Hands On by Debbi Rawlins

shirt hugged his arms, anyone would notice. Just like the fit of his snug jeans. Of course she’d taken note of his great butt. Any red-blooded woman would.
    She groaned and threw the towel back on the rack. She’d have to get out both her hairbrush and toothbrush before she went downstairs. For now she combed her fingers through her hair. It hung limp from the humidity but she wasn’t trying to impress anyone. She gave it an extra fluff and then opened the door.
    Dalton was sprawled out across the bed. Not just on one side, but more in the middle. He grinned and patted the side closest to her. “Great mattress. Come try it out.”
    She swallowed. “I’ll flip you for it.”
    â€œCassie…” He drawled her name like a warning.
    â€œHeads you get the bed. Tails you get the floor.”
    â€œCome on, honey.” Before she could respond, he put a silencing finger to his lips, and crooked his other one, beckoning her to come closer.
    She hesitated at first, but he looked serious, not like he was baiting her, so she carefully sat on the edge of the mattress. He shook his head and motioned for her to move closer. She inched in, and leaned toward him.
    He cupped the back of her neck and drew her close to his face. “I think the room is bugged,” he whispered.
    â€œAre you kidding?” She spoke too loudly and he put a finger to her lips. She had the ridiculous urge to suck it into her mouth, and she tried to move back.
    He held her firmly in place. “Come on, honey, just a quickie like the old days. Those people will still be down there.” And then in a voice so low she could barely hear, he said, “Just play along. Anything you have to say they shouldn’t hear, you’ll have to get real close like this and whisper.”
    He’d pushed back her hair, his lips brushing the side of her ear as he spoke. Goose bumps surfaced on her skin. She’d absolutely die if he saw them.
    â€œWhere did you see the bugs?”
    He cupped her cheek with his slightly roughened palm and guided her closer, until her lips grazed his jaw and she put a hand on his chest for balance. “I couldn’t hear you,” he whispered.
    â€œI said, where did you see the bug?”
    â€œActually, my decoder ring sensed it.”
    She blinked. His what? Under her palm, his chest shook with laughter. She bolted upright. “You ass!”
    â€œCassie, wait.” He grabbed her hand when she tried to get up, and yanked her unceremoniously against him. “I really think the room is bugged. That was stupid and immature of me. I apologize.”
    She glared at him. He looked serious again, and he kept his voice at a whisper, but how could she believe him now? How could she afford not to?
    â€œImmature is an understatement.”
    â€œYou’re right.” He gave her leg a patronizing pat, which only made her angrier.
    â€œFrankly, I don’t know if I believe you,” she said, but kept her voice down.
    â€œI don’t blame you.” He looked so earnest. “I wish I could take it back.” Of course, he was playing a role. He could be acting right now. “Can we discuss this later? Outside, maybe, and err on the side of caution for now?”
    He stroked the inside of her wrist, a slow seductive motion that made her lose track of her thoughts. She shifted away, trying to gain some balance, and he released her. “All right. Later. Now what about the bed?”
    â€œIt’s pretty comfortable.”
    She remembered to keep her voice down just in time. “You know what I mean.”
    â€œWhy would either of us have to sleep on the floor?”
    â€œI know how we can do this fairly. We’ll alternate. You get the bed one night, and I get it the next.”
    â€œThis is something else we should discuss later.” He rolled off the bed before she could tell him there was nothing to discuss.
    For that he’d get the first