finger around and around it. “I was thinking that I wouldn’t be opposed to… crossing a line… you know, since we’re married and all.”

Chapter 14

Holden

It took half a second for her meaning to sink in, and then my heart skipped a beat and all the blood in my body made a rush for my dick. Clearly it’d been too long since I’d gotten laid.

I realized I hadn’t said anything when her gaze darted back up to mine, her pretty eyes steeped in doubt.

“Married with benefits,” I said, smiling, because I could get behind this plan one thousand percent.

“It solves a lot of things.” She unbuttoned the top vest button, signaling she was ready now.

I was all on board.

“Very practical,” I said, my voice a raspy growl as, damn, it took less than two heartbeats for me to go rock hard.

“We both have physical needs,” she said, mimicking my words from the restaurant, when I thought I’d stuck my foot in my mouth and ruined everything. Thank fuck I was wrong.

She had all four of the buttons on my vest undone now, and then she shucked it off my shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

Okay, then.

My wife was no meek girl in the bedroom, it appeared.