She could see his Adam’s apple working in his throat. “Just different. But, I’m getting used to it,” he said, his wordshalting.
“Faith?” She was glad he was getting used to having a child around. He’d told her it had been five years since he’d lost his daughter and that he’d not talked about his loss. Not that she wanted to play counselor to him, but she wanted to help healhim.
“Andyou.”
Her breath caught. “Me?”
He drew her closer, so that her chest met his rock-hard abs. “We haven’t talked about that kiss. And I can’t stop thinking about it.” He practically growled out thewords.
Her entire being thrummed to life. She’d managed to quell the aching need with her frustration this week, and she’d almost convinced herself that her odd reaction to him had simply been in response to the extreme situation they’d experienced. But just by being so close to him once more, her theory was demolished. She’d had an entire week to cool off and instead, the aching need returned even stronger. She replayed that kiss over and over in her mind, alternating between guilt and hunger, disgust anddesire.
“Was it good thoughts?” she asked, savoring the feel of him againsther.
His arm wound around her back and he dipped his head so that she felt his hot breath when he spoke, “Not good. Fuckingamazing.”
Her nipples hardened painfully, digging into the unyielding planes of his abs. Her pulse hammered out hot and fast, leaving her trembling with need. She licked her lips. “Maybe we should try itagain.”
“We will,” hepromised.
She expected him to take her right there, but instead he set her away from him, leaving her feeling bereft. What kind of game was he playing? “King?”
“There’s something I need to do first.” King strode across the floor and onto the mat, stopping beside Faith where she was attempting a back handspring. “She’s going to hurt herself if she doesn’t learn how to do it the rightway.”
Faith bent her knees, jumped up, and threw her hands backward. King caught her parallel to the floor before she could do a full-out back buster on the mat. Then he set her on her feet and turned her to face him. She could see by his hand gestures he was instructing her on different things to do. Faith watched every move he made with wideeyes.
Still on his knees, the second arm straight out in front of him, he gestured with his hand for Faith to jump over. Faith backed up to his arm, bent her knees, stuck her arms out straight in front of her and then jumped. King dipped his massive arm, practically flipping her himself, so that she landed squarely on herfeet.
Faith jumped, throwing a fist up into the air. He glanced back at her, a small smile playing about his lips and in that moment Laura knew she waslost.
Chapter 15
He wantedto run from that training center. He wanted to run and never look back at everything that Faith and Laura and their loss represented. But he couldn’t. He simplycouldn’t.
So he’d spent the next hour in a punishing mix, teetering back and forth between sweet bliss and torturous memories. And after supper that night, he’d led Laura and Faith up to the room next to his, wished them both good night and left, leaving his bedroom door cracked. Once inside, he paced the confines of his bedroom, feeling just how empty and lonely it trulywas.
He’d managed to fool himself into believing he was here all alone, but every second with Laura solidified just how wrong he’d been. He wantedher.
Badly.
And he’d thought maybe, just maybe, she wanted himtoo.
He listened intently, enduring every sound they made in the room next door. Rustling of clothes, the whispering good night to Faith, the sound of bodies sliding into bed. And then, he listened even harder, hoping against hope that she would come to him. That she would understand how much he neededher.
The minutes stretched out until his frustration tested his limits. King stalked to the bathroom for a freezing cold shower. The frigid waters did nothing to cool him, and when he toweled off, the soft cotton fibers just irritated his sensitiveskin.
How could he think she would want to be with him intimately so soon after what he’d done? He’d destroyed her home and ripped her from her brother. Some new clothes and a play room for Faith didn’t even come close to scratching the surface of making up for tearing her life apart. He was a fool to thinkotherwise.
King threw the towel on the floor and stalked out, determined to drag on a pair of sweatpants and go to the training facility to pound it out on the treadmill until his legs felloff.
The minute he stepped foot into his darkened bedroom, the bright light of the bathroom slicing in behind him, he sawher.
She stood just inside his door, her eyes fixated on his groin. Under her gaze his throbbing swelled, his cock reaching up almost to his belly button. “I—I—”
He thought about going for the towel and wrapping it around his waist, but he’d be damned if he was going to try to hide his arousal from her now. Maybe earlier, when he’d been thinking sanely. Not now, not when just seeing her standing there in that small slip of the nightdress had pre-cum dripping from his length. “What are you doinghere?”
That small pink tongue of hers darted out of her lips. “I thought you wanted me.” Her gaze bounced up to his and then to the door. She turned, ready to bolt. King shot across the room like lightning, closing the door shut before her hand reachedit.
He loomed over her, panting as he fought for control. “I do.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, tight against his aching body and buried his face in her neck. Carefully, she brought her arms up, circled his shoulders, burying her fingers in hishair.
