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Huh? Get a grip, girl. How much more transparent could he be?If she’d doubted he was attracted to her before that sizzling kiss, she didn’t any longer. He’d made himself quite clear on the subject. It was time she reciprocated. Too bad she was scared to death.All the more reason…
With one last glance toward Jen, she strode to the bathroom door and knocked quietly.
“Be right out.” Luke’s deep voice came from the other side.
Sally straightened her spine, pushed the door and slipped inside.
Chapter Eight
Luke stepped from the shower and made quick work of drying off before wrapping the towel around his waist. Sandy-colored clumps of wet hair stuck out every which way as his image stared back at him from the mirror. He raked his fingers through the strands, in serious need of a haircut, and called it good. Grabbing the shaving cream from his kit, he applied it evenly to his whiskered face and dragged the razor down his rough skin, systematically shaving from right to left. He paused for a heartbeat when he heard a knock.
“Be right out.” Luke turned the water on as hot as he could get it and let it run. Jen probably had to use the bathroom. He’d throw on some clothes and finish up in here later. A smile formed beneath what was left of the shaving cream. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for that little girl.
An instant later the door opened behind him, and the razor went still in his hand.
He stared at Sally’s reflection in the steamed-over mirror. Her in that damn shirt of his, leaning against the bathroom door, both hands behind her back. A good deal of shapely thigh led his gaze to well-toned calves. He followed them down to pretty pink toenails on bare feet. Did she know what coming in here like that would do to him? He took the last two swipes of shaving cream off with the razor, rinsed his face in the hot, running water and patted it dry. Barely able to swallow and momentarily unable to form an articulate sentence, he turned slowly.
Her blue eyes went wide as her gaze dropped below his waist, immediately answering his unspoken question. Evidently, shecouldsee the hard-on he sported beneath the form-fitting towel that hugged his hips.
He took a step toward her. “Sally?” That was all he managed to force from his mouth. It sounded more like a command than the question with which he’d intended to rule out the possibility something was wrong.
A secretive smile played on her lips as she brought one hand up and raised it in front of her with a dismissive shake of her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. This can wait till you’re finished.” Her gaze dipped once again to the towel draped around his hips, and she swiveled with a hand on the doorknob.
Oh no. Hell no. He wasn’t letting her escape that easily. He was damn sure she’d stepped out of her comfort zone for a reason and her baby blues were daring him to find out why. He closed the gap and caught the door as she opened it a sliver. Peering through the opening, he saw Jen, still intent on her game. A glance toward the motel room door confirmed that the dead bolt was thrown and locked. They could have a few minutes of privacy.
Luke pulled Sally away from the door, ignoring her squeak of surprise and trying not to react to the violet hues that darkened her eyes at the same time her pupils dilated. Oh yeah. She knew what she was doing, all right. Sally wanted him as much as he wanted her. He stepped close, sandwiching her between the sink and himself, hands braced on the counter, one on each side of her. “So, you missed me, huh?”
Sally glanced up, her brow furrowed as though giving the question heavy thought. As soon as he touched her rib cage in a spot he knew she was ticklish, she folded into laughter. “I might have.” She finally forced the breathless words out.
He snorted. “Not good enough. Why did you barge in here?” He lifted her to the edge of the counter and inserted himself between her legs, his hands on her bottom, pulling her against his growing arousal.
She wrapped her legs around him, and he felt some of her tension ease as she threaded her fingers in his hair and pulled his head toward her. “I don’t want to waste any more time, Luke.” Moisture shimmered in her eyes as he smoothed the hair back from her face.
“Then we won’t. Not another second.” His mouth claimed hers. The desire that raced through him like electricity had nothing to do with his arousal and everything to do with her admission. He’d almost convinced himself he’d screwed up too badly—that she’d never let him close again. But the beautiful blue-eyed brunette in the picture he’d carried for months was giving him another chance, and he wasn’t going to fuck it up this time.
When he leaned away, she held on to him, and her sad smile tugged at his heart. What troubled her was no mystery, but he wanted her to understand she wasn’t alone. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her tight again, then tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes. “I’m not giving up on us…ever, and I don’t want you to either. Do me one favor, babe. Trust me to keep you safe.”
Her eyes scanned his. “I trust you with my daughter, Luke. Thereisno more trust than that.” Her fingers stroked his cheek and he caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. “She’s in as much danger as I am now, and I can’t stand the thought of her being hurt because of me. And now you’re involved, and I’m terrified for both of you. I don’t know what to do. Maybe we should run. Leave the country.”
Luke dropped a string of kisses on her neck, right above her collarbone, and gave some thought to her suggestion. “If that’s what you really want, I can make it happen.”
“But…?”
Smart girl. She recognized his reluctance. “We’ll be looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives. I could be wrong, but I’m betting you’ve had enough of that. The only way to hang on to something you want to keep is to stand and fight for it.”
“Even if we’re going to lose?” He could hear how tired she was. It was clear the constant battle had already taken its toll on her. She didn’t want to fight anymore.
Luke grinned as he lifted her off the counter, pivoted, took three strides and pressed her against the wall. “Who says we’re going to lose? As long as we stick together, no one can stop us.” He kissed her again, with all the passion he’d held in check during the past few minutes. His tongue swept the inside of her mouth, twisting around hers. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss until she placed a hand on his chest and pushed back.
“I have to check on Jen.” Was it disappointment that shadowed her eyes?
Holding her gaze, he ground his hips into the warmth at the apex of her legs. He nodded toward her undergarments drying over the rod that held the shower curtain. “Am I to understand there’s nothing between us but a thin towel right now?” He punctuated the question with a nip to her neck.
A rosy hue enveloped her cheeks, but a persistent smile seemed to dare him. “You’re very observant.”
“SEAL training. Always important to know if the enemy is wearing panties.”
Sally laughed and squirmed against him.
