The oven timer chose that moment to beep.
He didn’t let go; he didn’t move a muscle.
“Your pie’s ready,” I whispered.
He helped me off the couch and I pulled the nicely browned and bubbly pie out of the oven and set it aside to cool. When I turned to race back into the living room, I bumped into his solid chest.
I hadn’t realized he followed.
He slipped his hands beneath my arms and lifted me onto the counter, stepping between my legs. Without a second thought, I wrapped them around his waist, pulling him just a little bit closer.
His hand delved into my hair and his mouth descended upon mine.
The scent of apples and cinnamon mixed with his heady pine scent and my eyes slid shut as his lips moved over mine. He kissed like he did everything else, with honesty and no holding back.
His lips were thick and full, insistent and soft. Every inch of my mouth surrendered to him as we met again and again and again. Nathan moved one hand around the base of my neck and used his thumb to tilt my chin up a little bit more, granting himself more access as his tongue slipped inside and began exploring my mouth.
I grabbed ahold of his biceps and hung on, squeezing his muscles and answering his kiss. I used my tongue to stroke his and lick across his luscious bottom lip and sucked it into my mouth and teased it with my teeth. He groaned and slid me across the counter until I wasn’t really sitting on it anymore, but I was being held against him by his strong arms.
My center was pressed against his rock-hard abs, and I felt the center of me begin to throb like my heartbeat was suddenly coming from down there. Moisture slicked my panties and he kissed me even deeper. I locked my ankles together behind his back and he groaned, stepping away from the counter completely and carrying me out into the living room.
He didn’t lay me out on the couch like I thought he would. Instead, he sat down and kept me in his lap. The change in position brought me up against the solid erection beneath the fabric of his sweats, and without thinking, I rocked against it.
A shudder moved through him and he pulled away and reclined against the cushions.
I was breathing heavy when he spoke.
“We should slow down.”
No. No we shouldn’t. I’d never felt like this, um, ever, and he wanted me to give it up?
“This isn’t why I came over here.”
“Why did you?” I asked, my voice still entirely breathless.
He swiped at my lower lip, frowning at the area that was still slightly swollen. “Because I wanted to be sure you were okay. I hadn’t planned on knocking, but I saw your light come on.”
“You understand,” I said.
He nodded slowly. “Some. I understand what’s it like to be in a situation you feel you have no control over. I know what it’s like to fight for your life even when death is trying to claim you.”
“You also know what it’s like to feel guilty you survived when someone else did not.”
He sat up abruptly, our chests bumped together, and he splayed a hand across my upper back. “I don’t want you feeling guilty, Honor.”
I lowered my eyes. “I do. We both know Mary is dead.”
“He’s going to pay for what he did to her. To you.”
I leaned against his chest. He was so big that I fit against him with no problem. I tucked my hands between us and rested my head against his shoulder, curling in as close as I could. “Why don’t you try and get some sleep?” he murmured, stroking the back of my head.
“M’kay.” I agreed, snuggling even closer.
He chuckled. “As much as I like you where you are, if you stay like that, your ribs are going to hate you in the morning.”
“Don’t care,” I mumbled.
His chest rumbled with his quiet laugh and I felt his lips graze the top of my head. “Up you go,” he said, standing up and bringing me with him.
I groaned.
“Where’s your room?”
“Last door on the right,” I directed when he turned down the hall.
The bathroom light was still on, providing a soft light illuminating the bedroom. Holding me with one arm, he threw back the covers with another and deposited me in the center of the bed. Nathan tucked the covers up around me as I sank into the pillows.
“Are you leaving?” I asked, wanting him to stay.
“I’ll take the couch.”
“Really?”
“Unless you want me to go.”
I lifted up the covers, inviting him in. “I want you to stay.”
He stood there looking down for long moments. “Fine. But no funny business,” he said as he stripped off his shirt. “I got a reputation to protect.”
It was the perfect opening for a smart-ass comeback. Too bad I was too busy staring at his incredibly chiseled chest to make one. I was pretty sure he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. His dog tags hung between his sculpted pecs, giving them even more definition. And he had a tattoo—the letters USMC spelled vertically down the side of his well-defined abs.
I was almost sorry when he slid between the sheets because I couldn’t look at him any longer.
I said almost.
The feel of him against me was even better than the picture he made standing beside me. I threw an arm across his waist, my fingers flirting with the waistband of his pants.
“I’m only staying because you’re feeding me pie for breakfast,” he said a moment later.
I smiled into the darkness. “And here I thought you never lied,” I said.
He laughed. “Technically, it’s not a lie if you already know the truth.”
“What’s the truth, Nathan?” I whispered, tucking myself closer to his side.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
No more nightmares bothered me that night.
26
Nathan
Sunlight filtered through the drawn shades in the room, casting a golden glow over the entire space. Honor was lying right next to me, her entire body pressed up against mine. It was the first time I’d ever slept in a bed with a woman the entire night.
Usually, when I was in a woman’s bed, it wasn’t for sleeping, but for sex. And yeah, I wanted to have sex with Honor so badly I could barely think straight. If she was anybody else, I would have had her naked in less than two hours.
But she wasn’t like anyone else.
I turned and took in her sleeping face. Her head was turned toward me and dark chestnut-colored hair was spread out across her pillow, one long strand falling over her eye. One of her hands was tucked between my arm and my side and the feeling of her fingers curled against my bare skin sent another wave of longing through me.