Hero By Night (Independence Falls 3)

She kissed him again, opening her mouth to his, deepening the connection. And he didn’t back down. His lips moved over hers, vying for control, letting her feel his desire, his need—­it was potent and demanding, a perfect match for the wild lust pulsing through her.

Maybe they could take this further, making love here, in his truck . . .

Uncertainty rose up, and she felt her breathing change. The panic she’d fought at the pizza place had receded, but it hadn’t disappeared. She could feel it waiting on the sidelines.

Chad drew back, breaking the kiss as if he understood that they’d reached an imaginary tipping point. Staring into her eyes, his lips curved into his devilish smile. “Why don’t you head in, Lena?”

“You’re not coming?”

He let out a short, rough laugh. “No, beautiful. Not tonight. But I left your present on your nightstand in case you want to.”

I don’t want the toy. I want you. But her mind knew better. Tonight wasn’t the night to push her boundaries. Not when she was inching her way toward normal.

“I’ve had enough excitement for one night,” he added. “I’ll keep the headlights on so you can get inside. And I’ll see you at the house in the morning.”

She nodded as she opened the door and climbed down from his truck.

“And Lena?”

She glanced over her shoulder, her dog pressing against her side the minute her feet touched the ground.

“Dream of me.”

Chapter 9

CHAD LEANED HIS head back against the tiles, the water rushing over him. Daylight poured in the small tempered glass window. Eyes closed, his mind revisited last night, in the studio, before pizza. The way her hands m

oved over her breasts, the soft, needy sounds she’d made, her pleas for more—­

“Chad! Where are you? I swear, when I find you . . .”

A familiar female voice echoed in the hall, stealing him away from the fantasy. The door swung open, the brass knob hitting the tiled wall. The wimpy hook Brody had installed to give them the illusion of privacy proved to be no match for the ranting, raving woman who’d invaded the bathroom.

“Is it true?” Katie demanded.

Chad pulled back the curtain just enough to show his face, careful to keep the rest of his body hidden behind the hunter green fabric. It was a damn good thing his sister hadn’t chosen one of those clear plastic shower curtains.

“Kinda naked here,” he said.

Her eyes narrowed, her wild red curls surrounding her face like a pile of Medusa’s snakes. Yeah, she was sure as hell pissed off, and he had a hunch he knew why. Somebody had spread the word about his “date.”

“Did you take Lena out?” Katie demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest.

More footsteps sounded in the hall. Chad had a sinking feeling the number of ­people in his bathroom was about to double. Liam Trulane, the number two at Moore Timber and his kid sister’s boyfriend, poked his head in the bathroom, spotted Chad, and quickly retreated.

“Katie,” Liam called from the hall. “Let him finish his shower first.”

“No,” she snapped.

“Great, now I have an audience,” he said, pulling the curtain closed and stepping back under the water to rinse his hair.

“I’m leaving, man,” Liam said.

“Can’t you toss her over your shoulder and take her with you?” Chad called.

“Your sister?” Liam let out a laugh. “Not if I want to see tomorrow.”

“Did you take Lena out on a date?” Katie repeated.