“So tell me.” She rubbed her calf over his hairy, muscular one. “What are you wearing to the Halloween party?”
His chuckle rumbled through his chest, tickling her bare breasts. “My lady is hiding behind small talk.”
His lady. She liked the sound of that entirely too much. And his understanding of her inner workings was entirely too sharp.
Forcing a carefree smile, she spiraled her fingertip through the russet thatch on his chest. “How can I hide when I’m naked?”
Chuckling, he kissed the top of her head. “It’s all right. I feel it too, beauty. Tonight rattled my bones good and proper.”
His smile slipped a little as his gaze probed hers. “Make no mistake, Doctor Addy, I aim to keep you. And I’m a patient man.”
What the hell was she supposed to say to a declaration like that?
Kieran released and rolled onto his back, cradling his head in his hands, which caused his biceps to bunch distractingly. “Be that as it may, my Halloween costume is top secret.”
“Uh huh.” She nestled her cheek into the perfect hollow between his pec and shoulder. “I’ll bet you have no idea what you’re wearing.”
“No, I don’t.” His laugh shook them both.
“Well, if we’re going to the party together, shouldn’t we match?”
He nuzzled her hair and kissed her forehead. “I rather like the way we don’t match. And yet, we fit, you know? Like contrasting flavors that make a dish more delicious. Speaking of…” He rolled up and bounded out of bed. “I promised you pie, didn’t I? How about dessert in bed?”
Giggling, Addy surveyed the room—clothing strewn over floor and furniture, covers torn off the bed. “We’ve already made a mess of the place. What’s a few crumbs?”
“I like the way you think, Doc.” Kieran cocked a finger pistol at her as, splendidly naked, he backed toward the door, his half-erect cock bobbing.
“I like you too, Keeper.” Smiling so hard her cheeks burned, she flopped back onto the pillows.
After she and Kieran decimated multiple slices of pie and shook the crumbs from the sheets, he hugged her tight, kissed the top of her head, and sighed. The cottage lay silent except for rain thrumming on the roof.
“I should probably head out,” he murmured into her hair.
All this talk of keeping her, and he didn’t want to spend the night? Disappointment needled her. “Is that what you want, Kieran?”
“To leave you alone?” His chuckle was tinged with chagrin. “Not at all.”
As if the gods had scripted it, a thunderclap rumbled, tightening Addy’s skin into goosebumps.
Kieran pulled back and studied her. “Scared of thunder?”
She shook her head. “I know it’s not mortar fire, but tell that to my jumpy nerves.”
He nibbled his lip a moment, a project she’d gladly help him with, then his tense expression relaxed into a soft smile. “Then I’ll stay.”
“Good.” Looping her arms around his nape, she kissed him, sipping at his lips, chasing sweetness from the pie combined with the unique, comforting taste of Kieran himself.
He’s right, she thought, nestling into his strong arms.We’re so different, but we fit.
Humming low to drown out the thunder, Kieran held her close. A last thought drifted through her before surrendering to sleep:
This is perfect.
A shout and a shove jerked Addy from her cozy dream. Clutching the sheet to her bare chest, she bolted from the bed and glanced wildly around, searching for cover.
“Lifeboats!” Kieran screamed, his arms and legs thrashing, his eyes squinched shut.
Addy’s heart hammered her ribs. She’d read about PTSD-induced night terrors, and her own nightmares sometimes jerked her awake, yet Kieran appeared to be deep asleep, unaware of her presence. He was a big man, outweighing her by a good sixty pounds. How to help him without injuring him or herself?
