“Probably.” He tapped out a response and slid the phone into his back pocket. “Kurt and Valerie will look into it, just to be sure.”
“This is overwhelming.”
“Which part?” he asked, studying her face.
“Your boss offering a whole team of people to help us. All the precautions we have to take. Not knowing where the threat will come from, or if there even is one.” She held his gaze, heat racing to her cheeks as she made a decision. “Being here with you and holding myself back from what I really want.”
Maybe he didn’t truly love her. Maybe it was too soon. But she’d never know if she didn’t give them a chance. If she’d learned anything recently, it was that life was too short to spend it worrying about the future. Even if she and Todd didn’t go the distance, shouldn’t she enjoy her time with him while it lasted?
What did she gain by keeping him at bay?
He’d had her on the floor, covering her with his body before she’d even registered what the crash could mean. He was willing to sacrifice himself to protect her and she couldn’t even risk a little heartbreak for him? What kind of coward, what kind of selfishfool, did that make her?
The kind who didn’t deserve him.
But she wanted to. More than anything.
He stilled, his expression understandably wary. “What is it you really want?”
“You.” She dug her fingers into her ribs, prodding herself to have courage. “Probably from the first minute we met. But I’ve been so worried about having some kind of certainty, some kind of guarantee that your feelings won’t change.” Disgust tinged her words. “Soridiculous. If this past week has taught me anything, it’s that there are no guarantees. No matter what I do, any feeling of control I have over my fate is an illusion. We’ve faced death several times over. We could die at any minute. Why am I worrying about whether you’ll still want me three months from now?”
“Pretty sure I will.” Todd placed a hand on her cheek, his eyes hot with desire, but he didn’t close the space between them, or lean in to kiss her the way she so desperately needed. “I was foolish first.” His thumb gently stroked her skin. “I’m sorry.”
She covered his hand with her own. “Let’s be smart for a change.”
“What about all that data you needed?”
“I’m still going to need proof that you want me.” She looped her arms around his neck and hooked a leg around his hips, locking their bodies together. “Lots and lots of it.”
Todd groaned and kissed Lindsey’s neck, his hands skimming down her sides, over her butt, pulling her closer, trying to fill his palms with as much of her as possible.
He didn’t know if he trusted her sudden change of heart—how was that for irony?—but he sure as hell wasn’t going to question it. He’d been waiting days to have her in his arms again, and their brief hug had only reignited the desire he’d tried in vain to extinguish.
His hands shook with the restraint required not to strip her naked and take her on the couch. Right. The fuck. Now.
Whatever this was, they both deserved—
His breath caught as her fingers slipped inside his waistband, beneath his boxers, and brushed his penis.
“Jesus.” He locked his legs so he wouldn’t bring them crashing to the floor.
Growing harder with every delicious stroke of her hand, Todd settled a knee on the arm of the sofa for support and kissed Lindsey on the mouth. She opened for him immediately, their tongues waging a sensuous battle where everyone triumphed. He kissed her jaw, her collarbone, the soft skin at the edge of the black T-shirt he’d loaned her. “This needs to go,” he said, tugging at the hem of the shirt.
At her nod, he tugged it over her head and let it drop. The white sports bra glowed against her tan skin for a second before she peeled it off and stood before him in jeans and running shoes, her dusky pink nipples making his mouth water.
Holding his gaze, she toed off her shoes and socks, and her hands went to the button on her pants.
“Upstairs,” he said, his voice raw. “I don’t have any condoms down here.”
With a wicked smile, she shimmied out of her jeans and panties.
He nearly swallowed his tongue as he reached for her.
She turned away from his grasp and bolted through the doorway with a laugh. “Upstairs,” she sang.
If he hadn’t been in love with her before, he was now. Racing up the steps, he caught her at the top and scooped her into his arms, provoking a playful squeal before he silenced her with a hot, demanding kiss.
“Shh,” he whispered. “Don’t want to raise the cavalry.”
