Текст книги "Watch Over Me"

Автор книги: Sydney Landon

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

Chapter Eight

It was early Saturday morning and Gwen was buried beneath her comforter when someone knocked at her door. She opened one eye to look at the bedside clock. It was just after eight so a visitor this early in the morning couldn’t be good news. She was afraid that it was Shannon needing a babysitter, which would make for a long Saturday. Or it could be Dominic. There had been a security issue at one of their locations last night, and he had left around midnight to check it out. He had said he would go to his place afterward to keep from waking her again. She had wanted to argue that he should come back since she was now pitifully spoiled and accustomed to waking up to his handsome face, and sweet heaven, he almost always put his morning wood to new and creative uses. He was most definitely a morning person. But she didn’t want to force the issue.

When another round of knocking reached her ears, Gwen reluctantly crawled from her warm cocoon and stumbled to the door. A quick look through the peephole showed a handsome man and made her heart skip a beat. Without a thought about her appearance or smoothing down her mass of hair, she unchained the door and threw it open. She unconsciously licked her lips at the sight of Dominic on her doorstep in faded jeans and a close fitting T-shirt. Black boots perfectly complemented his outfit, as did the day’s growth of scruff on his face. “Morning, baby,” he drawled as his eyes slid down her body. She knew that her tank top and skimpy sleep shorts left little to the imagination, but she saw nothing but approval and lust in his stare.

He crossed the threshold, forcing her to move backward as he closed the door behind him. His hands reached over, pulling her flush against his chest. He dropped his head, licking the seam of her lips until they parted for his tongue. He tasted her until her legs were weak, and he was all but supporting her weight. “Mmm,” she hummed against his lips. When he pulled back, she purred, “Good morning to you, too.” All she wanted to do was pull him to the nearest surface and beg him to fuck her. He had turned her into something of a sex fiend. He was her drug, and she was beyond addicted. She had gone from never having an orgasm during intercourse to having multiples each and every time. Oh, the things he could do with his cock. Heck, she’d even slipped around Mia and Crystal and admitted that she called it the “miracle cock,” because that was just what it was. Of course, those talented fingers that he used along with it were the proverbial icing on the cake.

Dominic cupped the cheeks of her ass, squeezing them lightly as he ground his hard length against her. He made no bones about the fact that he was an ass man. He constantly assured her, though, that it was just her ass that got him going. Whatever the reason, for the first time in her life she was grateful to the big butt gods for giving her more than her share in that department.

They were both primed and ready to move this party to the bedroom when he murmured against her neck between licks, “I’ve got something for you, babe.”

Reaching a hand between them to grip his steely length, she moaned, “You sure do—and I’m ready for it.”

He made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a groan. “Not that, Red, although it’s all yours as well.” He pulled back, dislodging her wandering hand and picked up a bag that she hadn’t noticed from the floor. “This is the first part of your surprise.”

She blinked like an owl before taking the bag that he thrust into her hand. She recognized the name of a popular store in the mall and wondered what he could have possibly bought for her there. “Why are you giving me anything?” she managed to get out before she opened the bag and began pulling out the contents.

“It’s a belated birthday gift. Don’t get me wrong,” he said, grinning, “I love how we celebrated your big day the night of your first . . . visit to my apartment, but you did most of the gift giving. I think it’s my turn to do something for my girl today.”

Her mouth dropped as she pulled out a new pair of boot-cut jeans, a white tank top, which looked about a size too small, a black leather jacket, and finally a pair of black boots that resembled the ones he was wearing. Bemused, she looked at the items now lying on the entryway table and then back at Dominic. “What’s all of this for?”

Gwen couldn’t help but think that he looked like an excited little boy as he rubbed his hands together. “I want us to take a trip on my bike today. I’ve been using the truck because I didn’t know if it was safe for you to ride on the bike until we knew if you were pregnant or not. So, yesterday I called my brother-in-law and asked him.”

“Er . . . isn’t your brother-in-law a veterinarian?” Gwen pointed out. “There are probably different rules for animals versus people.” Although she was touched that he had put that much thought into watching over her. She had never felt as cared for as she did with him. He treated her like a fragile piece of glass, and instead of it being annoying, she found that she quite liked it. It was a nice change from the men in her past who didn’t even open doors for her. She had felt like the man in most of those relationships.

Dominic tweaked her nose before dropping a kiss onto it. “Yes, smarty pants, but he’s quite knowledgeable. Plus, his best friend is a . . . you know, a doctor who deals with women and their . . . issues, so he asked him to confirm.”

Quirking a smile, Gwen couldn’t resist teasing him. “What kind of ‘issues’ does this doctor handle exactly?”

She was utterly charmed to see his face flush as he began to stammer. “Well . . . I . . . you know—stuff below the belt, I guess.”

Oh, this was just too good to stop, so acting deliberately obtuse, Gwen wrinkled her nose and asked, “Below the belt? You mean a woman’s legs or feet?”

Her confident, alpha male’s face was now full-on flaming as he struggled to find the words. “No, babe, like your private business.” He pointed to the area between her legs before looking quickly away.

“Ohhh, you mean my vagina!” Popping a hand to her forehead dramatically, she said, “Duh, I’m slow today.”

He studied her for a moment, seeming to comprehend that he’d been played. Prowling toward her, he shook his head, saying, “Oh, I don’t think you’re slow at all, baby. I believe you were having a blast yanking my chain, weren’t you?”

Shaking with laughter, Gwen took a step back for every one he took forward. “Of course not, honey, I just didn’t know what you were talking about. I’d never try to intentionally embarrass you, now would I?” As she suddenly sprinted down the hallway, she yelled over her shoulder, “Vagina, vagina, vagina!”

She gave a squeal of surprise when he swung her up into his arms inside her bedroom door. He turned to absorb the impact of their fall as they tumbled onto her disheveled bedcovers. She felt his chest move against her head as he rumbled with laughter. “You’re a little minx this morning, aren’t you?” he said against the top of her head.

She lifted her head to give him a lopsided grin. “Aw, come on. You’ve been below my belt quite a few times now. I can’t believe you’d have a hard time talking about a female body part. You seem to know your way around them very well.” Instead of responding to her teasing, his hands began to roam her body. He pushed inside the elastic band of her sleep shorts, palming her ass and kneading it. The skin-on-skin contact had her quickly squirming against him. Her moan was swallowed by his mouth as he crushed his lips to hers.

Gwen was busy trying to unbuckle his belt to release the bulge that was driving her crazy when Dominic removed his hands from her shorts and clamped them onto her wrists. “No, no, baby, that’s not part of your birthday surprise. If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you unwrap that present later, though. Right now we need to get going.” He sat up, pulling her with him. “Now, go dress that gorgeous body of yours in what I brought you.”

Gwen let out a huff of frustration as she stood. Scowling, she said, “Do we have to be somewhere at a certain time or something?”

Dominic left the room, only to return with the clothing he had bought for her. “Nope, we aren’t on a set schedule for today. We’ll just relax and enjoy ourselves.”

She looked from the bed to the front of his jeans where the evidence of his arousal was still pressing against his zipper. “Oookayyy.” Pointing to the bed, she snapped, “Well, if that’s the case, then why can’t we finish what we started there?”

Dominic bit his lip as if trying to keep from smiling. “Are you pouting because I’m not fucking you?” Dammit, Gwen wanted to stomp her feet. He had managed to challenge her with his last sentence, and there was no way she was begging him. Everyone knew that women had more self-control than men did when it came to sex. No matter how horny she was at this moment, she would be damned if she would give him the pleasure of knowing it. Game on, Mr. Brady . . . game on.

Grabbing the clothing he was holding, she sashayed toward the bathroom making sure she put more swing in her hips than usual. If his quick intake of breath was any indication, he had noticed it. She shut the door behind her with a soft click and then locked it for good measure. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to keep him out or her in.

She took a quick shower—cold—and then quickly dried her hair before realizing that she would need to go back into the bedroom for a bra and panties. Unless . . . did she dare to go bare today, just to torture him? It might take a while for him to clue in to her lack of panties, but going braless would be readily apparently in the thin tank top. She could always keep her jacket on if they stopped anywhere in public. She stood there trying to decide until he pounded on the door, hurrying her along. With an evil grin, she pulled the jeans on, marveling at how soft they were and how well they fit. She figured he had to have looked through her clothes to know the correct size. Men were usually completely off in the guessing department on women’s sizes in one extreme direction or the other.

Of course, as she had suspected, the top was very form fitting and about a size too small. Probably on purpose since the pants were perfect. The jacket as well could have been tailor-made for her. The rich, buttery leather was as comfortable as wearing an old bathrobe, but way more stylish. The man did have good taste. She knew without even guessing that the boots would fit as well. Dominic wasn’t a man to leave much to chance.

Gwen stood studying her reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t a style that she was used to, but she had to admit that she looked good—sexy even. Her breasts had never looked as impressive as they did now pressing against the too-small top. One glance was all it would take for him to know that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples were practically shouting, “check me out!”

She pulled her hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of her face, and then she was ready. She’d ridden a motorcycle once before, but that had been back in college. She was excited by the thought of sharing something with Dominic that she knew he loved. And having him between her legs wasn’t exactly a hardship, either. Maybe the vibrations from the bike would give her some relief from the slow burn that she’d been experiencing since the moment he had shown up looking so damn sexy.

Gwen debated leaving the jacket off so that Dominic would notice her braless state but decided it would be more fun to spring the girls on him later.

He was patiently waiting on her sofa when she stepped into the living room. She walked in front of him and did a slow twirl. When she was facing him again, he swallowed audibly before getting slowly to his feet. “How do I look?” she asked, even though the answer was written all over his face. It seemed that Dominic liked her in leather. He reached out to pull her to him, and she sidestepped him, walking toward the door. “No, no, none of that, baby. We need to hit the road.” She wanted to burst out laughing as she repeated his earlier words to him. He gave her a strained smile in return, and then attempted to discreetly adjust himself as they walked out the door. His eyes were glued to her ass, and Gwen couldn’t help but think that one man’s big butt was another man’s nirvana.

When they reached his gleaming Harley, he took a few moments to go over the basics of riding before handing her a helmet. She grimaced at it, knowing that her sexy factor was going to go down a few levels with the hat hair she would soon be sporting. Dominic chucked her chin, saying, “I’m sorry, baby, but I won’t take chances with your safety. I need for you to wear it.”

Gwen did something she rarely did after that. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his mouth. He was just so darn cute in his concern for her. “Okay,” she whispered as she pulled back. He looked thrilled at her show of affection, that she had taken the lead, and she vowed to do it more today.

He threw his leg over the bike and settled on the seat. He motioned for her to do the same. She hadn’t taken the weight of her new boots into account, though. As she held on to his arm to get on the bike, her leg went wide when she tried to put it over and she kicked him in the side. He let out a pained grunt, but simply said, “Easy, babe, you’ll hurt yourself.” The poor man was entirely too nice for his own good. She could probably kick him in the balls and he would warn her about breaking a toe.

“Whoops, sorry,” she murmured, glad that he couldn’t see the blush that she knew was on her cheeks. She had lost a few more sexy points with that less than graceful move. Luckily, she still had her unfettered breasts to bring him back around.

Soon, they were coasting through the streets of Myrtle Beach. Gwen relaxed her death grip on Dominic as she got more comfortable with the feel of the bike. Having him nestled between her thighs had been a little distracting at first, but now she was able to enjoy the wind in her hair and the freedom of the road. They hadn’t been riding for long when he slowed to make a turn. She looked around in interest and was surprised by what she saw. When he parked the bike in a busy lot, she hugged him excitedly. “We’re going to the zoo?” God, she couldn’t remember the last time she had been. She had tried to take Maddy and Megan, but they always begged for Chuck E. Cheese instead.

He turned in his seat, looking at her over his shoulder. “Yeah, is this okay with you?”

“Oh, yes! This is wonderful.” She laughed. “I can’t believe you thought of it.”

Dominic got off the bike and helped her up before answering. “I was just here last week. They’re interested in hiring us to replace their current security company. There’s also a park and some nature trails. I hoped it might be something you’d like.”

“Thank you,” she beamed. “I haven’t been to the zoo since I was in college.”

Dominic stored their helmets before clasping her hand in his. “I take my nephews almost every time I visit.” Looking amused, he added, “I think the zoo there is about ready to pay me never to bring them back again. Last time we were there, they had the monkeys all pissed off by trying to impersonate the sounds that they made. I thought we were going to get kicked out.”

Gwen laughed, imagining the scene he had described. It sounded like the perfect day to her. “I’m afraid things weren’t that crazy when I went. My sister got me a yearly membership for my birthday because I liked spending the day there studying when I was in school. It might not sound ideal, but I would find a bench in one of the quieter areas and spread my books out. It was much better than sitting in a dark corner of the library for hours.”

Dominic stopped to purchase their tickets before asking, “Where did you go to school?”

Snuggling into his side as he dropped his arm around her, Gwen said, “I went to the University of South Carolina.” Pointing to her chest, she added, “You’ve got a loyal Gamecock fan right here. Hey, how about you? Did you go to college or straight into the military?”

Pulling her close as they walked toward a bird exhibit, Dominic said ruefully, “I was fully educated by Uncle Sam. It’s what I call a degree in life.”

They stopped for a few moments to laugh at the parrots before Gwen asked softly, “Was it hard? Your time in the Marines?”

He was quiet for so long, she was starting to wonder if he’d heard her. Then he began speaking slowly as if searching for the right words. “It was—tough some days. It taught me the true meaning of unity and trust because I would have died to save a brother or a sister and I know that they would have also, without thought. We were a family, and as such, there were days you would want to choke one another and would give anything for just some peace. But none of that mattered when we were on patrol. Then we just watched our partner’s back no matter what.” His voice thickened as he continued. “As careful as we were, we still lost people, and that’s something you never forget. I considered being career military, but when Mac and the others left, I just didn’t have it in me to stay. I missed my family, and I needed a change.”

Running her hand soothingly up and down his back, Gwen said, “So, here you are.”

“That’s right,” he agreed, “and I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”

“Me, either.” Thinking they needed to change the subject to something lighter, she stepped out of his arms and grabbed his hand. “If I don’t see those penguins now, I’m just going to freak out!”

Dominic’s face, which had been so somber a minute earlier, now carried an easy smile. “Well, we certainly can’t have that. And it’s funny you should mention that because it’s one of the surprises I have for you.”

Gwen had jumped up and down before she caught herself. Yikes, she must look like a sight, bouncing braless in a zoo full of children. When she glanced down, she was grateful to see her jacket still covering enough to keep her PG-rated. “What is it?” She tugged on his hand as he looked at her indulgently.

He checked his watch before answering. “In about fifteen minutes, we have an appointment to help feed the penguins.” When she could only stare at him in shock, he added, “That means you get your own bucket of fish.”

Squealing loud enough to pop a few nearby eardrums, Gwen launched herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He staggered for a moment from her surprise attack before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her even closer. “I can’t believe that,” she shrieked. Her heavy boots started to lose purchase, and she would have slipped down if not for his hands tightening on her hips and holding her steady.

“Me thinks my baby likes,” he teased as he dropped a kiss on her upturned mouth before putting her gently onto her feet. “If I’d known it was this easy to impress you, I’d have had you here months ago.”

Gwen gave him a skeptical look. “I don’t know what my response would have been had you shown up on my doorstep offering to show me some penguins.”

Leering, he asked wolfishly, “How about if I’d asked to see your monkey instead?”

Biting her lip to hold in her laughter, she swatted his arm before taking it and pulling him forward. “Come on, pervert, I don’t want to be late.” Suddenly, she halted in her tracks and looked around. When she saw that no one was near, she stopped a few inches from his body and pulled her jacket open. He looked confused for a moment before he zeroed in on her taut nipples pushing against the thin material of the tank top. “As a special thank-you for this trip, I might show you my monkey later . . .” Pulling her jacket closed, she took off, walking quickly to the penguin habitat. Dominic was still standing where she had left him, looking like a man battling for control when she turned back. When she waved and motioned him forward, he narrowed his eyes at her and put his hands in his jean pockets. She figured he was trying to make some more room in his boxers as discreetly as possible. “Problem, honey?” she teased as he reached where she was standing.

Through clenched teeth, he growled, “Not at all, baby. Of course, you might have a problem tonight when I extract my revenge upon you.”

Doing her best to look innocent, she asked, “What do you mean?” When he pointed to her chest, she gave what she hoped was a dumb look. “But you didn’t buy me a bra—or panties. You told me to put on what was in the bag. Did I miss something?”

The poor man flinched before asking in a strained voice, “You aren’t wearing panties, either?”

She gave up all pretenses and just smirked. “Nope, afraid not. I guess I follow directions too well. You should have specified that I needed to include my own undergarments along with the clothes you supplied.”

Dominic put his hand on her neck, probably resisting the urge to strangle her. “At any other time, this would be like Christmas come early. Unfortunately, having to walk around in a zoo full of kids with a painful erection seems wrong on many levels.”

Gwen slid her arms under his jacket and wrapped them around his waist. “Awww, I’ll keep everything covered up. You won’t even know.”

“Oh, I’ll know,” he promised as he squeezed her tight before releasing her. “Let’s go feed some damn penguins. I need a change of focus fast.”

*   *   *

Dominic bit back a smile as Gwen waved good-bye to Max and Sam. When she had decided that morning to go braless, she probably hadn’t reckoned on going to the zoo and having a very hands-on session of feeding penguins. She had sent his blood pressure through the roof earlier by flashing him a view of her braless breasts in a tight tank top and adding the tidbit that she wasn’t wearing panties. His cock had gone into overdrive and he’d been ready to find a secluded corner and have his way with her.

She had thought his reaction was hysterical, but as they say, paybacks were a bitch, and she got hers fairly soon after that. She had looked a bit uncomfortable when she had discovered that there were two twenty-something-year-old men who would be showing them around the penguin habitat. Dominic had grinned when she’d pulled her jacket closer around her body in an attempt to cover her breasts. Soon after that, Mark told them that it could get messy during feeding time so they should remove their jackets and pull on one of the smocks located nearby.

Dominic had made a big production of taking off his coat and then all eyes turned to Gwen as she stood there, shifting nervously. “Hurry up, babe, so we can get started,” he’d called to her. Her eyes had shot daggers at him before she stiffened her spine and took her jacket off. His jaw had dropped because truthfully, he hadn’t expected that. He figured she’d make up some excuse about being cold. That laugh was on him because Max and Sam couldn’t stop staring at her chest. Damn, why had he thought it was a good idea to buy a shirt that he knew was too small?

She had taken her time putting the smock on and by the time she was finished, all three of the men in the room were sweating profusely. After that little show of defiance, though, she’d folded. Max and Sam had fawned all over her, and she’d been uncomfortable with their attention. Hell, it had started to get under his skin as well after a while. He just knew the little horny bastards were plotting ways to stage an impromptu wet T-shirt contest with Gwen as the sole contestant. Maybe there hadn’t been too much payback, after all, because he’d ended up suffering as much or more than she had. Luckily, feeding the penguins had almost been enough to make up for it.

When she reached him, he took her hand and led her toward the park. “Please tell me that you didn’t give them your autograph or phone number.”

She blushed adorably, before pulling her jacket close. “Ugh . . . no. I think Sam was working up the nerve to ask, though. They’re not exactly kids; haven’t they seen a woman’s breasts before?”

“Not like yours,” Dominic teased. “I get a little crazy myself when I look at them.” Gwen laughed softly beside him as they walked toward a crowded deli. He had already arranged earlier for a picnic lunch so they were able to bypass the bulk of the line. He carried their food toward a quiet, grassy spot under a big tree, and they settled there.

When they were finished with their sandwiches, he leaned back against the tree trunk and motioned for her to sit between his legs. He exhaled in contentment when her back met his chest and he curved his arms loosely around her. “This is nice,” she sighed, seeming to melt against him.

“It is,” he agreed, thinking that this had been one of the best days he’d spent in a while. Having sex with Gwen was amazing, but just spending leisure time with her also felt so damned right. “So,” he added, “I know you went to college in South Carolina and that you have a sister who bought you a zoo membership but tell me more. Does your family live near here?”

Gwen stretched lazily against him and he tried to block out the fact that she wasn’t wearing panties beneath her jeans. He wanted to enjoy this time with her without having his cock digging into her ass. There would be plenty of time for that later.

“My family lives in Columbia, which I’m sure you know is a couple of hours from here. My dad has his own landscaping business, and my mom handles his bookwork. My sister, Wendy, is married but has no children yet. She teaches the fifth grade and her husband, Peter, also works at the same school.”

“Hmmm, I’m sensing a pattern here,” Dominic mused. “If you follow in your family’s footsteps, you’ll be marrying someone that you work with.”

He had felt her tense against him for a split second before she relaxed. “Well, my immediate supervisor is kinda cute.” Now he was the one tensing until she added, “I wonder how he feels about having two wives.”

As she giggled against him, he started tickling her, which led to other things . . . Before he knew it, she was lying under him, and he was sipping from her plump lips. Things were beginning to get out of hand when he heard a voice that was as effective as a cold shower. “Mommy, is he putting a baby in Gwen’s tummy?”

He jerked away from Gwen and sprang to his feet so quickly that he overbalanced and crashed backward. “Holy fu– fudge,” he corrected at the last moment as he looked up into the curious eyes of Maddy, Megan, and Shannon.

While they were staring at him, Gwen made her way to her feet, zipping her jacket discreetly. “Hey, guys, what are you doing here?”

“Mommy said she needed to get out of the house before she tore all of her hair out,” Maddy said matter-of-factly.

Megan fingered her own hair before looking at Gwen in confusion. “Why would she want to pull her hair out? Do you think it’s because Cameron keeps playing with it?”

When the adults looked around awkwardly without answering, Maddy spoke up. “I think that it’s ’cause he made her scream last night. I was in my bed and she yelled ‘don’t stop.’ He must not have listened the first time, though, because she kept saying it. Doesn’t he know that Mommy doesn’t like to repeat herself?”

“Oh, my God,” Shannon moaned, looking horrified. “Maddy!”

Gwen walked over to put her arm around a rattled Shannon. Dominic heard her asking the other woman under her breath, “Who is Cameron?”

As Maddy and Megan walked a few feet away to chase a butterfly, Shannon said, “Cameron is a doctor I work with. We’ve been having dinner together some nights at work, and he came over last night. I should never have—I thought the girls were asleep.”

Dominic was trying hard not to listen to the conversation between the two women. He knew Shannon was probably embarrassed enough by now. When he felt a tug on his jacket he looked down to find Maddy staring up at him. “Do you play with Gwen’s hair, too?”

The question was innocent enough, but he knew this was a train heading off the tracks. He should have run when he had the chance. “Er . . . sure. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Maddy, ever persistent, continued her interrogation. “Is that why you were lying on top of her? Did you have to get close ’cause you thought she had something in her hair?” Shit, if this kid didn’t grow up to be a lawyer, she was missing her true calling.

He had no idea that Megan had been following their conversation until she suddenly popped up next to him, saying, “I bet she’s got lice. Caroline’s little brother, Bastard, had that. It’s when you have bugs crawling around in your hair and you gotta get a special brush and shampoo to get them out.”

Dominic was trying very hard not to laugh. Surely, there wasn’t a kid named Bastard out there. “I don’t think Gwen has lice,” he tried to assure the girls. “She was just cold, and I was warming her up.” Maybe it wasn’t a great excuse, but that’s the best he could come up with on the fly.

Wrinkling her nose, Megan asked, “Are you sure? ’Cause Bastard didn’t know he had bugs, but he couldn’t stop itching.”

Gwen’s burst of laughter clued him into the fact that she’d overheard Megan’s statement. Shannon looked at her daughter, shaking her head. “Megan, I’ve told you that his name is Baxter.”

“No, I think it’s Bastard, Mommy,” Maddy added, “just like Daddy’s other name.”

Dominic tried, he really did, but he couldn’t keep it in any longer. He took a few steps away and bent over laughing. These girls were all kinds of crazy, and it should scare the hell out of him to think that he could have one anytime soon. Megan poked him in the side and asked, “Do you gotta go potty? The bathroom’s over there.”

After that, Shannon was more than ready to get the girls out of there before they embarrassed her any further. Dominic thought he’d heard it all from his nephews, but Megan and Maddy could teach them a few things. God help the world if those four ever got together. Gwen walked up to him as he stood grinning and slid an arm around his waist. “Is it wrong that I’m still a little turned on from earlier?” she whispered against his neck.