“Excuse me?” she blinked, needing him to repeat himself because what gave him the impression he could tell her anything about herself?
He lifted both palms. “I’m just sayin’…I’m tired, it’s early, you yellin’…can we reset?”
A lusty warmth nudged her chest. She didn’t want it to…but it did.
Looking from the grass, then back at him, she conceded. “Fine, start over.”
Zaire let the breath leave his lungs in a way that made her think he needed this more than he’d ever admit. He lifted his chin and said, “Morning”.
Meadow’s lips twitched even though she tried to stay mad. “Morning, baby.”
Meadow looked like she hadn’t expected him to say it with that tone. Deep and dipped in lust that wasn’t meant for broad daylight. Her lips parted a little, and God…he shouldn’t have noticed that…shouldn’t have noticed how her chest rose under that thin-ass jacket or how her attitude looked good on her this early.
He shouldn’t have noticedanythingabout her.
Zaire kept his face unreadable, but inside, a slow heat rolled through him…thick, dark, and needy. It crawled up his body and sat heavy in his groin. She had him wired, irritated, and damn near hard all at once. A mix of emotions he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Why she look good mad?Why did her voice shake like that when she talked shit? Why did her thighs look tight like she was clenching something for him?
He hated the way his body reacted to her…hated that she smelled like dew and something sweet he wanted to taste…hated that her fear of him didn’t push her back…it only pulled her closer.
He dragged his tongue across his teeth.Damn…she really don’t know what she waking up over here.
He tucked his gun deeper into his waistband and stepped just close enough for her to feel the heat rolling off him, but not close enough to touch her. If he touched her, it was over for the both of them.
In his head, though…in that slow, dangerous place between annoyance and hunger -
he pictured her up against the shed door, her breath mixing with his, her hands in his waves, with her legs around his waist, and that pissed him off even more.
Relax,he told himself.You’re not here for this girl. You’re not here for nobody.
He swallowed hard, shoulders rising just slightly as he forced control back into his body.
“Morning,” Meadow tried to keep her voice mad but it wasn’t flowing out the way she wanted.
He nodded toward the driver in his hand. “I come out here when I can’t sleep.”
“You didn’t sleep?” she asked before she could catch herself.
Zaire’s eyes dragged across her face. “Nah.”
“Nightmares?”
He didn’t answer.
But that was his answer.
Meadow sighed softly. “You could’ve told me you were out here.”
“How?” He looked at her because how would he let her know? He didn’t have her number or a pigeon to send the message.
“Good point,” she smirked, dying on the inside to give him her number even if they slept mere feet away from each other.
“I didn’t think you’d be up.”
“Why not?”
“You look like the sleep-in type.”
