His lips brushed against my forehead. “Now you go sleep in my bed, and I will go to the couch, and we’ll chat about maps and weather in the morning.”
Ray led me to his bedroom, taking the spare pillow and a blanket out to the living room as he shut the door, calling out, “Sweet dreams, Kate.”
As I crawled into his bed, it smelled like Ray – woodsy and warm and deeply seductive. As exhausted as I was, I didn’t know if there was any way I could sleep knowing he was in the next room, when he could be beside me.
CHAPTER FOUR
* Ray *
The couch was lumpy, and far too short for my frame. Knowing just how comfortable I could be stretched out in my own bed with my arms around Kate was enough of a distraction that I tossed and turned for a while. The interior walls were thin here, and I thought I could hear her move a few times as well.
It would have been so easy to have taken her in the shower. It would have been so easy to have taken her right after dinner. But it wouldn’t have been fair to her.
I was a loner. Always had been. I didn’t know a damn thing about relationships, and I’d never wanted to compromise for anyone.
It drove my brother nuts whenever we stayed together for a few days. I would eat when I wanted, sleep when I wanted, leave the room in the middle of a conversation if I got bored. It was just the way it always was with me.
I tried dating a few times years ago, but women always seemed so fussy. Dinner had to be at seven, not when people were hungry. They had all of these rules of how they chose to live, and how they thought things should be. It was maddening. It was exhausting. It just wasn’t me.
Yet from the split second I looked into Kate’s eyes, I wanted to be with her. It was an urge as natural as breathing. Not just for an evening of lusty bliss, although that was definitely on my mind.
I didn’t know how to care for a girl beyond the basics. If she was cold, I’d warm her up. If she was hungry, I would feed her. But what the hell is a man supposed to do if a woman is crying and upset? If she had a problem at work, was I supposed to go down there and crack somebody in the head?
My time was spent in my new workshop, putting in ten- to fourteen-hour days, creating any sort of wooden furniture I desired. It was a hobby I began in my teens when I wanted a sturdier nightstand. Two decades later, by all accounts, I was damn good at it.
Somehow I had lucked out and found several high-end furniture stores who went crazy for my pieces. I simply sent them a photo, and a truck showed up to take it away, leaving an extravagant check in its place. I’d even had sneaky interior designers show up at my studio, begging for specific items. If they went to that much trouble, I gave them what they wanted, but charged them triple for annoying me. They never even blinked at the price.
So I was used to doing whatever the hell I wanted. My life was set up for productivity and comfort. That was it.
What would a woman say if she saw my little house, where everything was blue, brown, and gray? The kitchen was laid out for efficient batch cooking, not dinner parties. Just the thought of a woman coming into my home and telling me that everything was “wrong” made me uncomfortable.
But Kate…she wouldn’t judge me. I didn’t even know why or how I knew this, I just did. There was something about her that was more deeply sweet than any other woman I’d ever met. She was logical. Open-minded. She seemed to really listen, and I noticed how her eyes darted around, observing details.
She was also tougher than most women. Even when she was injured and chilled to the bone, she didn’t cry. She didn’t want sympathy.
A shudder ran through me and my cock began to stiffen at the thought of what she did want. I knew it was probably some survival instinct kicking in, but as she had writhed against me in the shower, kissing me with that astounding fire, I could feel how much she wanted me.
I couldn’t tie down such a sweet young thing with a relationship. Especially not with an older guy whose habits were practically set in stone.
A rustle from the bedroom made my ears perk up. There was a little thump, and a click. By the time my eyes fully opened and I saw that there was light coming from under the bedroom door, I was already on my feet.
Opening the door gently, I whispered, “Kate, are you all right?” As I inched the door open, I saw that she had turned on the dim bedside lamp. Her covers were kicked off, and she’d taken off the track pants, wearing nothing but my t-shirt that was absolutely huge on her like a shapeless dress. My mouth fell open as I took in her toned legs, thick thighs, and a flash of that round, sexy hip.
She turned to me, her hair slightly messy, cheeks slightly pink. “I’m sorry if I woke you,” she said softly. “I thought I heard an animal outside.”
I couldn’t help thinking that she should be more afraid o
f the animal who was in the room with her. My feet moved before I could stop them, as I sat on the edge of the bed.
“The only animals out there are squirrels and raccoons,” I said. “We see foxes from time to time, but they don’t come near people. And they certainly don’t come near gorgeous girls who are safe in bed and supposed to be sleeping.”
Her eyes flashed when I called her gorgeous. Surely every man she'd ever met must have told her that?
“I didn’t wake you up, did I?” she asked. “I’m sorry – you’ve been so nice to me, and I’ve been nothing but a bother.”
Damn, I hated seeing her frown. My hand reached out to caress her ankle, twirling around every bone and nerve. I had just meant it as a comforting gesture, but saw the little flutter that ran through her.
“You’re not a bother,” I said. “Perhaps a slight distraction, but that’s my problem, not yours.”