Okay, so maybe he wasn’t dreaming about death.
I knew the minute he woke up…
Because his hand froze.
I wasn’t sure if I should pretend to be sleeping, yell at him, or simply stare.
I chose the latter.
Hoping my expression wasn’t one of lust but of mild curiosity, as in why the heck did you grab my boob? and not will you please touch the other one too?
“Shhi-i-it.” He drew out the word, his eyes focusing on the hand currently holding my boob captive. “I umm…”
“Why don’t you have morning breath?” I asked, truly curious as to why he didn’t smell. It would have been a mercy had he been remotely human. But no, apparently he was some sort of Sicilian god.
“Huh?” He shook his head, his long eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks. “How am I even supposed to answer that?”
“Well…” I licked my lips. “…you could start by taking your hand off my boob.”
He looked down again.
“Or you could keep it there if that’s how you start all your mornings, but then it begs the question… do you grab your own, or do you simply imagine someone else’s?”
He jerked his hand away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…” He sighed. “Just, sorry.”
“It’s okay. I liked it.” I winked.
Did he just growl?
“So, morning breath…” I pushed up onto my elbows. “…not something you’re plagued with, huh?”
“Too early,” he grumbled, reaching for his cell.
“Warts?”
“What?” He dropped the phone and turned his hazy gaze to me. “You have warts?”
“No.” I made a face. “Do you?”
“No.” Again with his slow one word answers.
“Zits? Tell me you had zits when you were a teen, and your parents tried everything, and nobody would be your friend, so you made up an invisible friend and named him, then had to see a shrink for three years because you were thought to be mentally unstable.”
Sergio stared at me for a few minutes then asked. “Are you always this weird in the mornings?”
I threw my hands into the air. “Flaws, Sergio, I’m trying to find flaws.” I shrugged. “You know, other than the fact that you tend to be a giant ass-hat most the time.”
“That’s a flaw.”
“An epic flaw. Poor me.” I smiled. “I’m stuck with your ass-iness.”
“Not a word.”
“Is now.”
“Can we at least have coffee before you continue assaulting my ears with your voice?”
I rose from the bed. “Fine, fine. You win.”
Sergio’s mouth dropped open, his eyes flashing with something I couldn’t really decipher.
“What?” I put my hands on my hips — and panicked. I was in my wedding lingerie. A cute white corset that had gone perfect with my wedding dress and white lacy boy shorts.
He opened his mouth then closed it. But didn’t look away. No, that wasn’t Sergio’s style; he didn’t do embarrassed or guilty. He wasn’t that guy, the good guy that even turned around when you dressed.
He stared.
And I liked it.
Because it made me feel wanted — desirable, so I did what any sane woman would do when she had a hot man who just so happened to be her husband in her bed.
I took off my bra. “You said my words assaulted you. I figured I’d attack your eyes too.”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing slowly down before he spoke. “You should probably put clothes on.”
“Nah, I think I’ll go naked all day. Never done that before, and you only live once.” I winked.
“Clothes,” he croaked.
“Naked.”
“Andi—“His voice held a warning tone. “—put some damn clothes on before I do it for you.”
“Now that I’d like to see… you’d really dress me? Kind of reminds me of the song “Barbie Girl.” Have you heard it?”
“If you start singing it, I’m going to spank you, and it’s not going to be the type of sexy spank you’re expecting.”
“Try it,” I smirked. “I’ll just kick your ass again.”
“Shit, you’re annoying.”
“‘I’m a Barbie Girl…’” I started, “‘in a Barbie world…’”
Sergio launched himself from the bed and pulled me over his shoulder, then very angrily stomped out of the room and into mine, which was farther down the hall. He set me on my feet then started rummaging through my drawers. A T-shirt flew by my face and then a pair of skinny jeans.
I ducked when my favorite pair of riding boots nearly collided with my nose.
The socks I actually caught one-handed.
When he was done, he didn’t turn around, didn’t say one word to me, just slammed the door behind him. I continue singing the Barbie song, while echoes of his curses joined my voice in harmony.
All in all? Not a bad start to my first day of marriage.
Because for the first time in a while — I felt really alive. And it was all because he was an ass. Who knew?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sergio
I DIDN’T FEEL GUILTY. NOT WHEN it was her own damn fault that I’d even seen her topless. I wasn’t one of those guys, the kind that looked away.
I think she knew that too.