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“There. All done.” She stood staring at him.
Now what? Hadn’t she said something about spending the night? Desire fired in his belly. Slowly, he pulled her onto his lap, giving her plenty of time to resist.
She didn’t.
Although, she did brace her arms on his shoulders, keeping her body back several inches to keep from brushing his wound.
“You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“I’ll switch you to my good side.” His hands eased up to gently rub the tight cords in her back. “You’re tense.”
“You’ve had a rough night and you say I’m tense.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my legs or my arms. Is this the more comfortable part?”
Her laugh poured over him like warm honey. He wanted to kiss her senseless.
“I had something else in mind.”
“Like what?” One hand massaged her back while his other hand teased its way under her shirt to her abdomen. Her skin reminded him of silk. She slid her hands behind his neck and played with his hair. Nerves he didn’t know he had tingled. He needed to kiss her again.
She rested her forehead against his. “Maybe you should shower while I scrounge up something for you to eat.”
Hell. He probably had grime on his face and stunk like charred metal. He basked in the scent of her hair, the warmth on his brow, her breath skimming his chest. Unable to stop himself, he brushed his knuckles down the slender column of her neck.
“As wonderful as this feels, what do you say we put this on hold. For a little while.” With the gentlest of touches, she gave him a quick peck on his brow.
As long as you pick up where you left off.
When she stood, he felt cold all over.
“I can offer you a shower, but I’m afraid I don’t have any clothes for you. I have a washer, so if you can make do with something, I can have your things clean by morning.”
He didn’t give a rip about his clothes. His brain latched on to staying with her till morning.
“You’ll let me spend the night?” he asked, not hiding the hopeful smile that curved his lips.
“I’m not about to let you go.” A teasing glint entered her eyes. “We’ll talk about where you sleep later.”
Damn. The night wasn’t over yet. And if he didn’t have any clothes, the evening promised to get very interesting.
Chapter 6
“Make yourself at home,” Cassie said and closed the spare bedroom door behind her. She leaned against its wooden surface, the hungry look in Mike’s eyes imprinted in her mind. It took all of her strength not to march right back in there and take care of that bulge in the front of his jeans. Mike’s hot looks and easygoing manner made a woman want to tear off her clothes.
She shoved away from the wall and released a heavy breath. Her apartment had two king size bedrooms, each with a private shower, which was what had sold her on this place. She kept it stocked with soap and shampoo, all the necessities for when her mom visited. She didn’t need to think about Mike and all his naked muscles in that shower.
Was she being stupid? She wanted him. He didn’t hide the fact that he wanted her. She still couldn’t believe her thoughts or the way her body had responded. And that kiss. She hadn’t wanted to stop. Usually, she pushed men away. So why was she behaving so irrationally with Mike?
She swiped her hair from her face and went back to the kitchen to clean up. She’d give him a few minutes and then gather his clothes.
The smell of smoke lingered in the kitchen. She lifted Mike’s soiled shirt and took it to the laundry room, thinking it belonged in the trash. After tidying up, she searched the refrigerator for an idea of what to fix him to eat. Omelets or cheese and crackers with a sausage roll. He probably wouldn’t want anything much heavier.
His behavior disturbed her. Firefighters were fit and most were conscientious. Jared fit the roll of playboy. Mike did not, even though he’d flirted and he was hot enough to attract any woman. Given the vibe earlier, he could have taken her right in this kitchen. He was a prime example of a hot-blooded male, yet he’d been respectful and controlled his passion, even when she’d pushed him while squirming in his lap. Their attraction was mutual and she’d been as hungry as he. She hadn’t denied him—much. She’d been tempted almost beyond endurance, but his pain-filled groan had stopped her cold.
What had she been thinking? She didn’t do things like that—throw herself at a man. Did she want Mike to think her easy?
She gathered food from the refrigerator and placed the items on the counter. She pulled a large knife from the wooden holder and cut into the sausage roll with vigor. Mike should be undressed by now. He would be getting into the shower. Should she remind him not to get the bandage wet? Maybe he needed more towels. He was a big man, after all.
