AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sounds awesome.” In fact, time apart to regroup and stop herself from going wild with lust whenever he was around sounded like the best plan ever. “And do you have first aid supplies in your duffel, or should we see about scaring some up around here?”
“Don’t leave home without ’em,” he replied.
“Good. Just food, then. But be careful. Whoever tried to kill us is still out there. Oh, and let me give you some money.”
“My treat. I think I can afford a few burgers. What do you want?” Kyle asked.
Natalie gave him her order, then hit the shower after he took off. Twenty minutes later, she was clean and sore and relaxed from the steamy water. Her cheek still stung, and the bump on her head was throbbing in time with her pulse, but she felt human again. After rinsing out her clothes and hanging them to dry, she realized she’d left her duffel out in the other room.
Well, damn.
As if on cue, a knock sounded. “Hey, Duchess,” Kyle called through the bathroom door, “food’s here.”
Natalie cracked open the door and peeked through. “Um, can you grab my pj’s and hand them to me, please?”
“Sure.” He walked over to her bag and pulled out her pink flannel bottoms and pink tank. “These?”
“Yep. Oh, and some undies too.”
The thought of him digging through her lingerie sent a fresh wave of heat to her cheeks. He yanked out a wispy lace thong and raised a brow in her direction. “Yeah?”
She nodded, and he brought the clothes over to her. Doing her best not to think about the fact that Kyle now knewexactlywhat she was wearing, Natalie pulled on the clean clothes, then ran her fingers through her damp hair before taking a deep breath and exiting.
“Feel better?” Kyle asked from the other side of the room. His back was to her as he fiddled with several white paper bags on the room’s lone table. The smell of grilled meat and melted cheese made her mouth water.
When Natalie didn’t answer, he turned around, then stopped abruptly, his expression unreadable. Natalie raised a hand to her disheveled hair. She was a mess, but he didn’t have to stare that way.
At last, Kyle swallowed hard and nodded. “Uh, yeah. You look better,” he said gruffly.
Oh. Okay then. Natalie smiled and made her way over to him. “After you take your shower, I’ll patch up your shoulder.”
“Okay.” He blinked several times, his gaze locked on her lips. “We should, uh, probably eat first, though. So it doesn’t get cold.”
“Right.” How could he look so delectable when he was battered and still dirty from the crash? “Yep. Eating is good.”
They each took a seat on opposite sides of the table, and Kyle handed Natalie her bag, along with a large drink. In addition, he’d somehow gotten a cake and a box of doughnuts.
Their meal was consumed in silence, until curiosity got the better of her. “Where’d you get the goodies?”
“Drugstore, other side of the restaurant.” Kyle wolfed down the rest of his food, then tossed his trash and headed for the bathroom, his duffel in hand. “I’ll be out in a bit.”
“Absolutely. Take your time,” Natalie called after him, toying with the last of her fries. Her body throbbed with want, and her head was spinning. Tonight, she’d patch up Kyle’s body, then share a bed with him. How the hell she’d manage to keep her hands and her heart to herself after that, she had no idea.
10
Kyle leaned against the bathroom counter, doing his best to get his damned cock under control before he returned to the main room. He wanted Natalie more now than he ever had. Maybe it was the threat of death. Maybe it was the fact that he’d finally admitted to himself that his attraction to her wasn’t going to go away. And that it might actually go beyond mere attraction…
He finished shaving, then took off the damp towel slung around his hips and pulled on a fresh pair of boxer briefs and a white T-shirt. The more coverings the better, considering they’d be sleeping a few inches away from each other. A rush of X-rated images bombarded his exhausted brain before he could stop them.
Crap!
Even if he was willing to admit that he wanted to try for a relationship with Natalie, jumping into intimacy now would be a very, very bad idea. He needed to resolve this investigation and take Arrieta down before he could even think about a romance. He couldn’t let anything distract him from bringing Nick’s killer to justice.
But who was he kidding? She’d always been a distraction, from the day he’d met her. Truth was, he’d harbored a secret attraction to Natalie from the start. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman: gorgeous, confident, self-assured, intelligent, independent. But she’d been with his brother.
Would he ever be able to get past that with her? Would he be betraying Nick if he slept with his brother’s widow? Worse, what if she only wanted him as a way to feel closer to her dead husband?
After a deep, calming breath, Kyle raked his fingers through his damp hair and exited the bathroom. Being a Navy SEAL meant facing challenges head-on, not hiding like a damned coward. He’d faced down the most ruthless terrorists and dictators in the world. He could handle one night in a king-sized bed with a beautiful woman and keep his hands to himself, right?
