occupied all the space, shoving out senseless things like oxygen and light and replacing them with warmth and strength.
“Don’t cry, Lara. I don’t like to see you cry.” He said it as though he was surprised, as though it had never really occurred to him that someone else’s tears could be disturbing. If he’d tried to kiss her, she would have pushed him away. If his hands had moved down to her ass, she would have kicked and fought. Instead, he merely rested his cheek against her hair. Lara sighed.
“I’m so sorry. If I could have spared you that I would have.” He sounded sincere.
The floodgates opened. She couldn’t help it. The day had been spectacularly crappy and it had ended on the worst note possible. She’d almost rather have taken that stupid bullet than find out the first guy in years who had called to her heart was nothing but a cheating jerk.
She’d been so lonely. Until now, she hadn’t realized just how much. She’d tried to cover it up with work and an active social life and a new dog.
Connor stood there for what seemed like hours, just letting her cry against his chest. Somehow it was easier to let go of all the pain when she wasn’t alone. His warmth drove out the cold pain she’d felt from the moment she realized Prince Charming was just another asshole who wanted to use her, who didn’t really give a damn.
Gradually, she calmed down.
His big hand moved through her hair, stroking it down. “I’m so sorry.”
She forced herself to move away from him. She probably looked like hell, but she tilted her head up to face him. “It’s not your fault. I’m sorry for crying all over you.”
He shifted to cup her shoulders, moving restlessly against her skin. “It’s okay.”
“It’s been a hell of a day. First you have to save the damsel in distress, who then turns into a crying chick. I know it’s not your usual deal.”
His eyes were softer than she’d ever seen them. “I don’t mind, Lara. Like I said. I feel responsible. He’s my friend and he hurt you. I really will kick his ass. I don’t approve of how he treated you. I don’t like that he made you cry.”
She reached for a tissue. “I wouldn’t have expected you to care. What did you say about a creature’s nature? I wouldn’t have thought it would be in yours to comfort a woman because she figured out how dumb she’d been.”
“Don’t say that.” His voice sounded the slightest bit harsh, and he gripped her shoulders again. “You weren’t dumb. Niall was selfish. He’s known how you felt and he should have been honest.” He let her go and took a long breath. “And you’re right. It’s not in my nature to comfort.”
“I thought you couldn’t change a creature’s nature.”
“You can’t, Lara, but maybe sometimes the right person can bring out something that got buried. Maybe. I don’t know. I just . . . Let’s go and get a drink or something.”
It was obvious he was uncomfortable and because he’d been so kind to her, she let him off the hook. “It’s okay. I think I’m going to bed. I’ll just stay in here for the night.”
He looked between her and the chaise. “No.”
“No? What does that mean?”
He didn’t reply, merely leaned over and lifted her in his arms—one under her legs, the other around her back. He hauled her up as if she weighed nothing and started out of her office.
“What are you doing? ‘No’ doesn’t mean carry me around like a sack of flour.”
He flashed her that crazy sexy smile. “I wouldn’t carry a sack of flour like this. And I won’t let you be miserable all night. You’ve had a rough day and I’m putting you to bed. It’s part of my job.”
He seemed to know where he was going. He crossed through the living room and walked past her guest bath, straight to her bedroom. “Get undressed. We’re going to sleep. We’ll wake up and everything will seem better in the morning. Well, everything except breakfast. I imagine that will be a lot of tofu bacon, but I’ll eat it if you’ll smile again.”
When he set her on her feet, she got her PJs and dutifully went to the bathroom and changed. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Wow. No wonder he was worried. Her skin was red and puffy. She could never cry prettily. She washed her face. Connor was right. Everything would seem better in the morning.
She was a delusional optimist.
He was already in bed when she walked out. True to his word, he’d taken the left side of the bed, the one closest to the door. Lincoln was already asleep in the little bed she’d bought for him and placed in the corner of her room. Now she kind of wished he slept with her. The only light in the room was from the lamp on Connor’s side, and she was struck by just how intimate the situation was. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his broad shoulders and all the defined muscles of his chest were on display. They were alone in a bedroom.
“Come on, princess. I’m not doing anything tonight but sleeping, and I’m staying this close because I genuinely believe I can protect you. I think you’ll sleep better if you know where I am. And if I try anything, you can call the president and tell him what an asshole I am.”
She slipped into her side of the bed, but not before she’d seen that he was wearing a pair of boxers. She shifted, trying to get comfortable. Luckily it was a queen, but Connor was really big. He took up more than half the space.
The light went out.
“I really am sorry about Niall,” he muttered.
“It’s okay. I’ll get over him.” She would. She had worse things to deal with than a boy playing at being a man.
“He didn’t deserve you.”
She let his words warm her and she fell asleep far faster than she’d thought possible.
* * *
Connor came awake to the feel of something warm on his cheek.
He forced himself to stay still. Whatever had touched him didn’t seem to be trying to kill him, though he could be wrong about that. But he was completely awake now, not that he usually slept much anyway.
Which made him question why the sun was obviously up. Though he hadn’t opened his eyes yet, he knew the difference between night and day.
He’d lain down with Lara to persuade her to drift off. If he hadn’t, she would have slept in her office, the very place he’d needed to search. He’d only planned to lie down until she fell into dreamland, then he’d intended to creep down the hall and download everything on her system. He’d found himself watching her sleep and wondering how the hell anyone could look so fucking innocent. She’d headed into slumber facing away from him, but not two minutes after her breathing had turned even and deep, she’d flipped over to face him, one arm out as though reaching for him. He’d lain there and watched her, the moonlight caressing her skin and making her look like a fairy princess.
Another warm lick hit his neck.
Was it too much to beg the universe that Lara had decided she liked the way his skin tasted and was, even now, tonguing him in a sweet attempt to get him to wake up and fuck her? He really didn’t want his cock to be this hard from that damn dog. He hadn’t gotten a morning hard-on in forever, but he definitely felt it now. Of course, it might have more to do with the dream he’d had. He didn’t like to dream since most of them turned into nightmares where he replayed all of his worst fuckups, but his most recent dream had been about him delving into Lara’s little body, driving out all her thoughts of that stupid Niall and filling her with himself.
Maybe she’d been dreaming about him, too.