Cougar Wants [Cougarlicious] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Free Page A

careful not to touch her. He did not immediately go to work, but stood studying the paper he had agreed to hang. This could be the best or worst decision he had ever made, but she was his mate , and they were meant to be together. This was too soon, but she needed a renter , and he needed a room.
    “How much is this room you’re renting?”
     
    * * * *
     
    Kimber stared at the pizza guy in surprise. “Why? Do you know someone who’s looking to rent a room?”
    The half-smile returned to his lips as he looked deep into her eyes. “Yes. Me,” he answered simply.
    “Oh, well…truth is I haven’t figured that part out yet. I just made the decision to rent the room a few minutes ago. It’s going to take me a few days to get the room ready.”
    “Can I see it?”
    “First , I need to know something,” Kimber said, nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the thought of having this man living under her roof.
    “What’s that?” he asked with a small frown.
    “What’s your name? I don’t usually let people I don’t know into my home unless they’re wearing a badge of some sort.”
    He blinked, looking startled. Then he smiled as he nodded.
    “Smart lady,” he said, shifting the sign and nail to his left hand and extending his right for a handshake.
    Kimber took it and sucked a tiny breath as her body’s arousal flared even higher at the electricity that shot from his palm to hers. Intense heat shot up her arm and through her body. Her fingertips tingled as they wrapped around the back of his hand. He heart picked up speed, her nipples beaded tight, and her pussy gushed.
    “Tate Pierce,” he said, his voice dropping deeper, which sent even more heat through her.
    “Kimber Jordan,” she returned hoarsely.
    As they stared into each other’s eyes, the rest of the world seemed to fade away, leaving them in a bubble of want, need, and arousal.
    She wasn’t sure how long they stood holding hands and staring at one another, but she would have been happy to continue all night, except a car drove by. His head whipping around, Tate jerked his hand from hers and turned to take up a protective stance in front of her. When the car drove on down the block, he took a deep breath as he slid his hand into his pocket before turning back to face her again.
    “So … ” he trailed off.
    “Would you like to see the room?”
    “Uh, sure,” he said. He stepped up to the porch, proving he was a full head taller than she was.
    She led the way into the house. When he followed her into the living room, she wondered who had snuck in and turned up the heat when she had not been looking. She had turned the furnace off that morning after opening the windows to let in the fresh air.
    “The room is down here,” she said. Suddenly flustered by his nearness when his hand brushed against the back of her leg just under her ass cheek , she hurried down the hall. “I haven’t had a chance to rearrange things yet, so I’ll let you have your choice of these two rooms,” she said, stopping at the end of the hall.
    She leaned into her bedroom first and flipped on the light, thankful that she had changed the sheets and washed clothes that morning. Laundry day was the only day of the week she actually made the bed. The rest of the time, the covers were rumpled and tossed back from where she had crawled out of it. Stepping back into the hall, she allowed him to walk in and look around.
    Her girlfriends used to tease her about what they called her “ nun’s cell. ” The walls were a barely there off-white to peach with burgundy curtains that worked well to keep the sun out when she had worked all night and tried to sleep during the day.
    The only furniture in the room was a queen-size bed with her grandmother’s antique brass headboard, a large wooden dresser, and matching nightstand. No pictures on the wall, no memorabilia anywhere, except a small wooden jewelry box on the nightstand that held her high school ring and several