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In that moment, he realized what he was really doing here in DeVane's bedroom, pulling Velcro apart to remove his bulletproof vest. He paused, waiting to see if the loud crackling sound woke her. When she didn't stir, he continued, tugging off his Under-Armor shirt before shuffling toward the bed.
Sex wasn't the most important thing on his mind. He craved the companionship, having someone warm, and human, and female next to him. Hell, if she never woke up to find him crawling under the covers with her, that would be just fine by him. For tonight, he didn't want to go home to a lonely house; he wanted to lie next to her and listen to her breathe.
He eased down, hoping she didn't have a gun under her pillow and wouldn't shoot him for sneaking into her house. But the woman was out cold. She had to be the heaviest sleeper he'd ever met because she didn't once react to his presence.
Still, he held his breath as he settled his head onto the pillow next to hers. Though she had no reason to expect his company, the woman still hogged the mattress. Raith managed to turn to his side and keep himself on the last bit of bed left. And then, in slow degrees, he relaxed.
DeVane snoozed peacefully next to him. He smiled in the dark, closing his eyes. Warm and comfortable, he sank deeper into the blankets and thought he could fall asleep within seconds.
He was almost under when he unconsciously reached out to touch her, giving himself one more confirmation she was truly there, secure and unharmed. But when he felt a naked back, his eyes popped open.
Good God, was she naked in this bed with him?
Though he was naked too, he at least thought she'd be wearing something more. Sleeping with a nude DeVane was an entirely different story. Suddenly, sex was pretty damn important. Investigating her state of dress, he softly stroked her bare back, making her sigh in her sleep, a sound which caught him right between the legs, throbbing with each heartbeat.
Skimming his hand down, he frowned, a little disappointed to come across a pair of panties, one of those skimpy French-cut things with the spaghetti strap waistband. His fingers found their way inside the silky cloth in no time, where he palmed her backside.
When she whimpered his name and pushed back against his hand, he felt it was his duty to proceed and service her. To serve and protect, he thought with a grin. Speaking of protect, he was glad he remembered to slip a new condom into his wallet last week. H
e reached up to cup her naked breast as he pressed his arousal against her. Still invading her underwear, he skimmed his fingers around to the front and buried them in a nest of curls.
DeVane moved restlessly against him. Crawling closer, he nearly came undone when she sighed. "God, you are so hot."
She came awake, sucking in a breath, her body tensing in his arms. "What—"
"Shh," he soothed, tightening his grip on her to keep her from attacking him. "It's just me," he explained as he slipped her panties off.
After a quiet, non-resisting moment, she mumbled, "Malloy?"
Relieved air rushed from his lungs, glad she hadn't guessed someone else. "Defense lesson number two," he said and rubbed himself against her bare bottom. "A stranger breaks into your house in the middle of the night and crawls into bed with you. What do you do?" He lifted her thigh and positioned himself behind her. She jerked in surprise.
"But... oh God... Wait. How'd you get in here?"
"You left the back door unlocked. I took it as an invitation. Now answer the question. What do you do?"
Willow gasped and pressed back against him, causing him to clench his teeth with wanting. Almost going cross-eyed, he grabbed her hip to hold her back just a few seconds longer. "DeVane," he coaxed in a sing-song voice. "What... do... you... do?"
"I... I can't... how the hell am I supposed to concentrate? You're naked."
"Yeah, and your housebreaker might be naked too." He pulled another inch away from her, making her growl out her frustration. Rolling her into her stomach, he climbed on top of her, pinning her to her bed with his body. When she tried to push her butt up to unite them, he stopped her.
She slapped her pillow with an irritated muffled sound and struggled to have her way, but he held her fast, pressing her tight to the mattress. "What do you do?" He refused to give up on the question.
"I don't know!" she screeched. "I'm too tired to think."
"Well, he sure as hell isn't going to give you time to wake up and think."
He wanted to lecture further, make her realize just how dangerous it was to keep her back door unlocked. But he could see too much of her tousled hair and smooth naked back in the moonlight filtering into the room through the closed window blinds. He could feel too much of her soft skin to play defense instructor any longer. He answered the question for her. "Throw your head back and crack him in the face with the back of your skull. Okay?"
"Okay." She grew still, purring as he continued to stroke her. "And if I want him to stay?"
"Then let me in. Now."
With a grateful sigh, she did.
Twelve
Willow let out a depleted hum of contentment when Malloy finally pulled himself from her still-thrumming body. She listened to him collapse on the mattress somewhere behind her, landing on his back and letting out a yawn.
