Chapter10
If Rory had ever been this pissed off before, he couldn’t remember it. He stood in Serenity’s bedroom, noting the girly touches: a glittery hairbrush on the vanity, sequined pillows on the bed, and a pair of sparkly flats peeking out from the closet that he’d never seen her wear.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Somebody had actually shot at her.
She stood near the bed, her skin pale and her eyes wide. Her gaze darted as if she couldn’t quite figure out where to land.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, keeping his voice calm.
“Yeah, I am. I’ve just never been shot at before.” She rubbed the side of her hand.
He had a couple of bruises on his knees that he didn’t give a crap about, but the idea that he’d bruised her would keep him up for nights to come. “Did I hurt you when I tackled you?”
Her snort was somehow elegant. “Hitting the ice didn’t feel good.” A small grin ticked up her lips. “But you probably saved my life, so I’m not too angry.”
The smile nearly undid him, and he forced his temper away, stowing it to be used whenever he found the asshole who’d dared to shoot at her. “I’m sorry. I should have been faster.”
Her green eyes softened. “You got us both out of the way, so you were definitely fast enough.” Her hands trembling, she removed her earrings and placed them on a tiny plate on her vanity. “I take it you’re staying here tonight.”
There was no way he was leaving her alone. The bed was so close, and his body started to hum. His breath heated, and his cock jerked awake. Damn it. The woman had been through an ordeal. He had to give her space. “Yeah, I can stay in your office, considering Hana is snoring on your sofa.”
“She wasn’t snoring when you carried me all the way to my bedroom.”
Oh, Hana snored. He knew that for a fact. “If you’d let me, I’ll carry you everywhere.”
Serenity straightened, and a pebble fell off her shirt to the floor. There had been gravel and salt on the ice to melt it, and they’d both been dropping pieces since the shooting. “I have to ask you. Has there ever been anything romantic between you and Hana?”
“No.” It was the truth. “I wouldn’t mind finding her somebody, though. Someone to carry her around like I want to do with you. All the time.”
She rewarded him with another small smile accompanied by an eye roll.
“That’s all right. I enjoy walking.”
He liked her independence, but he loved her in his arms. “I’ll just borrow a pillow.” It would suck to sleep on the floor in her narrow home office, but he’d slept in worse places throughout the years.
She moved toward him, all grace and beauty. Man, he was losing it over her. She reached him, placing both hands on his chest and marking him for all time. “You don’t have to stay in the office. You can stay here.”
He looked at the queen-sized bed, his zipper cutting into his groin. “Honey, I can’t stay in that bed with you and not touch you.”
She gulped and stepped right up into him. “Then touch.”
Fire pummeled through his veins. “You sure?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t much care if it was the adrenaline, the fear, or the realization that life could end in a second that made her change her mind. He immediately swooped in and kissed her, feeling her soft lips against his. He’d missed her more than he could ever describe.
The woman had a mouth made for kissing, and he took full advantage, sweeping his tongue inside, sampling her. His Serenity. The woman tasted sweeter than anything he could imagine, and he nibbled her neck and up to her ear, taking a soft bite.
She gasped and pressed against him. Yeah, she liked that.
His girl was pure fire. As she bit him beneath the chin, he chuckled and reached for her shirt to pull it over her head. The siren leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing against him as if she’d missed him as much as he had her.
She kissed right beneath his ear, and lightning struck him, landing hard in his cock. He wanted to go slow but wasn’t sure he would make it.
She grasped the hem of his shirt and started to lift, strangling him. He had to duck his head so she could remove the material and throw it across the room.
Then he kissed her again, tangling his hands in her hair and going deep. He leaned back. “Serenity. Are you sure?” He wanted her more than his next breath, but he wanted forever more and couldn’t take advantage of her like this.
