Butterfly Bayou (Butterfly Bayou 1)

His lips moved on hers, tongue coming out to play. She let her hands find his hair, sinking into it. His hair was soft and silky. He growled against her lips and then his tongue was invading, one hand fisting in her hair and gently guiding her head so he could have better access.

Her whole body went soft and she could feel herself getting ready for him.

He didn’t have to sleep on the couch. He could come to her bed and they could end the night right.

As if he could hear her thoughts, his hands moved again. This time one went around her back and the other under her knees. He lifted her up like she weighed nothing at all. Her heart raced in the best way.

“I think that answers the question,” she said, not recognizing the husky sound of her voice. “Risk is totally worth it.”

“It will be.” He was staring at her like he could eat her up. He cradled her in his arms and started making his way back to the bedroom.

He walked through her bedroom door. She needed to redecorate, make the place her own. For the first time she thought about redoing the house. She’d thought it would only be a place to sleep, but if Armie would be here, she wanted it to be nice. Comfortable. She wanted it to have something of her in it.

Armie started to lay her down on the bed. She would definitely start with high-quality sheets. And she might get some sexy pajamas. She could find those somewhere. She had Internet. Well, sometimes. When it was working. Surely there was a library with Wi-Fi.

She waited to feel the press of his body against hers. He could take control now. She was ready to follow him.

This was what she needed. God, this might be what she’d come here for.

He pulled the covers over her and bent down, lightly pressing a kiss on her forehead. “Good night, Lila.”

“What?” She pushed herself up. Was he actually leaving? “I said yes, Armie. It’s fine. You don’t have to sleep out there.”

“Yes, I do, because if I don’t we’re going to make a hell of a mistake tonight.”

She didn’t see it that way. “We’re consenting adults. It’s not a mistake. It’s sex.”

“Yes, that would be the mistake. It’s too soon. It would be sex for you, and I don’t particularly want sex. I want something more. I’ve had plenty of sex.”

“Good for you. I haven’t had any in a long time.” A thought struck her like a slap to the face. She’d felt something. That didn’t mean he had, and didn’t that hurt way more than she’d imagined it could? “Oh. It didn’t really work for you, did it?”

“Hey, you want to take a look at this thing and tell me I don’t want you? It’s painful and it’s taking everything I have not to hop into bed with you, but I don’t think you’ll feel the same way I do in the morning. I think you’ll slap my pretty ass and send me on my way.”

Sure enough those PJ pants of his had tented admirably. Frustration welled through her. He wanted her but he wasn’t going to take her? He thought she would use him for sex?

She wasn’t going to do that. Probably not. She wouldn’t have been terribly embarrassed in the morning and kicked him out and not talked to him for days, avoiding him as much as possible.

Damn it. He was right. She wasn’t ready.

“Good night, Lila.” He stood in the doorway, his big frame in shadows.

She wished she could honestly reach out to him, but she simply turned over and tried not to think about the fact that once she’d thought she was indestructible.

Life had taught her otherwise. Life had brought her low and showed her how much of a coward she could be.

Still, when she closed her eyes and sleep claimed her, she dreamed of him, and that was worth all the trouble.chapter sixArmie was rethinking the entire night as he maneuvered the flat-bottom boat toward Petrie Island. That was what the locals called it, but it was really a series of small islands that were high enough that they didn’t regularly flood. The Petrie family had lived on those islands for the last century. They made their living as shrimpers, and it made sense to Armie that they would move closer to the marina where their boats docked, but anytime he asked, he was told Petries lived on the island. Always had. Always would.

“You know people are going to talk, right?” Roxie sat at the front of the boat, scanning for anything that might catch on the bottom or the motor.

“Talk about what?” Maybe he should have taken what Lila had offered. Maybe if he had she wouldn’t have hustled him out of her house this morning. If he’d been in bed with her, he could have pinned her down and kissed her until she couldn’t even think about going to work. He could have woken up to her body cuddled against his. Instead, he might have to ask someone to check him for ticks because Peanut had managed to climb on the couch with him in the middle of the night.