Indulgence in Death - J. D. Robb [30]
It could, she supposed, swallow a dozen or more Brody farmhouses, but now that she’d experienced both she understood, at the core, they offered the same.
Welcome, stability, continuity.
She parked, gathered what she needed for the night’s work, and walked past the flowers into her home.
Where Summerset materialized in the foyer like fog over a headstone. Bony in black, with the fat cat at his feet, he gave Eve the beady eye.
“Your first day back and you manage to come home without dripping blood on the floor. Shall I open champagne to commemorate?”
“Skip it, because I think about dripping blood on the floor. But it’s always yours.”
Insults exchanged, she thought as she headed upstairs with the cat padding after her. Now she was officially home.
She went to the bedroom first to strip off her jacket, change her boots for skids. Galahad wound in and out, in and out of her legs like an engorged ribbon.
“I think you gained weight.” She sat on the floor, hauled the bulk of him into her lap. “You’re a disgrace. You’re like a cat and a half in a one-cat package.” She gave him a good scratch while he stared at her with his bicolored eyes. “No point giving me the look, pal. You are officially on a diet. Maybe we’ll get you one of those pet workout things.”
“He’d just sleep on it,” Roarke said as he came in.
“We could hang food at the end, rig it so he can’t get it until he puts in the time.”
“He’s always been . . . big boned,” Roarke said with a smile.
“He’s got more pudge than he had when we left.” She poked the cat’s belly to demonstrate. “Summerset spoiled him.”
“Probably.” Still in his business suit, Roarke joined her on the floor. Galahad immediately switched laps. “But then, so do we.”
“Look how he’s cozying up to you because I was talking about diet and exercise, and he doesn’t want to hear it.”
Stroking the cat into locomotive purrs, he leaned in, kissed his wife. “I missed you today. I’ve gotten used to having you all to myself.”
“You missed all the sex.”
“Absolutely, but I missed that face of yours as well. And how was your day?”
“Limo driver meets crossbow bolt. Bolt wins.”
“And here I thought my day was interesting.”
“What planet did you buy?”
“Which would you like?”
“I’ll take Saturn,” she decided. “It’s got pizzazz.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
She gave his tie a tug. “I thought you were going to stop wearing so many clothes.”
“They frown on less at global business meetings.”
“What do they know?” She unknotted his tie. “I think you should be naked.”
“Oddly, I was just thinking the same about you.” Reaching out, he hit the release on her weapon harness. The cat gave him a head butt, obviously annoyed the stroking had stopped. “I’ll get back to you,” Roarke promised, and nudged Galahad aside.
Eve took Galahad’s place, wrapped her legs around Roarke’s waist, her arms around his neck. “Maybe I missed your face.”
“Maybe you missed the sex.”
“I guess it can be both.” She laid her lips on his, sank in. “Yeah,” she murmured. “It can definitely be both.”
While the cat stalked away in disgust, she shoved the jacket off Roarke’s shoulders, tugged it off. He simply pulled the sleeveless tank she wore over her head.
“See how much easier mine are? You’ve got all these buttons.” She attacked them while he let his hands roam.
He loved the feel of her, long and lean with that supple core of muscle. Hers was a warrior’s body, agile and strong, and she gave it to him without reservation.
Her fingers, impatient and quick, dealt with buttons, pulled open his shirt. Their eyes met, hers that gilded brown, and aware. Watching her, he cupped her breasts, slid his thumbs back and forth over her until that awareness deepened.
When he took her mouth again, she pressed against him, center to center.
The beat of his blood quickened to a fierce and primal rhythm, driving, driving the need to possess.