Chapter Seven
Archer removed his hands, and the second he did, Claudia felt an instant cold spread throughout her body that had nothing to do with the cold water. She wrapped her arms around herself as she sat there for a minute longer watching Archer’s muscles flex as the water rippled off of them, sliding down in smooth rivulets.
He got out of the shower and strode towards a cabinet where he pulled out two bathrobes. He quietly slipped into his, and brought hers over. Claudia stood up, and he helped her put it on and rubbed his hands up and down her arm.
Claudia smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He stood back and gave her the once over. “You could definitely pull off the bathrobe look.”
“Could I now?” She laughed as she tried to strike a sexy pose.
Archer pretended to whistle as he clapped his hands together. “Hubba, hubba. There you go.”
Claudia bit her lips and batted her eyelashes. “Like this?”
“Whoa, baby. Yeah.”
They both laughed, and before she knew what was happening, Archer had bent over, scooped her in his arms and was cradling her against his chest as he headed towards the bedroom.
Claudia began to squirm. “Archer, put me down. I’m perfectly capable of walking on my own.”
“I’m perfectly aware of that, you little smart ass.” He pinched her ass, and Claudia yelped as she shot him a dirty look. “Is that really necessary while I’m in this position?”
“It’s the perfect position.” A mischievous grin lit up his face as he allowed his hands to snake under the bathrobe and begin to explore.
“Is that so?” Her voice came out sounding husky as she tried to keep her hold on his neck from slipping. Her grip tightened as his hands slid over his stomach.
“Oh, yes, very much.”
His hands glided over her breasts, briefly pausing to pinch her nipples before they moved back down to trace her thighs. “Haven’t you ever been carried like this before?”
Claudia pretended to think. “I can’t say that I have. I didn’t know there was certain etiquette involved when I do.”
“Oh, there definitely is,” he said seriously.
“Like what?” she prompted.
“Well, for starters, no clothing is preferred, but if you absolutely must wear something then it needs to be skimpy or accessible or both.”
“Understood. Does this mean I get A+ for nailing the first one?”
His gaze slide to hers. “Oh, absolutely. You breezed through it.”
Claudia gave him a flirty grin. “What’s the next point?”
“What?” Archer looked distracted before he shook his head. “Oh, yes. The second point. Well, regardless of whether it’s skimpy or accessible, no panties or bras allowed under any circumstances.”
Claudia pretended to glance at her robe. “I think I’m covered there too.”
“There’s too much covering going on if you ask me.”
He gently laid her down on the bed and crawled up next to her.
“Really? Why is that?”
Archer cupped her neck. “Because look at this robe. The material is very flimsy. It will never do. I need to order you a new one.”
“Flimsy material? What are you talking about? This has got to be the softest robe I’ve ever seen.”
She buried her face in the robe and rubbed her face against it in order to feel the smooth softness against her face. “You need better standards.”
He titled her head up, pressed a brief kiss to her lips. “Anyways, as I was saying. Very flimsy material. I mean, I bet one could just try to remove it, and it would rip open by itself.”
Claudia laughed. “I very much doubt that.”
“I can prove it to you.” Archer slid his hands inside and tried to remove the robe. After a minute of pretending, ultimately he just tore the fabric open leaving her completely exposed.
“See? Flimsy material.”
Claudia blushed as she tried to cover herself, still feeling self-conscious around him even though he’d seen her like this a million times before. Archer shot her an amused grin as he gently lowered her arms. “Don’t do that. You’re beautiful. I want to be able to look at you.”
“So are you,” Claudia blurted out, suddenly feeling very nervous now that there was something different between them.
One eyebrow went up. “You think I’m beautiful? Well, it’s not that I’m not flattered, but that is a strange word to use.”
“Aw, did I hurt your fragile male ego?” she teased as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Archer snorted. “Fragile male ego? How dare you, woman? I’ll have you know, my ego is made of steel, impenetrable, I say.”
Claudia leaned forward and began to push his robe down. “Really?”
She could see his Adam’s apple bob up then down. “Really.”
“You don’t sound very convincing.”
“I don’t?”
Claudia managed to slip off his robe, and she pushed it away as she leaned forward and began to kiss his neck. She took his earlobe between her teeth and gently nibbled on it. “No, you really don’t. You really need to work on your persuasive skills.”
Archer pounced her and pressed her to the mattress. “Is that so? I guess you’ll have to teach me then.”
***
For the next few days, Archer and Claudia were caught in a beautiful little bubble where nothing and no one else mattered. They spent the entire time from the minute Archer got back from work till the minute they drifted off out of exhaustion talking, laughing and teasing each other just like an ordinary couple.
Claudia knew they weren’t an ordinary couple though. Far from it in fact.
Nothing about their situation was normal, and whenever she thought about it, worry and anxiety flooded her, and she wondered if she was reading too much into it. What if Archer’s feelings simply abated the second her time was up?
Technically after that, she was a free agent. Where she chose to go, and who she chose to spend her time with was entirely up to her, and with what she was being paid, she could afford to not work for the rest of her life.
Claudia didn’t want to think about that though. The thought of leaving Archer behind filled her with an unimaginable sadness that made her paralyzed with fear. She simply couldn’t imagine not waking up to his smile, or sparing with him across the dinner table.
She wanted so much to hear him say it, to hear those words leave his lips. All he had to do was ask, and she’d be his, but instead every time Claudia broached the subject, he’d tactfully change it to something lighter and neutral, and Claudia unable to bear the thought of losing him while she was still here, would play along and pretend that it wasn’t important.
She didn’t know how much longer she could keep doing it especially with only a week left in this big mansion she had grown to call home. For the first time in a really long time, Claudia actually felt like she belonged, and she didn’t want to lose that feeling.
Archer was her home.
She just had to figure out how to tell him that without freaking him out.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Claudia gave him a small smile. “I think they’re worth so much more than that.”
“Greedy, are we?”
Archer scooped her up into his arms, and Claudia took a second to admire his fit form clad in loose sweatpants and a t-shirt. She rested her head in the crook of his neck. “Archer?”
“Hmm?”
She took a deep breath and decided to just go ahead and say it. “I like you.”
“I should certainly hope so,” he teased her.
“No, I mean -” She pulled back so she could look at him. “I really like you, Archer. More than like you. I care about you. I know our situation is very unorthodox, and believe me this isn’t how I pictured falling in love with a guy, but there it is. I accepted your offer because my niece was very sick, but I had no idea that by accepting it, I’d actually be making one of the best decisions of my life. I know I’m supposed to be leaving soon, but I think you feel the same way too, Archer.”
Archer gazed at her wordlessly. “What did you say?”
Claudia swallowed. “I’m in love with you, Archer. With you, I’ve stopped running, and I’ve finally learned to stand still.”
Archer studied her quietly, and Claudia grew quiet as she realized that she might have ruined things for good.
“Maybe I misread the situation. It’s okay. This arrangement was never about love, it was about sex. I can leave.”
Archer grabbed her arm. “Claudia, wait.”
“Really, Archer. I’m a big girl, I can –”
“Just shut up.”
“Excuse me?” Claudia was shocked that he was telling her that. If he wanted her to leave, all he had to do was ask. There was no reason to be so rude.
“You heard me. You infuriating woman.”
“Me? Why you little –” Archer brought his finger up to her lips. “Let me finish, please.”
Claudia nodded, and Archer continued. “I knew from the moment I saw you that you were different. You obviously didn’t belong there, but it wasn’t until I actually started talking to you that I realized what kind of woman you actually were. Fiercely loyal, ambitious, driven, talented, and with so much fire, it makes you glow like the light of a thousand suns.”
“Claudia, I –” Archer dragged his hands through his hair. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about a woman before, but you make me feel everything all at once, and I don’t want to lose that.”
Claudia gave him a watery smile. “I guess we’re on the same page then, huh?”
Archer gave her a gentle smile. “We definitely are.”
Claudia sighed happily and pressed her lips to his. They kissed softly at first savoring in the aftermath of their confession, but then their kissing changed, and Archer shifted her, so she had her legs wrapped around his waist.
He gently lay her down on the rug and peeled off her top all the while murmuring sweet nothings in her ear. Claudia sat up and helped Archer out of his shirt, and she began to kiss his naked chest. Soon, they had both removed each other’s pants and were simply admiring each other’s bodies in a different light. Archer began to nibble on her nipples as Claudia rubbed herself against him.
Archer’s bulge strained through the fabric of his boxers, and Claudia smirked as she ground against him causing him to throw his head back and moan. Claudia wrapped her legs around his waist and ground even harder. Archer tangled his hands in her hair and crushed her lips to his, his tongue darting out to dominate hers.
Claudia groaned into the kiss as her hands reached down and fumbled with his boxers. She finally managed to push them down and allow his erection to spring free. Archer yanked her underwear off, and in one swift movement, he entered her.
They both stilled as they tore their lips away from each other and made eye contact. Archer moved slowly inside of her, and Claudia lay her arms around his shoulders as she helped him set the pace. They moved slowly, needing to savor the gentleness of the moment as they both built towards their crescendo.
Claudia quivered in pleasure as she came, and Archer followed her soon after.
He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled up to him on the rug. They drifted off in each other’s arms, content to let the world outside keep on spinning as long as they had each other.
THE END