Since the first moment he became aware of her kissing him back at the celebration event, he’d known that she could be dangerous for him. He hadn’t known how dangerous until this moment. Nadia challenged him to face the demons he didn’t want to.
Mitch threaded his fingers through her hair, careful not to hit her injury. He nuzzled his nose against hers. His body kicking into overdrive at her sharp intake of breath.
He wanted to hear her make that sound again.
He wanted to make her cry out in desire when he possessed her.
He wanted her to be his.
“You’re impossible to resist, Boston.” He closed the gap and captured her lips. Mitch wasn’t gentle with his kiss. He couldn’t be. She called to the inner part of him he’d thought he’d lost inthe dusty Afghan desert. The part he hadn’t wanted back until Nadia stormed into his life.
Her mouth opened beneath his and he thrust his tongue inside, dueling with hers. Her hands were pulling at his shirt and a shudder ripped through him when her fingers brushed the skin she exposed.
It would be so easy to lift her and lay her down on the couch. Slowly peel away every piece of clothing she wore and then kiss every single inch of her. Only now wasn’t the right time. She was still recovering and he had to put aside his needs.
Also he wanted their coming together to not be because he was avoiding talking about his issues, which, this was. As much as he’d like to think it wasn’t.
Slowing the intensity of the kiss was harder than he thought it was going to be. His body screamed at him to follow through on his thoughts, but the rational part of his mind, the part that had been partially aware during his last attack, set him on the right track.
Mitch pulled his lips away and buried his head in her neck. He could still smell the faint trace of the antiseptic from her hospital stay. Nadia needed a long shower or bath, dinner and then a good night’s sleep. He could help with two of the three items on that list.
Loosening his arms from their tight grip on her, Mitch took another deep breath and put some space between them. He kept his hands resting on her waist. He didn’t want to lose his connection with her. “Why don’t you take a shower or bath, if you’ve got a tub, while I order some dinner?”
“Are you suggesting I smell?” Nadia asked, grinning slightly.
“Well…” He lifted his hands up in anI don’t knowgesture.
Nadia playfully slapped his arm. “Don’t you know that you should never tell a woman she smells?”
“If we can’t be honest with each other, what can we be?”
“This is true and you’re right, I do want to wash the hospital stay off me. I think there’s some takeaway menus in one of the drawers in the kitchen. Why don’t you choose something and order it? I’ll eat anything, I’m not fussy.”
Mitch pulled out his phone. “Takeaway menus are so 2002, there’s an app now for ordering food.”
Nadia shook her head laughing. He couldn’t deny he was enjoying the way the mood between them had shifted from intense to light-hearted. “You do what you have to do. I’ll be back in thirty.”
“Take your time.” Mitch scrolled through the list of restaurants. Kerrville wasn’t huge but they did have a couple of nice places to eat at, he hoped they did delivery.
“Mitch?”
“Mmmm?” he responded but didn’t look up. Nadia cleared her throat after a few heartbeats and he looked up.
“Thank you,” she said once she knew she had his attention. “For everything. For taking care of me to make sure I got home safely.”
A piece of the hard cast around his heart that had begun to crack even though he wasn’t aware of it, broke off. “You’re welcome, Boston. I know you’d do the same for me.”
“Yes, I would.”
CHAPTER NINE
Nadia pushed her plate away.“I don’t think I need to eat for a week. That was amazing.”
Mitch had ordered Mexican for them and she’d never had tacos as good as the ones she’d eaten tonight. The guacamole was creamy and delicious. She could’ve eaten the whole bowl and had grumbled loudly when Mitch had taken it from her.
“I admit I go Juan’s Mexican at least once a week. That’s how much I love their food.”
The thought of Mitch eating at a restaurant by himself made her sad. Then again, he probably ordered takeout. With his condition he probably didn’t eat out an awful lot.
