“Ready to go to town, Kyle?”

“I reckon.”

“You guys need anything?” Celia asked Josh.

“Ronna wouldn’t say no to chocolate ice cream.”

“I might need your help wrestling the new bed into our room when we get back.”

Josh nodded. “I’ll swing up after I see your truck go by.”

Kyle wasn’t much of a shopper and he inwardly groaned when Celia bragged that she’d compiled four lists.

The first stop was a discount furniture store. After choosing a king-size bed, they sat on, inspected, and price-compared every single living room set in the place. Celia finally decided on a couch, love seat, and chair trio, in a color the salesman referred to as Spanish moss. She also insisted on taking a fabric sample to find coordinating accessories, which threw Kyle for a loop. He’d never pegged tomboy Celia as the type to give a shit about that kind of girly domestic stuff.

She’s never had the chance to. She’s never had a place of her own.

That thought made Kyle a lot more indulgent at the home goods store.

It also prompted him to participate in the bedding selection process. But he zoned out when she compared towel thickness and colors and debated about rug shapes and patterns. Took two carts full of stuff before she finally quit browsing.

He rallied at the hardware store. While she looked at living room paint samples and bedroom paint—when had he agreed to that?—he picked up a few things he’d need, including the rodent repellent powder Josh had recommended.

Kyle put his foot down when she suggested stopping at a carpet store and an electronics store and a fabric store.

Yet…he admitted he liked grocery shopping with Celia. Not only because she let him crowd her when he pretended to look at the grocery list, but he’d never had this type of intimacy. Buying food and planning to cook meals they’d share for the next week.

At the end of her very long list, she asked, “Can you think of anything else?”

“Do you have stuff to make me cookies?”

Celia looked up at him sharply. “You never mentioned cookies.”

Kyle pressed her against the boxed noodles. “I crave sweet stuff, especially if it’s warm and sticky. It’s your wifely duty to satisfy my craving. To make sure my mouth is always busy. Tasting. Licking. Nibbling. On something.”

She went utterly still.

But Kyle noticed the quickening pulse in her neck. The rapid rise and fall of her chest. He couldn’t decipher the expression in her gray eyes, though. “What?”

“I want you. So bad I’m thinking about jumping you in the pasta aisle.”

So the look was lust, which caused his lust to skyrocket. He kissed her. Not sweetly. When they finally broke apart, he growled, “We shoulda bought two sets of sheets, because we’re gonna set the first ones on fire four seconds after I get you home.”

“We’ve had enough fire-related incidents today. So how about if you…fuck me through our new mattress.” Celia nipped his jaw. “Twice.”

He suspected they hit the world speed record for grocery checkout.

On the way home, he realized she hadn’t said anything. “Your ribs are feeling better? Because, kitten, there’s no rush to do a little mattress dancin’ if you’d rather wait another day or two.”

Celia snapped, “Keep up the teasing, funny man, and I’ll rip your clothes off right now and not give a shit if you wreck your pickup.”

Kyle snickered. And adjusted the crotch of his jeans.

Josh’s truck wasn’t far behind Kyle’s. Celia insisted on carrying in the groceries while they brought the bed and box spring inside. Kyle only half listened to Josh. His entire focus was on the frenzied sounds coming from the kitchen. Cupboard doors slamming. Bags rattling.

Celia hustled into the bedroom and dug through the bags of household goods. She had the puffy white mattress pad spread out on the bed in about fifteen seconds.

“Cele, do you need help—”

“No.” She looked up at him, hunger blazing in her eyes. “Josh’s ice cream is melting on the kitchen counter. He might wanna get it home right away.”

Talk about melting. She was burning him alive with those mercury-colored eyes of hers.

Josh chuckled. “I get it. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”

Kyle handed the ice cream over and Josh grinned. “Newlyweds. I remember those days. Vaguely. Have a great night.”

Kyle locked the door, kicked off his boots, and thought about stripping on his way back to the bedroom, but that’d be hard to do at a run.

Celia had just finished putting on the bottom sheet. She crawled across the bed toward him. Then she was on him, mouth fused to his as she unhooked his belt. Making greedy, sexy noises as she tried to inhale him.

“Celia,” he said between kisses, “slow down.”

“No. Touch me. Put your hands all over me. Please.”

“Hold still.” He grabbed the bottom of her shirt, carefully pulling it up and over her head. He groaned at her very girly red bra, dotted with white hearts. Kyle’s mouth sought the gentle slope of her breast, kissing along the lacy edge, down to the V and back up the other side.

And Celia was trying to de-pant him.

“Stop. You wanted me to touch you and I am.”

“But I wanna touch you too.”

“We’ll take turns.” Good idea. Maybe he wouldn’t come at that first thrust if they slowed this down. “My shirt next.” Celia focused on the buttons. He tipped her chin up. “Huh-uh. Take it off while you’re kissin’ me. Because I cannot get enough of this mouth.”