Page 82 of The Outpost (Jamison Valley 4)
“Good. Now let me up and go find me your razor.”
“What? Tonight?” I asked, pushing off his chest.
“I like to lock in my agreements before people have a chance to change the terms.”
My smile got wider as I stood and went to my bag, pulling on some panties and pajamas. Beau wandered into the kitchen and I heard him rattling around while I went to the bathroom and found my razor and shaving cream.
“This will have to work since I don’t have my trimmer.” Beau held up a pocketknife and sharpening steel that he’d brought into the bathroom. He assumed his place at the sink and I sat on the toilet seat to watch in utter fascination.
“You’re really going to do this?” I knew how attached men got to their facial hair. At any moment, I expected him to back out.
He nodded. “I think you’re underestimating how much I love your hair.”
I smiled as my heart swelled.
/> After sharpening the knife, slowly and with extreme care, Beau began dragging the blade across his jaw. Small hairs fell into the sink as he scraped off the longer hairs on his face. Next, he wet his patchy scruff and lathered on a thick layer of my Gillette pink shaving cream. Then with my yellow Venus razor, he worked his way across his face, erasing the beard and leaving behind a new Beau.
After washing off the remnants of the shaving cream, he inspected himself in the mirror before patting his face dry with a towel and turning to me.
Standing stark naked in all his glory, Beau had gotten rid of something he’d had for eight years just to satisfy my curious nature and make me happy.
“Well?”
My eyes welled and I lost sight of him in the blur.
I was in love with him.
I knew I’d fallen before, but I hadn’t admitted it to myself. But sitting in this tiny bathroom, I couldn’t deny it any longer. I was hopelessly in love with Beau Holt.
“That bad?” he asked.
I shook my head and wiped my eyes dry. “Not bad at all.”
Beau was undeniably the sexiest man alive, with or without the beard. Clean-shaven, his jaw was just as strong and now I could see that his chin was perfect for the shape of his face. He did look younger but he was still my Beau.
“Which do you like better?” he asked, turning back to the mirror.
I stood from my seat and walked to him at the sink. “I need to do some research before I can answer.”
My hands found his jaw, gently rubbing the smooth skin before pulling his face down to mine. I kissed his mouth first but then trailed my lips across the lines of his jaw, up one side and down the other. The fresh scent of my shaving cream somehow blended with his rich woodsy smell into an intoxicating mixture, and by the time I made it back to his lips, I was dizzy.
After one last kiss, I leaned back and found his eyes. “I can’t decide. I like you with or without the beard.”
His sexy smirk set my pulse to racing. “That’s not good enough, Shortcake. I think you just haven’t done enough research.”
“Oh, yeah?” I breathed.
He nabbed my hand and pulled me through the door to our bed. Then he spent the next hour making sure I researched just exactly how his smooth skin felt against every inch of my body.
Just as we were drifting off to sleep, I whispered, “Goliath?”
“Hmm.”
“Grow back the beard.”
He pulled me closer and kissed the top of my hair. “Your wish, Shortcake.”
Beau
