There was a reaction all right. Probably not quite the one that he’d been aiming for. The warm glow of knowing that she was safe in his hands had been tempered by the spice of arousal.
‘I’m diagnosing you as stressed and worn out...’ He sat down next to her on the sofa, his arm resting on the cushions behind her head. ‘And I’m prescribing some sleep. Do you think you can manage that?’
‘Yes, but...’ What she really wanted—really needed—was for Jon to hug her. Just to hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right, because if he said it she knew she’d believe it.
‘But what?’ He traced his finger around her jaw, tipping her chin up so that he could look into her face. When she reached out for him he was there, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.
‘I’m sorry. I know I’m being silly...’
‘Stop right there. I don’t want to hear anything about you being silly or not being allowed to feel anything.’
‘But—’
He drew back a little and put one finger over her lips. ‘Not a word. You’ve been stronger than anyone should be expected to be. If you didn’t stumble a little from time to time, I’d be tempted to diagnose you as not human.’
Maybe he was right. Maybe the years of making herself cope alone had stripped her of a little of her humanity.
‘And what would you prescribe for that?’ He was so close, and before she could stop herself Chloe stretched up, brushing a kiss against the side of his mouth.
Jon smiled, slowly. ‘That would be a treatment option.’ He kissed her back, but so fleetingly that she’d hardly tasted him before he drew away again.
‘So you’re starting with a low-level approach? Or is that just the best you can do?’ She grinned at him to let him know that she knew full well it wasn’t.
‘No. But we both have our limits.’
Yes, they did. His was that he couldn’t believe that even the perfect relationship could work for him. Hers was that she couldn’t bring herself to rely on anyone.
‘I don’t think I’ve reached mine yet.’
‘Neither have I...’ He kissed her again, and this time she could feel it. Sweet electricity, flowing through her and making her toes tingle.
His hand moved up her back to her neck. She could feel his fingers in her hair, his thumb brushing the sensitive spot behind her ear, and Chloe shivered.
Jon’s mouth curved into a smile, just a breath away from hers. His thumb increased its pressure, making a small circle around the point that was driving her crazy.
‘Not fair...’ She whispered the words against his lips.
‘I found it.’ There was a possessive note to his voice, as if now that he’d discovered what he could do with that square inch of skin, he owned it. Maybe he was right. Chloe let out a gasp, tipping her head back, and he brushed a kiss against her neck.
It was a sweet foretaste of what sex might be like. The thought that he might seek out each one of the sensitive points on her body, before concentrating on the more obvious erogenous zones, almost made her cry out. It might take him a long time to find them all...
She took his head between her hands, kissing him on the mouth. That was what turned him on, she could feel it. When she just took whatever she wanted. He was strong enough to find that erotic.
And strong enough to stop when it seemed as if there was no stopping either of them. Ending the kiss, hugging her tight against his chest.
‘It would be nice...’ Chloe buried her face in his chest so he couldn’t see her disappointment. It was impossible for this to go any further and that had been clear right from the start.
‘It was nice. But maybe we should leave it at that. And maybe you should try to get some sleep.’
She’d had a glimpse of the Jon who was capable of taking everything, but now his arms were gentle again. And suddenly Chloe felt that she could lay her fears aside and sleep.
‘I’m very tired...’
‘Good. Lie down, then.’ He let her go and Chloe curled up on the sofa. ‘I’ll go and get something to cover you up.’
‘But if Hannah calls...’ She’d kept her phone with her night and day, ever since Hannah had gone missing, and even now it was sitting on the coffee table in case it rang. Chloe reached for it, hugging it to her chest, wondering if she’d wake if her sister called.
‘I’ll take it. Just sleep now.’ Chloe felt him prise the phone from her fingers and she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.