Burned Deep (Burned 1)

Wow. Not only was he a literal man, he also clearly wasn’t one to look for the easy way out of a tricky situation. Because his staying did make things infinitely more serious between us.

“Just so you know,” I felt compelled to say, “this is something else I’ve never done before.”

“I suspected that. Which is why I provided the simple solution of sending my driver away.”

“Now who’s the clever one?”

With a smug look on his devilishly handsome face, he said, “You still haven’t told me which bedroom is yours.”

I pointed to the one closest to the patio.

He scooped me into his arms and carried me to my bed, where he set me gently. I watched with bated breath as he stripped down to his black briefs. He was just so fantastically built, I feared there might be drool forming at the corner of my mouth.

That wasn’t the only thing I feared. He climbed in beside me and pulled me to him. His arm draped over my shoulder and he coaxed me into resting my head on his chest. My hand splayed over his stomach.

“Relax, baby,” he whispered in the dark. “You’re much too tense.”

It’d hit me suddenly, invading my post-sex serenity. “How long can I lay here before your arm falls asleep?”

“That’s what you’re worried about?”

“I told you. I’ve never done this before.”

One hand stroked my hair. He also twined his fingers with mine as they lay against his abs. “You’re very endearing.”

“Is that a polite way of calling me naive?”

“I don’t think that at all.” He kissed my forehead. “You gave me valid reasons for why you’ve avoided intimacy. The truth is, it makes me happy that you haven’t shared yourself like this with anyone else.”

It would never be like this with anyone else; I was sure of it. There was something so mesmeric about Dane that had me easily caught up in the connection we’d made. Not just the physical one, but the emotional side of it as well.

“It’s late,” he said. “Try to sleep.”

“You did wear me out tonight.”

“I did everything you asked.”

“And then some. It was pretty damn sensational.”

“So take a few deep breaths,” he told me in a low voice, “and know that I’m perfectly content right here, whether my arm falls asleep or not.”

“You’re really very sweet when you’re not looking as though you want to rip Kyle’s head off. Or you’re scowling at me.”

“Hmm.” Apparently, that was all he intended to say on the subject.

So I did as he’d recommended, slowly inhaling, slowly exhaling. I tried not to think of insane things like how heavy my head might be on his chest. How erratic my pulse was—could he feel it? How noisy my breathing could possibly be.

Damn it. I should have turned on music. For that matter, why the hell wasn’t it raining, when I needed the camouflage sound now more than ever?

“Ari,” he whispered against the top of my head. “Baby. You’re squirming like crazy.”

“I am?” I forced myself to still.

“Nothing to be antsy over.”

I swallowed hard. “You’d feel differently if you were in my shoes.”

He chuckled, a sexy rumble that reverberated throughout my body. “Fine. I have a better thought.”