Sleeping with Beauty

by Donna Kauffman

His heart leapt back up so hard he swore it banged against his throat. “Yeah?”

  She sighed. “Oh yeah.”

  He couldn’t have stopped the stupid male-pride grin from spreading across his face for all the nanotechnology breakthroughs in the world. “So . . .”

  “So,” she said, tugging him back up against her, “I say enough of the talking.”

  His pulse raced. Jesus, she was going to kill him before this was over. “I thought you weren’t getting enough talking.”

  “There’re a few things I’m not getting enough of.”

  He swallowed against a suddenly very dry, very tight throat. His body, however, wasn’t having any problems digesting that comment. “Yeah?”

  She tightened her hold on his hips. “Remember what I said about that confidence thing?”

  “Uh-huh,” he said, not even able to understand words at this point. But he’d have said yes to almost anything if it meant she wasn’t going to let him go.

  “Well, there are some areas that still need a little, you know, boosting.”

  “Really.” Christ, he was going into full cardiac arrest. Don’t think about her naked. Not yet. Far too late for that bit of advice. But in all of the detailed scenarios of how this moment might play out, he’d never dared allow himself to imagine anything even close to this. He’d just hoped for an outcome that wasn’t devastating. It never occurred to him that she’d not only take the news in stride, but take over altogether.

  She lifted up on her toes. “Why don’t we try kissing some more. You know, just to figure out if we’re as compatible as you think we are.” She bit his chin.

  Oh, God. He’d never get his pants off in time. He rapidly contemplated the pros and cons of taking her right here on the kitchen counter. Not the romantic bower he’d imagined, assuming she’d want all the hearts and flowers. And he wanted a nice soft bed. But at the moment, right here on the kitchen floor was looking pretty damn good. Control yourself, don’t scare her. You’ve had years to build up this need for her; she’s had ten minutes. Which was true, he thought. But come on, she bit his chin! She might have been clued in late in the game, but she was making up time in an impressive manner.

  That Lucy Harper, always an overachiever.

  “I should have trusted you before,” she said, nibbling along his jaw, decimating what ragged edges of control he had left, peck by peck. “You taste like apples, did you know that?”

  “No,” he stuttered, “I didn’t, uh—sweet Jesus.” She bit his earlobe. And she was sort of . . . rubbing things. Her hips were moving.

  He felt her smile against his jaw and clamped his hands in a death grip on the counter on either side of her waist. Because the instant he put his hands on her again, all bets were off. “I know you trust me, Lucy. But, I’m, uh, I’m—”

  “Me, too,” she breathed, kissing his neck. “Isn’t it great?”

  She sounded almost surprised, and as much as Grady wanted to go with the flow, since that flow looked like it was going to lead straight to nirvana, that little note of wonder stopped him. “Lucy.”

  “Mmm?” she said, trailing what, as it happened, was a quite talented tongue along his jaw. Okay, so apparently there were a few things he didn’t know about her. But he planned to dedicate the rest of his life to ferreting them all out. First, however, he had to risk everything she was handing him to ask one last stupid question. Only an idiot would risk that.

  An idiot, or a man in love. And he loved her too much to rush her into anything, just because they were all hot and bothered.

  “One thing.”

  “Only one? I was hoping for—”

  He let go of the counter and framed her face before she said anything else in that sex-kitten voice. My God, did she have any idea what she was doing to him? He doubted it. “Is this about me? Or about not getting him?”

  There was no need to spell out who “him” was.

  Her eyes had gone all slumberous and too damn sexy for words. She had to blink twice at him before she was able to pull herself out of the sex-fogged haze that had enveloped them both with shocking speed and ease. “I—” And then that deadly pause. “Isn’t this what you want?”

  He bumped hips with her. “I think we can safely say that’s a big yes.” The contact made him twitch. The twitch made him groan. Why the hell had he stopped her? Fool! “I don’t want this to be about what I want. Not just what I want, anyway.”

  She thought about that for a moment. It was the longest, most excruciating moment of his life.

  “I feel . . .” She shrugged, then the most beautiful smile lit her face. “Safe. Loved. Desired. And I want you to feel the same. Plus, I just plain want you.” Her smile turned to a wide grin. “Do you think I could be . . . how I’ve just been, with anyone else?” Even as she said the words, it was like she was realizing the truth of them at the same time. He saw the confidence filter into her eyes, and she held his gaze without a waver or doubt. “No one has ever made me feel like you do. I feel like I’ve been living in some alternate universe where I was completely blind. I don’t know why I never figured this out.”

  “Maybe,” he started, then stopped, the words clogged in his throat. He was either the kindest man in the universe, or the biggest idiot of all time. “Maybe it’s because we’re just meant to be close friends. The closest. But not more.”

  She immediately shook her head. “Oh no, no backing out now.”

  “I wasn’t. I mean, I don’t want to. I just want to make sure that—”

  “Grady, that kiss, that first kiss, was like . . . like I was Sleeping Beauty, or Sleeping Lucy, anyway,” she cracked, with that dry grin that he loved so much, “and you woke me up. God, that would sound corny to anyone else, but it’s the best way I can describe it. Is that what your ego needs to hear?”

  “No,” he said truthfully, then wrapped his arms around her. “But it is what my heart needed to hear.”

  Her expression melted. And so did his heart.

  “I want to take it slow,” he told her. “I don’t want to risk us screwing this up because we rushed when we should have been patient. But . . . honestly, I’m not sure I can. I’ve waited so long, I just want to devour you.”

  She shivered against him, and his eyes widened a little. “That’s really a good thing, what you just said.”

  “So you have to tell me if I push too hard, too fast.”

  “Okay,” she said, backing him up, then out of the kitchen. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To a place where you can push hard and fast and I can tell you when to stop.”

  “Dear God.”

  She grinned. “You started this.”

  “Yeah,” he said, a dazed grin spreading across his face. “And right at the moment, I’m wondering why in the hell I waited so long.” With that he scooped her up and over his shoulder, making her squeal in surprise. “Since when were you such an aggressive wench?”

  “Since about five minutes ago.” She squealed again when he swung through the living room. “Normally I just think stuff like that, but I’d never dare say it out loud.”

  “And I got lucky why?”

  “It’s different with you. I don’t have to worry what you’ll think.” She smacked him on the ass. “I know exactly how your mind works.”

  “Oh yeah?” He kicked her bedroom door the rest of the way open. “Well, maybe I don’t tell you and Jana everything.”

  “Ooh, sex secrets?”

  He flopped her on the bed into a huge pile of discarded clothing. She was laughing and he realized as he followed her down on the bed, so was he.

  He pushed his hands into her hair. “No more secrets.”

  Her laughter faded, but her eyes were still lit up like twin beacons. “No. No more secrets.”

  He bent down, kissed her. She wrapped her hands around his neck, held him closer.

  “Your hand okay?” he murmured.

  “Mmm,” she managed. “Yo
u’re a good kisser, you know that,” she told him as he bit his way along her jaw.

  “I’m inspired.”

  She laughed. He took that laugh with a kiss, then rolled to his side, taking her with him as he nudged her mouth open and took the kiss deeper.

  Their laughter faded, and suddenly the air was charged with a completely different kind of energy. He let his hands trail down her arms, cupping her hips, drawing her leg over his hip.

  She was pulling at his shirt. He took the hint and pulled her sweatshirt over her head. She shook her loopy roller curls loose, then gave him that lopsided grin. “Is this going to get weird? Getting naked with each other?”

  “Not weird so far. You?”

  She shoved him on his back. “Nope. You’ll let me know if that changes for you?” She flipped the snap on his jeans.

  “Yeah,” he said, groaning. “You’ll be the first.” She tugged his zipper down, and from that point on, all rational thought went on hiatus.

  Minutes later, he had Lucy Harper naked and beneath him. “Can I tell you something?” he said, his breath already coming in pants.

  “I have the NASA bra, if you want cleavage,” she told him.

  He laughed. “No, no. I love your body. It’s just, I think I’ve revised my opinion on the fake-tan thing.”

  She grinned. “Oh yeah?”

  “I’m all for both as it turns out.”

  “Who would have guessed we’d find détente over smooth skin and tan lines.”

  “Or the lack of them.”

  She laughed and wrapped her legs around his hips.

  He moaned and arched his head back. “If this is all really a dream, please don’t let me wake up for at least another hour.”

  “An hour?” she queried. “Lucky me.” And then she dug in her heels and he was buried deep and she was moaning, too.

  Lucy blinked her eyes open some unspecified period of time later. Groggy and trying to figure out where her nightstand clock had gone to, she tossed aside a pair of hose, one skirt, and two blouses. Then her hand landed on something furry, and it wasn’t Grady. She dragged the six-foot-long ostrich out from under the blanket, not even wanting to remember how or why it got there in the first place.

  Admittedly, things had gotten rather spirited during that second round.

  It was pitch-dark now, that was all she knew. Judging by the steady breathing, Grady was passed out beside her. She reached out until her hand met his bare . . . leg? What?

  She lifted her head and looked around. What was her clock doing behind her? Then she realized she was facing the wrong way on her bed. And that it was almost six in the morning. Crap. Then she remembered it wasn’t a school day. Saturday. She slumped back on the bed. Thank you, God.

  Grady rustled then, probably because her hand had slipped up the back of his thigh. He had an incredibly nice ass, as it turned out. Who knew racquetball was such a great workout?

  With a grunt, his hand came out and landed on her arm. Another grunt, and he was rolling to his side and pulling her close. More than willing, she shifted around and let him tuck her next to his body. Still sleeping, he let out a deep sigh and buried his face in the back of her hair.

  She lay there, staring into the dark, and tried to comprehend all the incredible ways her life had changed in the past handful of hours. Not only had Grady kissed her . . . they’d gotten naked and had world-class sex. Several times! Again she wondered why in the hell it had taken so long for them to figure this out. It wasn’t even remotely weird, either. In fact, it had all seemed almost startlingly normal. Imagine. She knew him so well, and he her, there hadn’t been any of the traditional first-time awkward moments couples usually have. In fact, they’d had a downright blast exploring . . . everything. She sighed, and realized she was grinning like a mad Cheshire cat or something.

  Their compatibility in life had translated to a kind of compatibility in bed that it would have taken eons to build with another person. He’d teased her and aroused her, oh yes, indeedy . . . but he’d also made it fun. God, she’d never laughed her ass off harder than she had while making love with Grady Matthews. She’d been in bed with him less than one night and already she couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.

  She hoped it wasn’t weird later this morning when they got up, she thought, as she dragged his arm higher on her waist and snuggled deeper into his sleeping embrace. She’d just have to make sure it wasn’t. Worst case is, she’d drag him back to bed. The very idea had her sighing in contentment.

  She was just drifting off again when the phone rang, making her start and Grady swear when her head connected with his chin. She might have also inadvertently mashed something she shouldn’t have. Which is when she realized the great thing about making love with your best friend was that he already knew you were a disaster. And he’d still made love to her. Twice. Well, three times, if you count messing around in the shower.

  She’d climaxed, so as far as she was concerned, it counted.

  Scrambling to reach the phone before it woke him all the way up, she got tangled in the clothes on the bed. She’d almost reached it when it rang again. Grady jerked the rest of the way awake and sat up, which dumped her halfway across the bed.

  “What? Who’s there?” he said, struggling to be coherent.

  “It’s the phone; it’s okay,” she told him.

  The answering machine clicked on after the third ring and a second later Dave’s voice filled the room. “Uh, Lucy, hi, it’s Dave. Listen, I know it’s really early. Sorry. I guess you’re probably still out.” He lowered his voice and Lucy crawled closer. “Jana would kill me if she knew I was calling. But, well, she’s in the hospital and, now, she’s okay, so don’t worry, and she didn’t want me to bother you, but I thought she could use a little support.”

  “The hospital!” Lucy cried.

  Grady came instantly alert and immediately reached across her and found the phone.

  “How did you do that?” she said, still trying to adjust to the darkness.

  “Excellent night vision. You should know that by now.”

  She couldn’t help it, she grinned quite smugly. “Yeah. Right.”

  Grady clicked the phone on. “Dave, hi, it’s Grady. What hospital is she in?”

  “‘Grady’?” Dave sounded understandably confused. “I, sorry, man, I thought I dialed Lucy.”

  Lucy looked toward Grady and felt him shift to look at her.

  “Uh—”

  “It’s okay,” Lucy whispered. “They’re gonna know anyway.” She hadn’t even thought about Jana, in terms of all this. But then, she’d been a little preoccupied.

  “I’m at Lucy’s. She’s right here. Jana’s okay?”

  Lucy groped Grady’s arm until she could find the phone. He let her have it. “Hi, Dave, it’s me. Is she okay?”

  “Yes. She had a little . . . problem. With the baby.”

  Oh no. Oh, God. Lucy’s heart leapt to her throat. “Is—” She couldn’t get the question out.

  “The baby is fine, but she’s—well, she’s feeling—she’s just not herself.”

  “Oh, thank God the baby is okay,” Lucy said. Grady began stroking her arms and she relaxed back against him. How wonderful was it to have support just there for you, so easy, so automatic? “Can we come see her?”

  “Would you?” He sounded . . . overwhelmed, and not a little lost. “I know she’ll feel better if she could talk to you. Both of you, if Grady can come, too.”

  “We’ll be there.”

  He sighed in relief. “Thanks. Thank you. I know she’ll feel better when you’re here.”

  Lucy frowned with worry. Dave still sounded pretty shaken up. “You sure she’s okay?”

  There was a pause, then, “Yeah. Physically, she’ll be fine. She’s going to have to be careful, maybe rest more than some women, but . . .”

  “Dave, it’s okay. She’s strong, you know? She’ll be okay.” Of course, Lucy still didn’t know exactly what had happened, but sh
e’d never heard Dave sound so shaken.

  There was a sound, almost like a half sob. “She thinks it’s her fault. Because—because she didn’t want it.”

  “Oh, Dave!” Lucy instinctively pulled Grady’s arm more tightly around her waist without even thinking. “No, no, of course it wasn’t. She has to know that.”

  “The doctor explained it all to her, but she just—” He sounded like he was fighting for control. “Come and be here with her. I know you can talk to her. She’ll hear it better from you than from me right now.”

  “Okay, okay. We’re on our way.”

  “Thanks, guys,” he said shakily. “Oh, and—” There was a sniff, then another pause while he got his act together. “We found out the sex. It’s a boy.”

  “‘A boy’!”

  Grady nudged the phone away from her. “A boy, huh? Dave, that’s wonderful! Congratulations, man. We’re on our way.”

  “Great. You guys, just . . . thanks.”

  Chapter 28

  The ride to the hospital was short but tense. They hadn’t said much, but Grady had kept her hand tucked tightly in his the whole way over.

  They stopped by the lobby gift shop long enough to pick up a teddy bear with a blue ribbon around its neck, then ducked into the first available elevator.

  “She’ll be okay,” Grady told her, squeezing her hand.

  Lucy knew he was reassuring himself as much as anything, and squeezed back. She had told him what Dave had said, about Jana assuming guilt for the situation. He’d been stunned and sad, then immediately assured her that they’d help her through it. “That’s what friends do,” he said.

  And she realized in that moment that she was the luckiest woman on the planet. Because her best friend and her lover were one in the same person.

  He punched the button for the third floor.

  “What are we going to do about this?” Lucy lifted their joined hands.

  “Dave might have already said something.”

  “I’m not sure Dave put it together. He’s pretty messed up about all this. And it’s not unheard of for you to crash at my place or theirs, for that matter.”

  “We’ll just handle it as it happens.” He looked at her; his hair was a wild halo of curls. She didn’t even want to think about what she looked like. As if he read her mind, which she was convinced now more than ever he could, he reached out and picked off another piece of errant facial mask.