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“Well, then, good night,” she said lamely as she moved behind the screen and climbed into bed.
Normally, she had no trouble falling asleep. Even last night she had dropped right off, but tonight she couldn’t find a comfortable position. She was acutely aware of the man stretched out on her couch on the other side of the screen. When she felt as if he’d had time to fall asleep and she was still wide awake, she quietly got out of bed to tiptoe back to the bath to grab some melatonin pills and head into the kitchen for a glass of water.
She was standing in front of the kitchen sink, looking out the window and berating herself for her cowardice and insecurity when a set of large, warm, male hands settled on the top of her shoulders. The glass slipped from her hand, only to be caught by Slade’s. The man had quick reflexes.
“Easy. It’s just me. Why are you so nervous?”
“I’m not nervous; I’m just unsettled.”
“Okay, why are you so unsettled?”
“Why? Because someone I barely knew in high school had come back to Angel’s Rise and I didn’t reach out to him. Because whoever killed him used my book as a blueprint for his murder. Because there are people in this town—my town, where I was born and raised—who think or at least thought I was capable of that kind of horrific act…”
“Is that it?” he prompted gently.
Fiona was all too aware of his masculine presence. The man exuded alpha male energy; she could feel it rolling off him. His quiet voice was deep, dark and sensual as hell. He was every male hero she’d ever conceived of and so much more. She was so far out of her depth it wasn’t even funny.
Earlier, she’d teased him and then chickened out. She was being given a second chance. Would she give in to fear? What was the worst he could do? Tell her no? The way his hard length was pressed against her told her he was aroused. What if he did tell her no? But what if when he gave her an out, and she had taken it, he had thought she was having second thoughts? That could be it, couldn’t it?
Deciding she had little to lose and everything to gain, she turned to face him. “I meant what I said earlier when you were at the foot of the stairs.”
“Did you? Because I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
“I don’t. I want you. A couple of days ago I wanted you because, like every other girl who went to our high school, I wanted to be your girlfriend. But now, I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I just know I don’t want to pass up this chance to be with you. I chickened out earlier. I lost my nerve.”
“Why? Have you ever had any man sneak up those stairs to be with you?”
“No,” she laughed softly. “I do think you should be awarded the stealthy stair climbing award.”
He backed up to the kitchen island, drawing her with him. “Then why?”
Taking a deep breath, she said, “Because you look like you, and I look like me.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“I’m not some thin, athletic, willowy blonde. I’m kind of tall and gawky and I could stand to drop a few pounds.”
Slade shook his head. “Who the hell told you that?”
“I have eyes, Slade; I can see myself. I just know I want to be with you—even if it’s just for tonight.”
“Then you need glasses. Let me tell you what I see: I see a gorgeous, sexy female with curves I want to explore. I didn’t push you earlier because I’m not looking for a one-night stand. And those willowy blondes? I don’t want any of them. I want you.”
Fiona felt relief wash over her like the gentle waves of the ocean. When she looked into the sincerity of his eyes, she felt like that bold, sassy girl she had once been before she married her ex. She wondered, why did she still believe all the hateful things he’d said when she knew he was a liar and a cheat? Was she going to let him ruin the rest of her life? She had paid a premium to be rid of him. Why would she believe him and not believe Slade? Why was she allowing her ex to wreck any more of her life than he already had?
One more check. “Really?”
He chuckled as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and guided her hand to his fly, which seemed to pulse with life. “Really.”
Slade lowered his mouth to hers, pressing his lips to hers before trailing kisses down her throat, stopping at her collarbones, and beginning the process of getting to know her. He reached down to the hem of her nightshirt, drawing it up and over her head as he left her naked. Her nipples puckered, and she tried to tell herself it was from the chill in the room, but she knew that wasn’t it. She knew it was the heat from the man standing in her kitchen, lifting her up and setting her on the counter, stepping between her legs, and lowering his head to her breasts.
Fiona’s head fell back, and she moaned as he swirled his tongue around her nipples, first one and then the other. He kissed his way back to the first one, sucking it into his mouth only to use his tongue again before giving her the barest edge of his teeth. Fiona hissed as he laved affectionate attention upon it and moved back to do the same to the other.
He stepped back, his eyes devouring her like a hungry predator—heat and arousal rolling off of him in waves. Slade shook his head. “Damn. Fiona, I want you to wait right here, I need to go down to my vehicle.”
Knowing what he was seeking, she laughed, letting the last of her nervousness go. “Unless you think I have to worry about you carrying an STD, you don’t need a condom.”
“I just had my physical last month, and I was clean. I haven’t even been close to a woman since then, but I want to be safe.”
