I woke up slowly, opening my eyes and blinking in the early morning light. Dani was still curled up beside me, sound asleep, although she had moved away in the night. She had one hand tucked under her cheek as she slumbered. Her blond hair had come loose and was spread out on the pillow behind her, and her other hand rested on my arm, the paleness of her skin a vivid contrast to my sun-darkened hue. Even with sun block, I tanned easily—I had a feeling she was never out of the office during the day to get any sun.
I studied her in the morning light. I had no idea why I felt this instant pull to her. But the moment I’d first seen her sitting in her car, looking uncertain, I had wanted to reach out to her. It took all I had in me to walk back into the store and wait to see if she would follow, and then not to interject my company on her instantly when she finally came inside. I stayed close, hoping to strike up a conversation. When she lifted her gaze to mine, the pull turned into a vortex. Her eyes were a mass of emotion. She looked tired, wary, and sad, her body language fraught with tension. I wanted to erase all those negative feelings and make her smile. Ease her stress.
I had always been protective of the women in my life. My mother, sister, Ella, even my female cousins—I felt a certain responsibility toward each of them. But nothing like the protective feeling that had swept over me when I saw Dani. The need to take care of her kicked into high gear when I saw her shaking hand and she had quietly admitted she hadn’t eaten. That was a need I could meet.
When the mention of her office caused a panic attack, my heart ached for her. It was a terrifying emotional roller coaster I was far too familiar with.
I had hated seeing her leave that day. And when Gabe had come in yesterday and told me she was out in the parking lot sitting in her car, I couldn’t get to her fast enough, worried she’d had another panic attack, and at the same time grateful she was here and I could be the one to help her if she required it. The fact that she came back even though she thought I was only a stock boy pleased me greatly as well. I was hoping she had come back because she felt the same draw I did, and what I did for a living didn’t matter.
The strength of the emotion she caused in me was something I couldn’t explain. The closeness I felt to her was shocking—it was as if she slipped into a void in my life and filled it completely—a void I hadn’t even known existed. The physical attraction was like its own entity. Desire for her exploded the second our lips touched. Her passionate response lit a flame that only grew the longer I spent in her company. When she stepped up, offering to help with dessert, and blew us all out of the water—not only with her skills, but the way she fit in with my family—I knew I was in deep.
Beside me, she stirred. Her hand tightened on my arm, her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled. The color was unique—a dark blue that was unexpected with her pale coloring. They mesmerized me.
“Hi.”
“Hey, Sprout.”
She wrinkled her nose, giggling. I had to kiss her little button nose, she looked so adorable.
“I like waking up with you in my bed.”
“It’s a nice bed.”
“Just the bed is nice?” I murmured, my voice husky and low.
She grinned, her eyes dancing. “These pillows are pretty nice.”
I ran a finger over her collarbone, letting it drift lower, ghosting over the swells of her breasts. “Yours are pretty nice as well.”
She blushed, slapping my hand away, and curled back up, hugging her nice pillow. “You’re incorrigible.”
I snickered at her and turned serious. “I can’t thank you enough for last night, Dani. You were amazing.”
“I enjoyed it. I love to bake.”
“Do you like to cook too?”
She shrugged. “I manage, but I don’t enjoy it the way I enjoy baking.” She smiled at me. “You cook very well.”
“I love cooking—it’s like a creative outlet for me. But I can’t bake.” I pulled her hand toward me, kissing the palm. “See, we’re a perfect team. I cook, you bake.”
“Yeah. Perfect.”
“I guess you have to stay so you can bake for me all the time.”
“I have a job, Noah. I can’t just stay here and bake.”
“I could make you.”
“Oh, really?” She laughed. “Is that supposed to scare me? What are you going to do?”
“I could kidnap you and hold you hostage in my basement. I’ll keep you as my apple crisp hostage.”