It’s so weird that he finds myrotundnessarousing. Is he defective? I thought men wanted model types. Apparently, not all men do.
I point at his crotch. “You got a permit for that weapon?”
Without responding to my hilarious joke, he joins me in bed, crawling closer. His mocha eyes swirl with intensity. “Take it off,” he orders in a tone thick as molasses.
Wait. Was that a sexy order or an angry one? My nose wrinkles, and my upper lip curls slightly. “Huh?”
Reed bends forward, tugging at the bottom of my shirt.Hisshirt. “Take it off,” he repeats.
“I’m sorry for stretching it out, but it was one of the only options. Is this a special shirt? I didn’t know.”
He finally lifts his gaze from my torso and flays me with his molten chocolate eyes. “Lila, I don’t give a fuck about you stretching out my shirt. Cut it into pieces if you want. What I care about is getting my hands and mouth over what’s under it.”
“Oh. I like where this is going.”
What I don’t like is my sudden craving for a molten lava cake. Damn his delicious eyes.
I don’t put up a fight as he removes the offending garment. Feeling overly exposed under his scrutiny, I lie down and tug the covers up to my neck.
After discarding the shirt over his shoulder, he roughly pulls the sheet off my upper body without asking.Rude.
But also sexy.
“Ah, that’s better.” He lies beside me, propping his head on one hand. His other hand moves toward my chest, pausing before he touches me. His fingers flex, stretching and closing as if he’s about to play the piano. “Can I touch you?”
With all his scrutiny, my shyness flickers back to life. Yet I can’t help but snark at him. “What do you think? I just came all over your thigh. And I’m naked in your bed.”
“Oh, I’mveryaware of that. How could I not be? It’s like my wildest dreams have come true.” He starts with tender strokes over my upper stomach. “You have no idea how much I need this tonight.”
Something about how he said that last sentence doesn’t sit right with me. Perhaps it’s the wordtonight. It implies that he hasn’t needed me until now, and he won’t need me tomorrow either.
Based on our past, I know how badly that wound can bleed. Even if it wasn’t true the last time, the fallout was my reality. For years, I believed he took what he needed from me when he was grieving, simply because I was convenient.
I can’t let the comment go, despite the distracting way he’s skimming his palms closer to the underside of my breasts. “You need what tonight?”
His heated expression flashes with confusion. “You. Here with me.”
“Why tonight, specifically?”
He doesn’t answer at first, seemingly weighing his response. Languidly, his gaze falls from my face to my chest. He nibbles at his lip and squeezes my right breast tenderly. Even with his large hands, he’s only able to surround the lower half of my double Ds.
My breathing shallows as I await his response.
I can’t help but notice my inhibitions and body issues steadily returning. They’re overshadowing the thundering arousal, which is oddly disappointing. I wished it away a few minutes ago. And now? I’d love to be lost in that haze rather than dealing with the fear of being found lacking by this stunning man.
After a lingering exhale, he places a wisp of a kiss on the top of my breast. The gesture is so reverent that it makes me want to cry.
And I just might.
“Why tonight, huh?Hmm.” He shakes his head and refocuses every last drop of his attention on my face. His hand stops roaming, settling around my waist so he’s holding me close to him. “Well, I barely slept last night. Today was a hell of a day. Physically, I’m exhausted. Mentally, I’m shot to shit.” He swallows, then adds, “Emotionally, however, I’mfinallyright where I belong. When you’re with me, all the bad shit fades away. Lila, you soothe my soul, completing me in ways that never made sense until tonight.”
My eyes water as his words seep through my chest and embrace my heart. My response leaps from my mouth. “I feel that way about you too.”
Relief cascades over me, making me tremble. I had no idea how badly I needed to let that out.
But I’m not done.
“It’s been torture trying to keep my distance from you all these years because nobody else makes me feel whole the way you do. Like I’m not broken. Even on these dates, when I know it wasn’t what it seemed, I never felt more at home than I do when I’m with you. We missed out on so much time. I’m terrified about what the future holds, but all I know is the thought of living without experiencingthisconnection...” I shake my head, struggling to articulate my thoughts.
