“I wasn’t happy about it myself.” I was trying to be funny, but my heartraced.
“If I were a better man,” he said softly, “I’d let you go. Back to your world, where you’re safe. I wouldn’t try to keep you near me.” As if to betray his words, he brushed back my hair from my face, tucking a rogue strand back behind my ear. The light touch of his fingers against my neck sent a wave of desire rushing throughmybody.
“I’m sure I look like a mess.” I could barely catch my breath. Hoping he couldn’t tell, I ran my hands over my hair to pull it back into a ponytail. I coached myself:Whatever you do, Naomi, don’t look into those damnably gorgeousblueeyes.
He brushed a finger over my shoulder. "You're so beautiful," he murmured. "And as much as I might tease you, the way you're oblivious about it... it breaks my heart. Youshouldknow."
"Rob," I whispered, wanting to reprove him for the compliment, but knowing he'd just argue withmemore.
"I think," he said, "I should tell you that you're beautiful every day. Until you stop blushingaboutit."
"Every day? There are only twenty-five more days in thatevery day. Then you'll be goneagain."
"So let's make the most of them.” His fingers skated down my arm, raising goosebumps at his touch. Such a little thing, and it made my spine tingle with longing, as if his touch raced through every part ofmybody.
"We should eat our pizza," I said. "Go to bed. Back to normaltomorrow."
He leaned in, his breath a hot whisper against my hair. "I don't want to go back to normal tomorrow,Naomi."
The way he said my name made it sound like a prayer,aplea.
I bit down on my lower lip as I turned my eyes up to his. Was it possible that Rob felt as much asIdid?
Even if he didn't, did I carerightnow?
We had survived the night. I could survive Rob Delaney breaking my heart again if I meant I finally filled this ache I had to wrap my thighs around his lean waist and let him bury his cock deepinsideme.
“This isn’t smart,”Isaid.
“Okay,” he said. “No, it isn’t smart. But can’t we just have this one, dumbmoment?”
"This moment?" I murmured. "Between carjacking andpizza?"
"Yes," he said, leaning in. I expected him to kiss me, but he paused, with his lips a breath away, his eyesintent.
Oh, what the hell. This moment. Fine. I wanted this moment as badly as he did. I closed the distance between our mouths, my lipsparting.
Rob's mouth was warm and firm. His hand settled on my jaw. The roughness of his palm against my cheek felt like a welcome contrast to the softness of his lips. I could lose myself inthatkiss.
Rob settled his hands on my waist. Throwing caution to the wind, I broke away from his kiss for a second – my lips tingling already with the electricity between us – and flung one leg over his. Rob pulled me close. Straddling his lap, I felt the hardness of his cock even through his jeans. He wanted me as much as Iwantedhim.
Rob’s mouth parted. Tentatively, I probed into his mouth with my tongue, felt the hard contours of his mouth, the contrast of those almost-pillowy lips, the softness of his tongue as it slid against my own. My fingers curled deep into the muscle of his shoulders, frantic withdesire.
“It’s just… the adrenaline. Coming down from the night. Making us act crazy.” I murmured when our lipsparted.
“Adrenaline is not the thing in this room that makes me crazy,” Rob said. He kissed me again, scooping me up from the floor, standing with me against his chest so he could toss me ontothebed.
I sat up to untie my dress uncertainly. My fingers were clumsy in the knot of thefabric.
Rob joined me on the bed, leaning over to kiss me. My lips parted against his. The tips of our tongues met, tentatively, and then he pulled away, pressed a peck of a kiss on the edge of my lips. It made me turn my face into his, seeking another,deeperkiss.
His rough hands slid against my waist before he tugged the dress up over my body. For a second, it hung up around my biceps, blinding me. He pressed his lips to mine again while I was caught, his mouth exploring. I felt the warmth of his mouth as he kissed me, the solidity of his tongue when the tip touched mine. The sense of warmth and wetness made me imagine his cock thrusting inside me instead of his tongue in my mouth. A throb of desire went through my body. He tossed the dress acrosstheroom.
My hands on his broad, muscular shoulders began to tremble. I hoped Rob wouldn’t notice, the way just touching him gave me the shakes again, but he caught my hands in his big hands and kissed them tenderly. His cool-water blue eyes were on mine as he pressed his lips to each scar, each knuckle. He turned over my hand to kiss the inside of my wrist where I’d dotted my perfume, and my breath caught. I’d never known there were so many nerve endings in my hands and wrists; every touch sent another throb of desire, of emotion, coursing through myblood.
“Don’t be scared, Naomi,” he said. “I’mhere.”
“You’re the thing I’m scared of,” I said, squeezing those big shoulders in my hands; the feel of his muscle against my palms was so deeply satisfying. How could the same man who scared me, with my tender once-broken heart, be the same man whocomfortedme?
