Page 54 of Rescuing Mary

“Truck?”

“Yeah, Mary?”

“We haven’t had sex together.”

He lifted his head at that. “Why not?”

“It’s a long story,” Mary prevaricated.

“But we’ve slept together.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah.”

“I thought so. This feels familiar to me. You in my arms. Snoring.”

“I don’t snore,” Mary protested, smacking his chest.

Truck’s hand came up and flattened her palm against his chest, his thumb brushing back and forth over it, as if to calm her.

“I’m glad,” Truck told her.

“Glad we haven’t had sex?” Mary asked in disbelief.

“Yeah. Because I think I would’ve hated knowing I’d been inside you and not remembering it. It makes me feel as if we’re more on the same level since we haven’t seen each other naked yet.”

“I didn’t say that,” Mary muttered.

His brow arched. “You’ve seen me naked?”

She shook her head. “No. Dammit. But you’ve seen me.”

“Fuck. I hate that I don’t remember.”

“I’m not much to look at.”

This time when his head came up, his eyes were sparkling with anger. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

“Look at me, Mare. Out of the two of us, I’m the one who isn’t much to look at.”

Mary scooted her hand out from under his and palmed his cheek. “You’re perfect.”

“As are you.”

“But you don’t know—”

“Shhhhh,” Truck soothed, cutting her off. “No one is getting naked right this second, so just relax.”

Mary put her head back on his shoulder but kept her hand on his cheek. He was so warm and alive under her. She knew that if he’d hit his head any harder, he might not be here at all.

“There you go,” Truck murmured. “Relax, Mare. This is the first time I get to sleep with you…and actually remember it. Let me enjoy it.”

“Brute,” Mary complained without heat.

She felt him chuckle, his chest rumbling under her, but she was too relaxed and happy to argue with him anymore. “I’m glad you’re here,” she told him.

“Thank you for defending me against that scary woman,” Truck returned. “I don’t know why she couldn’t figure out that I wasn’t interested.”