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zed, Colton began to ease her onto the bed. She made a sound of protest and clutched his T-shirt in the hand that rested against his stomach. He waited until she relaxed before slipping further away. She moved restlessly, then grabbed his shirt again in a frantic motion. He took her free hand in his, and she latched on as if she’d never let go.
Standing next to the bed, half bent over, Colton struggled with his dilemma. He pulled on his hand. She mumbled and gripped tighter, deep creases in her brow. When he stopped pulling, her fingers and forehead relaxed. He tried to ease free; she made another soft sound of protest.
Well, damn. He couldn’t stand here all night. His gaze swept over the mattress. The thought of lying next to her stirred the panic that had gripped him during their earlier confrontation in this same room.
God, he’d practically run for the hall—right when he should have pressed home his advantage. She’d been vulnerable, her guard down, he could’ve gotten his answers.
But instead of going in for the kill, he’d had to fight the overwhelming urge to pull her close and promise everything would be okay. Only an idiot would sympathize with her now after all the lies.
He tried to pull away again. She whimpered and he swore under his breath.
Murmuring quiet assurances, he positioned himself on the bed to lean back against the headboard without losing hold of her hand. She shifted, scooted tight to his side and threw an arm across his stomach. His chest became her pillow. Then she heaved a restful sigh.
That small sound of trust twisted the invisible band in his chest. He wondered how the violent thumping of his heart didn’t wake her. Then she shifted again and one of her legs brushed against his before moving away. As if sensing heat, it soon returned to intertwine with his. The silky slide of her pajamas elicited a soft groan from Colton. It was going to be one hell of a long night. The memory of their out-of-control kiss on the rock surfaced to torment him. It was no use thinking of that, though. Hadn’t she told him the only place that would happen again was in his dreams?
Then again…his brows rose…what about in her dreams? He smiled wryly. She did sleep awfully soundly for a person who professed to have trouble doing so. And she snuggled her tempting curves so damn close.
You’re pathetic.
What?
Leave the poor woman alone; she made it clear she doesn’t want you.
Oh yeah? How? By sitting on my lap and—
She still said no.
At that point in the silent conversation, Colton decided he must be sleep deprived if his conscience was arguing with his libido.
‘Sleep’deprived? the first voice mocked.
****
Colton woke with a crick in his neck. Surprised to have fallen asleep so soundly, he glanced at his watch—almost six a.m. Kendra had moved during the night, and while she still touched him with her legs, she no longer nestled tight against his side.
His gaze roamed over her relaxed features, bathed in the first light of dawn peeking through the window. Dark lashes rested against high cheekbones. Silky hair caressed lightly tanned skin, then spilled across the pillow and over his arm. His fingers twitched with the desire to run through the length of it even as her parted pink lips snagged his attention.
A sigh escaped those captivating lips as she rolled away, onto her opposite side. He had to fight the impulse to slide over and pull her back against him.
When he realized the urge wasn’t even sexually motivated, only a simple desire to hold her close, he couldn’t get off the bed and out of the room fast enough. It wasn’t until his second cup of coffee that the odd sensation in his chest eased, and his pulse returned to normal.
****
Kendra stretched languorously, feeling rested as she hadn’t felt in months. With one arm above her head, a flash of dream from the night before stilled her entire body.
The nightmare had changed on her. Subtle nuances at the beginning, dramatic at the end. She shuddered at the vivid recall in her mind. But then Colton had come. He’d chased away her demons and held her in his arms. He’d been kind and gentle, making her feel safe and protected.
She sat up, acknowledging she had no doubt it had been Colton in her dream, just as she had no doubt it’d been Robert in the nightmare. It was a bit unsettling; not that she was sure about Robert—she knew he was the danger in her life—but that her subconscious had cast Colton in the role of her protector.
Why not Joel, the brother who’d taken her and Noah into his home during their time of need? Or Michael Kabara, who was helping her legally and seemed to understand the things she couldn’t safely reveal?
What had Colton done except accuse her of trying to scam her own brother? He’d purposely tried to sabotage her job efforts to drive her off the ranch, and he baited her every chance he got.
Then again, she reluctantly admitted, he did kiss her with a combination of gentleness and controlled passion that made her forget the nightmare of her life. He made her want more from a man than she’d ever thought she’d want.
With a sigh, she pushed aside the bedcovers. Forget Colton Lawe. He may be all fine and dandy in her dreams, but as soon as she got dressed and went to work, she’d face the flesh and blood man and wake up. His kisses all had an agenda so far and not a single one had been for her. A hard lesson she’d do well to remember.
Kendra dressed and made her way to the kitchen. Colton sat at the table with a bowl of his disgusting chocolate cereal. The dream rushed forward, reminding her how it felt to be held safe and secure in his arms. She forced back the longing and managed a quiet, “Good morning,” on her way to pour a cup of coffee.
