I change the subject, avoiding any discussion that would lead to my scar. “There’s some dangerous things transpiring around us. I need you to trust me when I say the less you know right now, the better. Stryker and I are trying to get to the bottom of what’s surrounding you, and I would never forgive myself if something were to ever happen to you.”
“But Travis...”
I can’t help it; the temptation is too great, the close proximity to her lips is too overwhelming, and the need to silence her with a kiss overtakes me. It’s always been with action, not words, that seems to silence her, unfailingly leaving her in a drunken stupor every time, so she forgets what it was she had on her mind for discussion. Of course, having the Blyss in her system helps ten-fold in keeping her distracted.
Leaving my hand where it is, I slide it to the side of her face, cupping her cheek as I begin kissing her with tender, sensual kisses. Her lips mold to mine like putty as she responds to me by scantly tasting my lips with her tongue. I growl in response, my heart rate kicking up a notch. I’ve missed this feeling so damn much, and I don’t know if a man’s gut is supposed to clench in a heated moment, but mine does the minute our tongues touch. Even though it’s been a few days, it feels like a lifetime has gone by since we last kissed. I keep the kiss light, teasing her with my tongue as our lips softly caress against each other’s with a restrained passion.
I catch a whiff of her strawberry scent and my dick begins to throb. I pull back a hair’s breadth from our entanglement as I breathe over her lips, and I hear my own voice coming out low and husky. “I will tell you this much. I’ve got real feelings for you, Jules, serious ones. I felt something for you the very second I laid eyes on you.”
I pause and tell myself I have to stop the kiss here, or I’ll most likely wind up doing something she’s not ready for. I pull back, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. I look upon her with adoration and find myself grinning at her. She looks a little dazed, and her blue eyes are swirling with desire. I guess my potent kiss did the job, effectively nixing her curiosity and stopping her from drilling me with twenty questions I couldn’t answer.
“Get some sleep, Jules. I’ll see you in the morning.” Her eyes grow wide, and all she can do is slowly nod her head in vague agreement. I want to burst out laughing over the fact I kissed her stupid, but I hold it back. I think I achieved the desired result in shutting down every working brain cell residing in that curious mind of hers. I turn around quickly as I head for the door, masking my hard-on; seems like she turned on every one of my working body parts south of my brain.
After I get ready for bed, I slip under the covers and try to quell my yearning for her. I would give anything to curl up in bed with her right now, but it would be too soon. It’s already taking every ounce of self-control I have not to walk across the hall, slink into her bed, and make her mine. I blow out a long-winded breath as I lay here in the darkness of the evening. It’s quiet, too quiet for my liking. I try to fall asleep while battling my own thoughts over what first started out as ‘saving’ Jules, turned into me being in denial of my true feelings, because I shut that love shit down long ago.
I’m currently not only fighting my personal demons, but I’m also in a battle against time, needing Jules to fall for me before she regains her memory. It makes me a selfish bastard, but there it is, and the last thing I want to do is for her to feel as if I’m pushing too fast or taking advantage of her, especially for when she regains her memory. I want her to remember I was a gentleman, and maybe my chivalry will count for something. I’d really like for her to make the first move; I want her to want me.
I jolt awake out of a dead sleep as bloodcurdling screams rip through my soul, shrill, high-pitched cries of terror as if the hounds of hell have escaped. My breath catches in my throat as I choke, gasping for air. What the fuck? My brain still hazy from a deep sleep, I desperately try to wake up, shaking off the groggy feeling. My training kicks in, knowing I need to be able to make split-second decisions and be ready to snap a neck in a single heartbeat.