Page 48 of Protecting Josie
“And the clothes look like they fit pretty well. Much better than my huge shirt and sweats.”
She liked wearing his clothes. It made her feel as if she was constantly being hugged by him.
“But I have to admit, I liked you in my clothes,” Nate went on, as if he could read her mind. “Come here,” he said, even as he was turning her in his arms and stepping in front of the sink. Then he put a finger under her chin and forced her to look at their image reflected in the mirror. “I bet you were in here cataloguing everything you think is a flaw.”
Josie’s surprised gaze went to his own.
“I’ve been where you are now, Spirit. I can’t tell you how long I spent staring at myself in the mirror after my team waskilled and injured. Questioning my very existence. You want to know what I see when I look at you?”
She didn’t. Not really.
But apparently it was a rhetorical question, because he didn’t even give her time to respond before he continued speaking.
“I see strength. Stubbornness. A resiliency that I rarely see these days. Not many people would’ve been able to survive what you did. Society is pampered. If someone doesn’t get their half-caf, triple-shot, caramel, mocha, soy, no-foam, extra-whip, extra-hot, upside-down, caramel drizzle with seven pumps of mocha syrup double-blended Frappuccino, they have to go to bed for two days because they don’t feel well. And that’s not a surprise, because all that sugar has probably clogged their arteries and made them unable to think about anything for more than two seconds at a time.”
Josie couldn’t help but snicker at that.
He smiled back at her and ran one of his large hands over her hair. Then he leaned into her, tucking his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his arm around her. “But you, Spirit. You did what you had to do to survive. You didn’t give up. Even when you had every right to. You fought to stay alive. Rationing water, staying calm. Waiting for fate to bring me to your side.”
Okay, she was going to cry if he didn’t stop.
He didn’t.
“If you think anything about you makes me want to turn up my nose, or repulses me, you’re so far off it’s not even funny. I like you, Josie England. A lot. I’ve never felt as comfortable with someone as I do with you. You don’t makeme feel as if I should be anyone other than who I am. Which makes no sense, because we haven’t really had much of a chance to sit down and really get to know each other. But there it is.
“I want that…to get to know you. I want to knoweverythingthere is to know. About where you grew up, if you had a good childhood, more about your job, your friends, your life. I want to know what you like to eat, and your favorite things to do for entertainment. I want to sit in the same room as you and not speak at all, but look up and feel content simply because you’re there, occupying the same place as I am.
“And yes, I’m physically attracted to you as well. I’ve always been attracted to petite women, but you…” He swallowed hard. “There’s something about you that draws me in like no one ever has before. I shouldn’t be saying all this. Not after the trauma you’ve experienced. I should be getting you to a psychologist so you can talk through—or write about—what happened. But knowing all that doesn’t stop me from wanting to hold you. Touch you. Kiss you. And of course, take care of you. I want to make sure you’re fed. Make sure you’re getting enough to drink. Wanna keep you safe from anyone or anything that might hurt you, ever again.”
The tingles Josie felt earlier when he kissed her had started up again, but this time throughout her entire body. She couldn’t tear her gaze from the man standing behind her. Holding her. Seeing herself through his eyes was enlightening, and it only made her want him more.
“Fuck. I’m saying too much again. This is why I usually keep my fool mouth shut and observe rather than talk.”
But Josie shook her head, then turned in his arms. She feltsmall around most people, but in Nate’s arms, she felt especially tiny. But also stronger. More confident. Moving a hand to the back of his neck, she went up on her tiptoes and tried to bring his head down to hers. She wanted to kiss him.Neededto kiss him.
He resisted for a moment. “Are you sure?”
Sure she wanted to kiss him? Yes. A hundred timesyes.
“Yes,” she said firmly.
As if her consent was all he’d been waiting for, Nate’s head dropped and his lips were on hers.
They both moaned as passion flared between them.
Josie usually felt self-conscious the first time she was intimate with a man. But with Nate, kissing felt right. Natural. His arm banded around her and he straightened, taking her with him. Her feet left the floor but Josie barely noticed. She couldn’t seem to get enough of this man. Their tongues dueled as they fought for dominance over the kiss. He tasted like strawberries. She wanted more. So much more.
Wrapping her legs around him, Josie threaded the fingers of one hand through his hair and clutched him to her with the other. She felt Nate walking, but with her eyes closed and their mouths still fused together, she didn’t care much where he was taking her.
She opened her eyes and pulled back a fraction when she felt him lower himself onto a soft surface. The couch. She shifted until her knees were on the cushion on either side of his thighs. She liked this. Felt as if they were on a more even level. She could look into his eyes without having to strain her neck.
“Hi,” she blurted like a complete dork.
He smiled. “Hi,” he returned.
Up close like this, his freckles stood out even more. And Josie had the urge to count every single one. But it would take too long. He had too many.
One of Nate’s hands was at her back, almost spanning it from one side to the other, and his other hand was at the nape of her neck, stroking the sensitive skin there with one of his thumbs.
