Page 46 of Hearts & Embers

Instead, I found myself increasingly distracted by the woman beside me and my dick was becoming increasingly painful behind the zipper of my jeans.

When she tilted her face toward mine, I forgot whatever conversation we’d been having. The kiss started gently before deepening quickly. My free hand settled against her waist while she shifted closer. Several minutes later, common sense finally managed to reassert itself.

Barely.

Aurora drew back first.

"This is becoming ridiculous."

I laughed softly.

"A little."

"A lot."

The honesty generated matching smiles.

Neither of us seemed particularly interested in pretending attraction wasn't becoming more difficult to manage.

A few days later, the situation became considerably worse.

Or better.

Possibly both.

I arrived at Aurora's apartment on Friday evening to discover she had abandoned her walking boot while relaxing at home. Her recovery had progressed significantly over the previous week, and seeing the improvement should have been my primary focus.

Unfortunately, I was still a man and the dress she wore didn't help. Neither did the smile she gave me when she opened the door. By the time dinner ended, my ability to focus on anything except Aurora had deteriorated significantly.

Aurora noticed my discomfort and distraction and it seemed to amuse her.

"Something funny?"

She tilted her head slightly.

"Maybe."

I narrowed my eyes and her smile widened.

Later, while sitting together on the couch, Aurora curled against my side and rested her hand against my chest. The simple contact should have been innocent, but when her gaze lifted to mine, the awareness passing between us required very little interpretation.

Slowly, she slid her fingers through my hair before trailing them lightly along the back of my neck. My breath caught unexpectedly when her hand rested on my groin. The smile that followed told me she noticed.

"Dangerous."

Aurora looked entirely too pleased with herself.

"Really?"

"Very."

The laughter in her eyes deepened.

What followed remained gentle, exploratory, and restrained more by circumstance than desire. The limitations were frustrating, but they forced us to slow down and savour each moment in a way we otherwise might have missed.

Her fingers traced the line of my jaw, then drifted down, pausing at the collar of my shirt.

I quickly threw off the sling and with a look of quiet concentration, Aurora worked the first button of my shirt free, then the next, her movements slow and deliberate. My own hands, remembering the bandages and the ache in my shoulder, stayed at my sides, clenched into loose fists.