Page 37 of Stirring Attraction (Second Shot 2)
“What?” he called down.
“I said I know what you’re doing.”
Dominic raised his hand to block the morning sun as he gazed down at her from the top of the ladder. “Installing floodlights behind your house?”
“You’re trying to earn a superspecial oral surprise.”
He set the bulb on the top rung and started down the ladder.
“Or maybe sex in your new favorite position. Something wild and kinky you learned while you were away,” she continued.
He reached the bottom rung and stepped down, turning to face her. “I must have been deployed the day the rangers offered the ‘kinky’ sex class.”
She raised her mug to her lips, but didn’t drink. Instead, she ran her tongue over the rim and waited for his gaze to head south. One . . . two . . . three . . . And his green eyes honed in on her mouth.
If she closed the space between them and pressed up against him, she’d bet that she would receive a long, hard welcome. And it would have nothing to do with her floodlights.
But then he would turn around and walk away mumbling something about bad ideas and bodyguards.
Leaving me wet and ready for sex is a bad idea! It was right up there on her list of Horrible Ideas, next to not coming home after he’d healed, after he’d promised . . .
She’d wanted to hurl the words at him, one after the other. But she also knew he was right. He would leave again. And while she might see that as a reason to fool around without risk, maybe touching her in the Big Buck’s bathroom was all he could take. Or his warped sense of duty was getting in the way again. He’d given his all to the army and now he’d do the same to his position as her bodyguard.
Regardless of his reason for keeping his distance, her desire had reached a fever pitch twenty-four hours after the encounter in the Big Buck’s bathroom. But Dominic seemed determined to focus on her safety. He’d sent her off to bed when they got back from the bar each night, promising to keep watch while he followed up on leads. She didn’t want to distract him from finding the guy who’d attacked her in the park. But her desire to get into his pants, to explore what was once upon a time very familiar territory tore holes in her need for an answer.
She already felt safe and secure. She had him. Maybe not for long, but that was part of the reason it would be so simple to get naked with him. She could strip off her long-sleeve shirts without worrying about her injuries. He had them too. And they could determine whether the coffee table could hold them . . .
“I’m putting in the floodlights so that you can see out into the yard at night. You’ll sleep better with them on,” he said. “But why don’t you go ahead and tell me more about this ‘superspecial oral surprise.’ ”
“It might be better if I showed you.”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “A few days ago, you threw a wine glass at me. I’m not sure I’m ready to let your teeth near a part of my body I would rather keep intact.”
“You’re holding a grudge because I didn’t welcome you with open arms?” Before he’d opened his mouth, she’d been tempted to run her tongue over his forearm, tracing the powerful muscles. Now, she wanted to sink her teeth into him. Which proved his point, but still, he’d promised to return home to her.
“No.” He shook his head. “I expected you to kick me out of the bar and call Noah. I got on the plane telling myself I would come out, see that you were all right, then hop the next flight back to Georgia once I knew you were safe.”
“But you didn’t expect to find me this m
essed up?” she said, wishing they could return to the topic of BJs.
“Someone hurt you.” Fury flashed in his eyes, offering a glimpse of the former warrior hiding behind the beard and long hair. “You have every right to be messed up. Hell, I’m screwed up too.” He held up his hand. “I’ve been hiding in my apartment refusing to face the world. So if there is a prize for most fucked up, I’m betting I win. At least you’re out there, trying to put your life back together.”
“And you thought you’d find me barricaded in my house? That’s not an option for me. I need to go back to my job in a couple of weeks. The one that involves a roomful of kids under twenty-one.”
“I knew you wouldn’t hide,” he said.
“Then what kept you from taking that return flight?” she demanded.
“Honestly?”
“Don’t you dare lie to me,” she said.
His expression softened. “I didn’t expect to take one look at you and want you so damn much.” He stepped forward and cupped her jaw. His thumb brushed over the visible reminder of her attack. “And I’m not talking about my desire to keep you safe.”
“No?” she murmured. He’d use the words “want” and “desire.” What she felt when he touched her bore a stronger resemblance to take-me-against-the-wall lust. Desire could be controlled. But she’d snapped her restraint in the Big Buck’s bathroom. The pieces had probably been swept up with the broken mirror and discarded.
He released her chin and ran his hand down her back. Then he gave a little pull, drawing her body up against his. “I look at you,” he murmured, “and I remember every position, every way I made you come, how you felt against my mouth. Honey, I know it all by heart. I don’t want to try some new kinky position. I want to revisit where we’ve been.”
