Page 30 of Ignited

She looked down at his hand on her boob.

“Okay,” he said. “I’m just going to put this down now.” He didn’t put it down. She didn’t pull away. But she suddenly started shivering worse than before, her whole body shaking like she had a fever.

“Oh, shit.” Boomer stretched over and grabbed his shirt from where he’d tossed it over the coffee table and wrapped it around her, slipping her arms in the sleeves and rubbing her upper arms to warm her.

When that didn’t help, he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him and rubbing her back. Gradually, the shakes subsided to tiny tremors.

She rested her head on his shoulder, and Boomer felt an ache in his heart. He felt fiercely protective and helpless at the same time.

He said, “I should get you into bed. Warm you up.”

She nodded against his chest. “Will you come with me?”

He felt his body go still. “Is that a good idea?” It was all he wanted to do—he didn’t want to let go of her—but he also didn’t want this complicated situation to get even more complicated.

She raised her face to his. “I want you to. I feel better when you’re touching me. And so does my tiger.” She bit her lip and then said softly, “I don’t have anything else.”

Those words stabbed at his heart. He’d seen, all night, how much she needed to be in charge. How it scared her to need help, because she’d always been alone. And when you were alone, trying to survive, weakness was death.

“Sure,” he said, tightening his arms around her. “I got you.”

Chapter 14

Boomer took Karisma into the bedroom, arm still around her shoulders, her arm around his waist. She fit against him perfectly, her lean curves molding to him like she belonged there.

He pulled back the covers of his bed and she climbed inside. He said apologetically, “Um. I haven’t washed the sheets in a while.”

She inhaled deeply, and smiled. “I know. The bed smells like you. I like it.”

She was shivering again, though, so he climbed into bed and pulled the covers up, snuggling her into his arms. “Promise me you won’t go tiger and break the bed.”

“It should probably hold.”

But there were no promises about not Changing. She was still on the edge.

He said, “It’s usually not his easy to get girls to invite me into bed.”

She pressed herself up against him. “Why? You’re hot.”

Even though he told people that all the time, because of being a smartass, hearing her say it in that matter-of-fact way was different. Different as in, he liked it a lot and thus didn’t have any clue how to respond.

“Of course I am,” he said. “But I’m also crazy and annoying. Ask anybody.”

“Me too,” she said. “I thought that was a good thing.”

A kindred spirit. It made him like her even more.

But her teeth were starting to chatter, so he pulled her close and rubbed her back gently. He wasn’t really good at gentleness or comforting people. He’d never had the chance, and no one had ever done it for him. Maybe his mom, but he couldn’t really remember her. He’d been too little when she died.

And this was nothing like that, anyway.

Her arms were around him, hands on his bare chest, and her touch sent little sparks of energy all over his skin, like a sparkler going off. Warmth spread through him, starting from his chest and reaching all the way out to his fingers and toes.

He stroked her hair, running his fingers through it and cupping the back of her neck. Her tiger had liked that, when he stroked her head. Maybe she did too. Without thinking, he dropped a light kiss on her forehead.

She started to shake.

Whoa. Okay. Boomer put his hand under her chin, tilting her head up. “Hey. Hey, look at me.” He waited for her eyes to focus. “Stay with me. I got you.” The lost look in her eyes pulled something out of him, just like he’d pulled her tiger out of her. Only this was a need—not just to protect her, but to shore her up while she felt weak, to remind her how strong she was and hold her until she remembered.