Dare to Take (Dare to Love 6)

“Here.” He hoped the shirt was long enough so he’d stop thinking about what was underneath … especially since he knew she wasn’t wearing underwear.

“Thanks.” She yanked it from his hands and hurried back into the bathroom.

He ran a hand through his hair and prayed for the strength to survive the night. She returned, her damp hair falling around her face.

“Do you think you’re up to talking about the mugging?” he asked. “Maybe I can put some pieces together you haven’t thought of that might give us a clue what someone’s looking for.”

&nb

sp; She nodded. “But honestly, I’ve been racking my brain, and I can’t come up with a thing. I was shopping for gifts for Avery and the girls at the hospital where I volunteer. I walked out with the bag, and the next thing I knew, someone was trying to grab my purse.”

“And before that, nobody was following you or bothering you?”

She wrinkled her nose and thought about it before answering. “No.”

“Anything valuable in your room?” he asked.

“Again, no. I have some pieces of jewelry in the hotel safe because they were from the shoot, and some of the things I loved and didn’t want to leave in the room.”

He nodded. “Okay. We’ll grab those before we go. In the morning, I want you to look through the room and see if anything is missing.” He hadn’t wanted to put her through the stress until she was feeling better. And by the morning, any courtesy he was giving the island cops was over.

“Sounds like a plan.” She pulled self-consciously at the hem of his shirt. “Umm, Tyler?”

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice gruff.

“Thank you. Really. I appreciate you coming down here to help me.”

They stared at each other for a long while, the tension an uncomfortable mix of awkwardness, neither one of them knowing what to say or do, and distinct sexual awareness thrumming through the air.

“I’m going to turn in. My head hurts and I’m exhausted,” she finally said, breaking eye contact.

“I’ll be there shortly.” He didn’t want to think about the rest of the night sharing the bed with a woman he wanted … but couldn’t, shouldn’t have.

* * *

Ella woke up feeling more rested and in less pain. She breathed in deep and was surrounded by a distinctly musky scent that sent tingles of awareness shooting through her veins.

“Tyler,” she murmured, belatedly realizing she’d spoken out loud.

“Right here.”

And he was. Although she’d started out on the very far side of the king-size bed, she’d rolled toward the center in the middle of the night. She opened her eyes and found herself looking into his navy blue eyes.

“Hey,” she said, embarrassed.

“Hey yourself.” His voice sounded gruffer in the morning.

And she liked it.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Better.”

“Good. That’s good.”

She nodded, incredibly aware of his big body so close to hers, the warmth of his skin, and the full lips just begging to be kissed. All she had to do was lean a centimeter closer and her mouth would be on his. He wasn’t shifting away, just staring at her with those sexy eyes.

She moaned, the soft sound escaping without intent. Then she couldn’t say who moved first, only that finally, blessedly, his mouth took possession of hers. His lips were firm as he pushed inside and devoured her like he’d been starving and just given a feast. She kissed him back just as eagerly, savoring every stroke of his masterful tongue. He was masculine and in control, able to awaken her senses with just a kiss, and her body responded. Her back arched, her breasts brushed against his bare chest, and her already tight nipples puckered into harder peaks.