Page 58 of Protecting Josie
Thankfully, she didn’t try to prevaricate. “Two beds?” she asked.
He relaxed a fraction. “I didn’t want to presume anything.”
“But…we’ve been sleeping in the same bed at your place. Do you not like that?”
“No!” Blink said so fiercely, she jumped. He took her face in his hands and tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. “I mean,yes, I love sleeping with you. I’ve been sleeping better than I ever have. I just didn’t want to pressure you into doing something you might not want to do. Lately things have been a little out of your control, and I wanted to make sure you know you’re in control here. With us.”
“I want to sleep with you,” she said firmly.
“Then one bed it is,” Blink reassured her.
But she shook her head as well as she could within his grasp. “No, I want tosleepwith you,” she repeated.
Blink’s heart began beating overtime. He didn’t disrespect her by asking if she was certain and pointing out that she’d been through something traumatic, or telling her they should wait a little longer. Josie knew her own mind. And the truthwas, he’d already decided he was making this woman his tonight; her words only made him more eager to show her exactly how much he cared about her.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
She looked confused, but shook her head.
“You want to walk around? Check out the hotel?”
“No.”
“Gamble?”
She took a step closer, making her have to crane her head back farther to hold eye contact. Blink moved his hands to her hips.
“No. I wantyou, Nate. There’s something about you that called to me from the first time I saw you dragged into that cell next to mine. I feel safe with you. Content. Happy.”
Blink couldn’t even put into words how she was making him feel. As if he was on top of the world. She’d chosen him.Him. If she’d seen the man he was even just a few months ago, she probably would’ve stayed as far away as she could get. He’d been broken in ways he never thought he’d be able to come back from.
But then again, Remi hadn’t been turned off by the shields he’d put up. He had a feeling Josie would’ve seen right through him as well.
“No going back once we do this,” he warned.
“Good,” she answered firmly.
So many things ran through Blink’s mind. How he wanted to take her for the first time. How he wanted to rip all her clothes off and throw her on the bed. But he didn’t want to scare her. Didn’t want to do anything that might remind her of the violence and horror she’d been through.
Grasping her hand, he led her to the end of the closest bed, then turned to face her…and slowly began to strip. He wanted to reassure her. Use loving words. But it felt as if his body was on fire and all his words had turned to ash.
Without a word, she mimicked his actions, pulling her T-shirt up and over her head, shoving her jeans off her hips.
Blink finished undressing before she did and felt not one ounce of discomfort as he stood in front of her without a stitch of clothing on. His mouth watered as more and more of her body was revealed to him. He’d seen her in nothing but a bikini and the see-through cover-up before, but this was way different.
She’d filled out in the short time she’d been in California. Blink had done his best to provide her with lots of protein and nutritious food, to try to help her put on some of the weight she’d lost while in captivity.
Now she stood before him in her bra and panties, and looked up at him uncertainly.
That was unacceptable. His woman should never feel anything but sexy and desirable when she was around him.
His hands went to her hips, and he looked her in the eye as he said, “You are literally the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.”
She scoffed.
“I’m not lying.”
“My hip bones still stick out a bit. And my boobs are still flat as a board.”
