Page 79 of Her Sensual Protector

He set down her cases by the hall table, then picked her up. “I think I can do a little better than that, Baby. Wanna see my bedroom?”

“Be careful of your leg!”

Leo laughed. It was the best he’d felt since the last time he’d seen her. “My leg is fine, Daisy.” He walked down the hallway to his bedroom and placed her on his mint green and gray duvet cover.

“You really do make your bed,” she said as she sat in the middle of it.

“I wouldn’t lie. I’m not going to lie about this either; you look beautiful in my bed.”

Her smile was incandescent. He flipped on the light on his nightstand so he could admire her even more. “Do you think we know how to do this in a real bedroom, or are we only good at this in a hotel?”

“That’s a good question, Ms. Squires. It deserves a good deal of research. Do you know what else needs to be investigated?”

She shook her head, which only made her glossy brown hair shimmer all the more. “What?” Her voice was hoarse.

“This strap keeps falling down your shoulder. I think it’s time to get you out of this dress.”

“The zipper is in the back,” she whispered.

He bent low for a kiss. As soon as their lips met, it was electric. He gathered her into his arms, spearing his fingers into her silky chestnut locks while his other hand had the pleasure of unzipping her dress. All he felt was the satiny softness of her back. Good God, she wasn’t wearing a bra. He pressed her back down onto the bed, his lips never leaving hers.

She pushed at him. “Get this dress off me,” she complained.

He huffed out a laugh. “I’m trying to.”

“Try harder.”

Leo pulled the front of her dress off her chest and arms and let it pool to her waist. Daisy was still talking, but he couldn’t understand her. She was breathtaking. Then he remembered.

“How’s your hip?”

She didn’t immediately answer, so he pulled the dress all the way off her and threw it to the floor. He hissed out a breath when he saw the purple-and-green bruise as big as his hand that covered her left hip. “God, Baby, that has to hurt.”

“Not as much as a gunshot wound,” she scoffed. “What hurts more is that you’re not naked yet.”

“I don’t think making love is such a good idea right now.”

Did I just say that?

“I can’t believe you just said that. Damn right we’re going to make love. You’re in the military. Do your duty. I flew in from Washington D.C. for you. I order you to make love to me.”

Leo laughed. “You’re a nut.”

“A very needy nut. Seriously, get out of your clothes and come closer. I need you.”

He took another look at her hip. They were going to have to go about this very carefully. There was no way in hell he was going to cause her any pain.

“Leo?” her voice was soft. “Please?”

Aw, shit.

He sat down on the bed and traced a finger along her jaw, and then his thumb brushed her bottom lip.

“We do this my way, okay? It would kill me if I hurt you tonight.”

“You won’t. I trust you.”

“My way. Do you promise?”