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“Carrying you out.” He moved closer. “Unless you’d prefer to walk barefoot over jagged glass shards?”
Choices:
Get carried by the hottest athlete in the country while wet and naked.
Walk over jagged glass shards.
Dara lingered over the nondecision for approximately half a second. She couldn’t quite manage a verbal answer, so instead she gave a curt nod. There was nowhere to go as he grasped her waist, capturing her wet, naked body against his bare chest. A thousand shivers reined, casting a thousand sensations, emotions and feelings. Most of all: pure desire.
Holding his prize, he stepped away from the shower, as the wind picked up inside the bathroom. Frigid rain pelted her body as the storm played unwelcome house guest, its tendrils swirling dust and debris on the once pristine tile. Jason traveled through the bathroom, and then her room, not stopping until he’d crossed the door between their rooms. The wind and rain vanished in an instant, replaced by flashing light, not from lightning but from flickering lamps. An instant later, the lights turned to full brightness.
He stilled, holding her naked form tightly against him. One hand was around her back, the other under her bare legs. With every breath, her naked breasts moved against his expansive chest, her nipples scraping the smooth skin. Heat burned on sensitive places, as he tightened his hold, a predator asserting his claim of possession.
Now that they were beyond the elements, she should demand her release, yet instead she stayed locked in his arms. She had to be strong. “You should put me down?” It came out more a question than a request. She cleared her throat, tried again, “Please put me down.”
He hesitated, and for a moment it seemed he would deny her request, keep her naked form plastered against his. She almost demanded he do just that, when he gently placed her on her feet. She had to regain her senses – and her clothing. She pivoted back to her room.
“What are you doing?” He captured her arm before she could take a single step. “You can’t go in there.”
“I need my clothing.” She touched the arm branding her, but he didn’t let go. “If you didn’t notice, I’m naked.”
His eyes darkened to midnight. “Believe me, I noticed.” She shivered, but he didn’t acknowledge it. “Your room is dangerous. No way am I allowing you back in there.”
“You’re not allowing it?” Gratefulness gave way to frustration, then to anger. Yes, anger was better than desire. But still, so much desire. “You don’t have the right to tell me what to do.”
“I do if you’re putting yourself in danger. If you promise not to leave, I’ll get you something to wear.”
They locked eyes, but his determination cut through every denial. The quickest way to regain clothing was to allow him to retrieve them. She gave a curt nod.
He turned, yet instead of going to the soaked room, he walked to his massive Dragons branded luggage. She considered making a run for it, but the professional athlete would catch her before she made it to the arguable safety of her room. He returned with a black t-shirt, crafted of thick organic cotton. She swiftly donned the huge garment, which fell to her knees like an oversized dress, loosely skimming her wet body and caressing her curves.
For a second, they just stared at each other, neither moving, neither saying a word. He wore only jeans, slung low on his waist, and suddenly even that seemed like too much. His hair was slick, and he smelled like sandalwood, signaling he too had recently emerged from the shower. They both knew exactly what she was wearing – and not wearing – under his shirt.
“Listen, Jason–” A shrill ringing pierced the air.
Dara exhaled as Jason answered the phone with a brief greeting. He listened for a few minutes, then responded. “I’m okay, and so is Dara. The window in her room shattered, so she’s here with me.” He stayed silent for a moment. “That sounds good. She’s a size 8. I’ll take care of everything.” He hung up the phone. “That was the hotel manager.”
The distraction finally brought the desire in check – marginally. “What did he say?”
“He was checking to make sure everything was all right. Apparently, a tornado sideswiped the building, and that’s why the window broke. It’s gone now, and the worst of the weather is past.”
“A tornado.” Dara wet her lips. So she had been in danger after all. She rubbed her arms, but suddenly it was winter cold, a chill permeating her body from the inside out. She shivered, ice freezing the blood within her veins.
“It’s okay.” In two strides, Jason was at her side, surrounding her, holding her, enveloping her. The past didn’t matter, their clashes and arguments forgotten like the rest of the world. She allowed him to pull her close, not to offer intimacy, but comfort. “I’d never let anything hurt you, not even if I have to barrel through a tornado.”
He’d done exactly that, running into a shadowy room filled with rain and glass and splintered wood just to save her. He’d left safety without a thought, plunged into danger for her. Even now, with the storm still raging outside and a near miss from a tornado, she felt safer than ever in Jason’s arms.
“You’re okay.” He leaned back, gazed at her with kind eyes. “You told me that yourself, remember? Again and again.”
She allowed a small smile. “Yeah, but I didn’t thank you. When you first appeared, I didn’t know it was you. I thought you were an intruder.”
