believe them?”
“What do you think?”
“Say it.”
“No, baby. I’ll never believe that.”
The words must have touched her, because she surprised him by stepping closer, her hands sliding under his cut to push it back over his shoulders and down to drop on the dresser behind him. She didn’t stop there. Her hands moved down to the hem of his tee shirt, and he helped her, reaching behind his head to grab two handfuls of fabric and pull it over his head. It fell to the floor as his eyes locked on hers, watching as her gaze moved over his shoulders, arms and chest. They stopped on the rosary chain that hung around his neck. Her hand moved to the silver cross dangling over his cut six-pack. She picked it up, and he watched her study it. And then she asked, “Are you Catholic?”
A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Not a very good one.” He saw the confusion in her eyes. “It was my mother’s. I wear it for her. Keep her close to my heart.”
“She wanted you to be a good Catholic boy?”
The smile twisted on his face. “Obviously it didn’t take too well.”
She smiled back at him. “I don’t think you’re such a bad guy.”
His hands slid to her waist, and he pulled her closer. “Good to know, ‘cause tonight you’re gonna give in to me, Skylar.”
“Am I?”
His brows came together in a confused frown. “Hey, if you’re not feeling it, babe-” He broke off, standing up and starting to push her away, but she grabbed his arm, stopping him, more with her words than the hand on his bicep.
“No, I want this, Shades. I do.”
Before he could stop himself, he stood and took her head in both his hands to pull her close. Burying his hands in her hair, he pulled her head back, tilting her face up to his as he looked down at her. There was something about the way she looked up at him with those innocent blue eyes that had him aching for her. He whispered, “Then close your eyes, babe, and we’ll dive in the deep end together.”
Her eyes slid closed.
He pressed his lips to hers in a soft gentle kiss, holding it a moment. And then he bent and grabbed her under her ass, lifting her and carrying her as he strode to the bed. And then she was down on her back, and he was on top of her, where he’d wanted to be all fucking summer, his hips cradled between her spread thighs. Goddamn that felt right. He brushed the hair back from her face and stared into her beautiful eyes.
“Shades?”
“Yeah?”
“I just don’t want to get hurt.”
Her soft admission gave him pause. The empty promise was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. He wanted honesty between them. If this all went to shit, at least he’d know he hadn’t reeled her in with a pack of lies. “I can’t promise you that, babe. No one can.” He could see he wasn’t putting her mind at ease. “But I will promise you one thing. You let me in, Sky, I’ll take good care of you.”
“Will you?”
“Yeah, I will and I’ll make sure you have no regrets about tonight.”
She grinned. “Is that a promise?”
“That’s a guarantee.” He dropped his mouth to hers, kissing her softly, and then he lifted again, looking in her eyes. “It’s taken me all summer to get you here.”
“Shades, I’ve been here before.”
“Not talkin’ about you bein’ in my place or even in my bed. Talkin’ about you bein’ under me, like this.” He rolled his hips to underline his meaning.
“Oh.” Her answer came out in that soft breathy voice he loved so much.
“That’s not how I usually roll, babe. I’ve never spent this much time getting to know a woman the way I have with you.”
“I don’t want to hear about you and other women, Shades. Not now.”
“I’m telling you this so you’ll know. So you understand. This means something to me, Sky. You mean something to me.”