Without answering, Wade moved away from the doorway, his long strides eating up the distance between them. When he came to stand behind her, her pulse began to beat out a wild rhythm.
“Look to your left, Gracie.”
Curious, she did as he asked. Their reflection in the dresser mirror fil ed her vision. Fascinated, Gracie watched Wade’s gaze wander the length of her. Her flesh tingled to life as if he’d physical y stroked her. “You’re so handsome, Wade. Every inch of you. I saw women staring at you at the shooting range, you know,” she admitted. “It made me crazy.”
His gaze heated. “Jealous?”
Gracie bit her lip and nodded. “I’ve never been the jealous type. I’m not sure I like it one bit.”
Wade stroked a finger down her cheek, his voice dropping an octave. “I know the feeling, sweetheart. If I could keep you locked away so other men could never look at you, I think I would.”
“You would?”
“Mmm, I know what they’re thinking when they see you, because I’m thinking the same things.”
“Things?” Gracie asked. Suddenly it became imperative that Wade explain, in great detail, what sort of things he thought when he looked at her the way he was looking at her now.
“Did you know that when we were cleaning today I caught Dean watching you a few times?”
That wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear. “No. I didn’t even notice.”
“It wasn’t in a weird, creepy way, but I could tel he was curious about you.” He stroked her arm, leaving goose bumps everywhere he touched.
“A man sees this body, and he wants to know it, baby. Men want to view it up close, with nothing in the way to hamper the glorious sight.”
Her gaze never veered from his in the mirror as she asked, “Is that the way you felt when you asked me out, Wade?”
He moved closer, until his body pressed tight against hers. She could feel his hard cock prodding her buttocks, and her panties grew damp.
“The first time I saw you I wanted to strip you bare. You bewitched me, Gracie.”
“Is that why you asked me to live with you?” Gracie hadn’t meant to ask, but since it was out, she was glad. She needed to know the reason behind his offer.
“I asked you to live with me because I enjoy being with you. You’re an intel igent, kind, beautiful, hardworking woman. And it’s the first time I’ve ever asked a woman to move in.”
Her gaze widened. “Real y?”
“I told you before that what I feel for you is different. It’s more, deeper, and I want us to have the time to explore it. To see where it might lead.”
“There’s never been a man in my life who treated me the way you do. I’m so far out of my comfort zone, and it’s scary, Wade.”
Wade turned her toward him, his gaze searching hers. “Relationships are hard for you, I know. But don’t you think I’m worth the effort? That we’re worth the effort?”
She could see the hurt her words had evoked, and it tore at her. Wade was so strong and able, as if bul ets real y could bounce off him. It baffled her that she could cause him even an ounce of pain.
Reaching up, Gracie cupped his cheeks in her palms and spoke from the heart. “When you smile, I lose my ability to think straight. Al you have to do is look at me, and my heart speeds up. You’re such an enigma, Wade. You have a col ection of books that would have any librarian worth her salt creaming in her panties, and yet you handle a rifle so wel it makes me wonder how you learned such a skil . You’re a soldier, my very own hero, and the only man capable of making me want to scream with frustration one minute and melt with pleasure in the next.”
He gripped her shoulders and growled, “Then that’s a yes? You’l move in with me?”
Gracie couldn’t help it, she grinned. He was so tenacious. “That’s a ‘let’s wait and see what happens’ after we catch the freak stalking me.”
“Fine. But in the meantime, I want you.”
In a flash, her body went up in flames at the sudden possessiveness in his voice. Geez, she loved hearing that tone from him. So aggressive.
So male. It was hot.
“Wade,” she said, too breathless to say more.