Like he wasn’t perfect, andkind, and exactly the type of man I would have loved to spend a ton of timewith. Except that I hated to seemneedy.
“Okay,” Gray responded.
Justokay.
I couldn’t tell him why Ireally hadn’t called. I couldn’t tell him that Iwantedhim to come overand check for monsters under my bed.
I definitely couldn’t tell him thatI wanted him to climb in the other side so I could hear him breathing next tome all night.
“I want to be okay,” I saidinstead. “And if I lean on you, then I’m not gonna get there. I think. Besides,nothing else has happened.”
He looked at me as if to saywe both know that doesn’t mean it won’t.
“Okay,” he repeated.
“What the hell are youdrinking, anyway?” I asked, not wanting to dwell on the subject.
“It’s a white hot chocolate,”Gray said. “Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.”
“I have tried it,” I pointedout. “I nearly died.”
Gray snorted, strollingaround the desk to my side of it and taking a donut from the bag. “I don’t drinkcoffee,” he said. “Try to limit my caffeine intake on account of the wholeone kidneything. I could,I guess, but I feel like I should go easy on the one I’ve got left, and I’mnotgiving up salt.”
“Aren’t you bodybuildertypes supposed to avoid salt?” I asked.
“Who’re you calling abodybuilder type?” Gray asked, taking a bite of his donut as if to illustratethat he wasn’t. “Man cannot live on unseasoned baked chicken breasts alone.That’s notliving. I take just enoughcare of my body to keep it doing what I need it to do.”
“Huh.” I took another sip ofmy coffee, giving myself time to consider that. I didn’t reallyworryabout my body,exactly, but I felt tiny and fragile next to Gray.
It was weird to think he didn’t really care.
Good genes, I decided.Greatgenes.
“Probably smart,” Iconcluded after a while. “You’ve got better things to worry about.”
“Like you,” he said. “You’vegot a little…” He brushed the corner of his own mouth as he trailed off, and Igot the idea.
I brushed the backs of myknuckles against the same corner of my own mouth, but Gray just snorted inresponse.
“Other side,” he said. “Here.”
Before I could stop him, hewas reaching out, brushing his thumb over my lips, and it took every ounce ofwillpower I had not to suck it into my mouth. I held my breath, staring openlyas Gray wiped the spot of donut filling away from my mouth and brought histhumb to his own, licking it clean.
Our eyes met, and for oneperfect, glorious moment, the whole world melted away, and all I could thinkwas that Gray was going to kiss me. The air between us crackled with electrictension.
He leaned in, closing thegap between us, my stomach tightening and blood rushing in my ears. Yes.Yes.I’dwanted this since I met him and I hadn’t been brave enough todoit, and now Graywas going to do it for me.
I could almost taste hislips, sugar-sweetened and soft, but with wonderfully masculine undertones, thescent of his aftershave already opening up the rest of my senses.
I wanted to be kissed. IwantedGrayto kiss me, and then maybe kiss me again, and whisper in myear that it wouldn’t kill me to take the afternoon off. We’d go home, and I’d takehim tomybed this time.And then afterward, maybe the whole apartment would feel safe and comfortableagain.
A knock on the doorshattered the moment. Gray straightened up instantly, backing away from thedesk, sipping his drink. The perfect picture of innocence by the time Amandacame into the office.
She looked at me like sheknew,though. I could feel that I was blushing.
Great. Now I had to wear theembarrassment of getting caught with my bodyguard without any of the payoff.
“You’re due upstairs in fiveminutes,” she said.
