It Happened in L.A.: Ms Match / Shockingly Sensual / Playmates. Lori Wilde

glad.” She got out some half-and-half, and brought it to him, along with a spoon, a napkin and a white ceramic bowl of sugar.

      Paul tried to read her, to see if there was even a remote possibility she’d meant more than watching TV. Her smile was enigmatic, which wasn’t unusual. She was always enigmatic.

      She’d worn her hair down and soft, begging to be touched. She had on this really silky-looking blouse, light green that went with her eyes. Shit. She was barefoot under her loose-fitting pants. And her toenails were painted, something light and feminine.

      She coughed, making him look up at her face. “I can put on shoes if you like.”

      “No. No, no. I like bare feet. Not that I have a fetish about them or anything. I mean, feet are feet, but it’s nice when they look so pretty and…You’re laughing at me.”

      “Yes, I am. In a good way.”

      He rubbed his face with his hand, thinking it would be really great to take a long, hot shower. Instead, he fixed his cup of coffee and watched her putter. That was enough.

      “I had a busy day, myself.” Gwen rinsed out the coffeemaker and brewed another cup. “I shopped and got all my veggies together for the week. Very noble. Then I looked for towels and ended up spending a small fortune on tchotchkes I don’t need.”

      “For example?”

      “A watering can. Not that they’re unnecessary, but I already have a perfectly fine can.”

      “What enticed you to buy this one?”

      She knelt by the cupboard under the sink and took out a funny-looking blue thing that had a long curved spout. “How could I resist?”

      “I have no idea. I’m shocked it was still on the shelf.”

      “Ah, so now you’re laughing at me.”

      “Yes,” he repeated. “I am.”

      “In a good way.”

      “Always.”

      “So movies, yes?” she asked. “Shall I make popcorn?”

      “Movies, yes. Only make the popcorn if you want it. I guess I ate more at the park than I thought.”

      “No. We can just veg, and watch anything you like.”

      “Shall we move to the couch?”

      The enigmatic smile returned. “Actually, I was thinking we could watch in my bedroom.”

      “Bedroom?”

      “I have a great TV there.”

      He was glad he’d put his mug down or he’d have dropped it. He’d been amazingly restrained about the whole sex thing, figuring she’d let him know when it was time. What he didn’t know, not for sure, was if this was the signal. Any other woman he’d known, he wouldn’t have had to think twice. Gwen was harder to read.

      “If you don’t want to, the couch is fine.”

      “No. I’d like to watch TV wherever you’re comfortable. ”

      She came over to the bar across from him. “If by watch TV you mean make love, then I’d be comfortable.”

      He stood. “I can do that. I can do that just fine.”

      She grinned. “You can finish your coffee.”

      He smiled back. “I’m done. Great coffee. Seriously, best I’ve ever had.”

      She laughed.

      He followed her, not ashamed that he kept far enough back that he could watch her ass the whole way. Now he wished her blouse wasn’t so long. Damn, he hadn’t considered this was an option. Thankfully, he’d replaced the condom in his wallet. Too bad he hadn’t brought two. Funny how he didn’t feel tired anymore. He still could use that shower, though.

      She led him down a small hallway that had some nice black-and-white pictures on the wall, then to her bedroom. The king-size bed, covered in a purple comforter, was done up girl style with more pillows than he’d ever understand. But nice. There was a major flat-screen TV on the opposite wall, and near the window next to an antique dresser was an armchair and a brass reading lamp.

      Then he noticed a champagne bucket set up by the bed. He went to investigate, but there was no actual champagne. Just a couple of Heineken beers and a couple of water bottles in ice. “Hmm,” he said, “should I be insulted?”

      “Why?”

      “You seem pretty confident I was a sure thing.”

      She came up to him and touched the back of his neck with her hand. Looking into his eyes, her own alight with a mixture of heat and laughter, she nodded. “Reasonably confident,” she whispered, just before she kissed him.

      They’d kissed a lot since that night on the couch, but this was different. It was a prelude, and that changed everything. Just because he hadn’t pushed her didn’t mean he hadn’t wanted to. It was a whole new thing with Gwen, kind of like reading that damn book. Who knew literary fiction could be foreplay?

      He kissed her back, not wanting to go too fast. There was still the shower to deal with before he could let himself splurge.

      She pulled back. “What?”

      He gave her a sorry look. “How would you feel about me using your shower?”

      “I’d feel just fine about it.”

      “Good. How about now?”

      Again, she nodded. “Come on. It’s not far.”

      The bathroom was white and purple, just like her bedroom. Everything looked soft. The towels, the bath mat. She had candles in there, and he could see she used them. Also a big boom box with a stack of CDs next to it. “You like to take baths, eh?”

      “My favorite escape.”

      “Maybe you’d like to escape in the shower with me?”

      “I could be persuaded.”

      He pulled her into his arms. “Please,” he said, just before he kissed her, this time with more abandon. Shower sex, with the right accessories, could be a very good thing.

      She took her time kissing him back. Before she stopped, her hands reached between them and she started to undo her buttons.

      Being a gentleman, he lent a hand, trying to decide if he should stop to watch her strip or just keep on kissing.

      Watching won.

      He stepped back, working on his own clothes as he witnessed her unveiling. They’d been in such a rush last time that he hadn’t taken the time to appreciate her body.

      She was slender, but thankfully not as painfully thin as so many of the women he knew. She even had a little pooch of a tummy that was so sexy he wanted to get down on his knees and kiss it all over.

      Her little pussy was trimmed, but not bare, something else that wasn’t the fashion, but that, too, appealed to him. Hell, everything about her did.

      By the time he’d kicked off his shoes and undone his pants, he was hard. Before he let his jeans go, though, he took out his wallet.

      “Wait,” she said. “I was a good Scout and bought some of those.” Naked and beautiful, she went to one of the drawers where she pulled a packet out of a box. “See?”

      “I’ll give you your merit badge when we’re under the water.”

      She saluted him, then crossed to the glass-enclosed shower and turned it on. When she looked back, he was ready, his clothes shoved unceremoniously to the side.

      She took his hand and they went inside. There was simply no choice, he had to feel her naked and wet. Her body felt amazing, so slick and soft. He explored her with his hands, his eyes, with all the