“I’m not going to let that happen,” Evan declared, reaching across the table to grab her hand with his. “Believe me when I say that because I mean it.”
She placed her fork on the edge of her plate, her hand shaking. “I’m dragging you back into a life you didn’t want anymore. You don’t want to be a cop, remember? Now you’re in a position where you have to protect me. Don’t you resent me for that? Just a little?”
“Not a bit,” he replied quickly because it was true. “I won’t lie that I’m not conflicted slightly but the one thing I know, honey, is that I was a good cop. I can protect you. I know what to do to make sure you’re safe and I’d be a piss poor human being if I didn’t do it. Add in the fact that I think you’re amazing and wonderful and there’s no doubt that I’d take care of you. This doesn’t mean I have to be a marshal again, or a sheriff. This is not a permanent situation.”
“If you ever change your mind–”
“I won’t.”
“But you might–”
“Don’t even go there. Not going to happen.”
“You interrupt a lot.”
That made Evan smile. “It’s part of my charm. Now let’s get that waitress over here and order some dessert. I’m still hungry.”
“I want my own dessert.”
He’d known she would.
“I’m not surprised. Let’s decide what we’re going to order. I vote for the chocolate fudge cake and the bread pudding. We can share a little.”
He was fine as long as he didn’t have to make any decisions too far into the future. But he had figured out one thing and that was a step forward.
Evan wanted to be a man that Josie could respect and admire.
Maybe even love.
Chapter Eighteen
The wine had done its job.
Josie was relaxed and serene as they entered the house after driving back from dinner. All in all it had been a wonderful evening. She’d learned so much about Evan and it only made her care about him more than she already did. The one thing she hated was that her situation was forcing him into a role he’d been happy to leave behind.
All the way home, the awareness between them had built to a frightening level, punctuated by little glances and touches. A hand on her thigh, her fingers stroking his arm. Her body was hyper-aware of his as he closed the front door behind him, leaving them alone in their private world. They’d created a cocoon of sorts, free from worrying about prison or rogue killers. It was as if they were the only two people in the world.
If only they could stay that way forever.
They had tonight.
If she were being completely honest, Josie didn’t know where they’d be days or weeks from now. While Evan swore he could protect her, the fact was he was one man against many. There were no guarantees of a tomorrow. No one had any, although until now she’d carried the illusion that the future was a sure thing.
Evan said he wanted to do what he wanted to, not what was expected of him. She did too.
He would expect her to climb the stairs, slip into her pajamas, and go to sleep. But in her mind she’d already crossed over that line, the one keeping them strictly friends. She wanted to be with him and he’d left no doubt that he felt the same. What was she waiting for?
For him to make the first move, that was what.
It wasn’t in her nature to be the aggressor in a relationship, especially when it came to sex. The fear of rejection along with that nagging little voice in the back of her head that said good girls don’t initiate lovemaking were both powerful forces and she found herself simply standing in the middle of the living room as he snapped on the lights one by one, illuminating the darkened space.
“I don’t have a television or anything.” Evan grimaced as he dropped his keys into the bowl on the table by the door. “It’s still early but if you want to go to bed that’s fine. I’m sure you’re tired after the long day. I just need to get something out of my room and it’s all yours.”
That was one thing that needed fixing. It wasn’t right that she’d kicked him out of his own bedroom. The camp bed he was sleeping on in the living room was too short and uncomfortable for a grown man to get a good night’s sleep.
“About that,” Josie began, her fingers twisting in the straps of her backpack. “I can’t in good conscious take over your bedroom. It’s your house and you worked just as hard as I did today. You just did it better because you’re in good shape and I’m a blob that sits on the couch most of the time.”
That scowl she knew so well was currently directed right at her but she stood her ground.
“It’s no hardship, honey. I’ve slept on the cold dirt many times so having any sort of bed is a plus in my book. While you’re here for me to protect, you’ll sleep in the bed.”
Scraping up every bit of courage she could muster, she took a deep breath and plunged in. “It’s king size. There’s plenty of room for both of us.”
If she thought she was going to shock Evan Davis she was sorely mistaken. Instead of his mouth falling open, his lips curved into a smile. A smile that could only be described as wolfish and seductive. Heat curled in her belly in response and she had to remind herself to breathe even as her pulse began to pound in her ears.
“Well, you do have a point there,” he drawled, looking quite pleased with himself. “The bed is very large and you’re just a tiny scrap of a thing. You can’t take up much space.”
She liked to sprawl in the middle of the mattress, arms and legs flung to each corner but she wasn’t about to admit that to him at this moment. Nor did she want to point out that no one in her life ever had described her as bitty or a scrap. She had heard the words curvy and zaftig. In other words, she had some junk in the trunk.
“So…if you want to share, I’m fine with it.”
Whirling on her heel she didn’t wait for him to respond, instead flying up the staircase, paying no attention to her sore bones and muscles that screamed in rabid protest. Quickly she stripped out of her clothes and into a pair of pajama shorts and a t-shirt. She slipped between the sheets and resolutely squeezed her eyes shut, covers to her chin, while her heart pounded waiting for him to join her. Or not.
He didn’t make her wait long. The door opened slowly, creaking on its ancient hinges, and she let her lids flutter open to watch his deft fingers working on the buttons of his shirt. He didn’t say a word or make eye contact as he shrugged out of his shirt, jeans, and socks, leaving on a pair of dark blue boxer shorts.
Josie had to grit her teeth to keep from making a noise as she surveyed every inch of exposed flesh on display. Evan was in amazing shape and had nothing to be ashamed of. She allowed her gaze to caress his wide shoulders, flat abdomen, and powerful thighs, skipping over the more intimate bulge between his legs.
I won’t look. I won’t look. I won’t– Oops! I looked.
Swallowing hard, she realized she was panting and probably drooling down her chin as if she hadn’t seen a half-naked man in decades. He was no more bare than if they’d gone to the beach but the mere sight of his gorgeous body had worked her up into a rare lather. Her arousal was humming and he hadn’t even touched her and she didn’t have any idea if he intended to. He might lie next to her and fall asleep, leaving her awake and aching.
Cruel bastard.
Josie felt the bed move and the blanket pull back so that Evan could get in beside her. He kept his distance, however, respecting her personal space. She reached up to snap off the bedside light, bathing them in moonlight from the windows.
Trying to scrunch into the smallest ball possible at the very edge of the bed, Josie turned her back to Evan and tried to relax enough to fall asleep. What a joke. There was no way she was going to simply drift off to sleep easily when Evan’s fine self was lying only a foot away.
“Josie, if you’re not okay with this, I can go downstairs and sleep in the living room.”
“No!” Forcefully relaxing her rigid spine, she turned so she was faci
ng him, his body half illuminated but his expression shrouded in shadow. “No, please don’t. It’s–it’s just been a long time since I’ve shared a bed with anyone. Now that you’re here I’m wondering if maybe I snore.”
His shoulders moved in a shrug and a soft chuckle escaped from his lips. “That wouldn’t bother me. I snore too.”
“You never said that,” she accused playfully, her palm pushing at his chest and finding bare skin over hard muscle. She froze, her fingers still pressed against his warm flesh, her teasing words dying as heat spread from her hand all the way to her toes. He felt wonderful and she wanted to continue her exploration of his body.
But she was a big chicken that wasn’t going to do anything. A coward. A fraidy-cat.
Whatever one wanted to call her she’d willingly accept the title. She was terrified that her advances would be rejected despite Evan’s copious hints that he was completely on board with the idea of them being together. After all, he might have changed his mind somewhere between the drive home and the climb up the stairs. Maybe he’d decided she was too much trouble or he was too exhausted.
A wave of self-consciousness hit her hard and Josie had to fight the urge to sniff at her underarms.
He, on the other hand, smelled amazing. A little like body wash and a lot like warmth as if he was the softest, cuddliest blanket on a chilly, rain-soaked afternoon. He represented everything that was good and solid in her upside down, crazy world. She trusted him with everything she was.
She trusted him with her life. It didn’t seem much of a stretch to trust him with her body too. In fact, the more she pondered the point, the more it made sense. No man had ever taken care of her the way Evan had.
Flattening her palm against his chest, she allowed her fingers to run up and over his shoulders, down his arms, and then back up, only to travel down his torso and over his ridged abs, lingering at the waistband of his boxer shorts. Evan hadn’t remained still and silent during her sensual foray; he’d reached out his own hands and clamped them down on her hips, tugging her closer until her nose was pressed against the hollow of his neck.
His masculine scent flooded her senses and her suddenly heavy eyelids drifted closed as he captured her lips in a soul-searing kiss that seemed to reach down into the heart of her, letting thousands of butterflies free in her belly. Her heart raced and blood whipped through her veins as his lips explored her jaw, all the way to a sensitive spot behind her ear. She jerked and moaned as his teeth nipped at the flesh, drawing a chuckle of pure male satisfaction from him while his long fingers splayed out as if to claim as much territory for himself as he could.
“Are you sure, honey? We don’t have to do this.”
His voice was low and husky, like a glass of aged whiskey and a fine cigar. She didn’t answer for a moment, instead letting her hands reply by running up and down his chest, lingering on his flat nipples and pulling a tortured groan from somewhere deep inside of him.
“I think I do have to do this,” she finally answered. “If I stop now, I’d never forgive myself. I want this. You. But I’m nervous as hell. It’s been a long time since…”
She didn’t think she needed to finish the sentence. He already knew she’d had lousy luck in love in the past. Funny, she had a feeling things might be looking up in that department.
“We can take this as slow as we need to. I’m not going anywhere.”
Leaning down, he captured her lips with his own, nibbling on her bottom lip and sending frissons of pleasure through every vein and pore. She couldn’t remember ever being this affected by a man while still wearing clothes.
“I don’t think slow is going to do it this time. I think I need you now.”
Chapter Nineteen
Steadying his trembling hands, Evan rolled Josie onto her back and he hovered above her, his face buried in the fragrant curve of her neck while his hands were busily sliding under her cotton top to the silky skin begging to be stroked and explored. Her own fingers were testing his resolve by tracing a line on the flesh above the waistband of his boxers, causing his cock to harden even further and jump with each teasing touch of her fingernails.
He sucked in a breath when she scraped those nails over his fabric-covered erection and he bit her earlobe in retaliation, loving the way she shivered in response.
“Naughty girl. If you keep doing that this might be all over before it even starts.”
Her hands slid up his torso to his shoulders, brushing his sensitive flesh on the way. “But I want to play. And touch. Just a little won’t hurt.”
Right now, it was very painful indeed. His balls were already drawn up tight and his cock was throbbing with every beat of his heart. Sinking into her hot, wet center was about all he could think about but there was a small part of his brain still functioning on a non-primitive level that was making sense.
Make this good for her. Then she’ll want to do it again. Don’t be an asshole.
His hands slid up her arms to gently hold her wrists, one on each side of her head. Josie could easily pull away if she wanted to or if she panicked, but hopefully she’d allow herself to be adored and worshipped without interruption. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you just lie back and relax? Let me do the driving. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Her kiss-swollen lips curved into a smile and she gave him a small sigh, her lids half-closed. Grateful for her trust, he didn’t hesitate to begin exploring her with his tongue, lips and teeth, cataloging all the spots that seemed to bring her the greatest pleasure.
Her clothes were in the way. They would have to go.
Sitting back on his haunches, he insinuated his hands under her top and slipped it over her head, Josie cooperating by lifting up slightly. Her bare breasts were magnificent, soft, round, generous, with dusky pink tips, but if he stopped to give them attention he’d be sidetracked for quite a while. Better to stay focused and come back when he could take his time.
He tossed it aside before hooking his thumbs in the top of her sleep shorts and slid them down her tanned legs, taking his time and admiring every lush line and curve he revealed. Josie might not have the athletic slim figure that was so in vogue these days but as far as he was concerned she had something far better.
A body that was luscious, abundant, sumptuous, and very delicious. She reminded him of those pinup girls from World War II like Rita Heyworth or Betty Grable. Everything about her screamed sin and sex and it was all he could do not to fall on her like a starving dog on a juicy steak.
The scrap of lace she called panties followed quickly after and he allowed his gaze to travel head to toe, drinking in the bounty laid out before him. Her legs moved restlessly and her fingers dug into his shoulders slightly as if to get his attention.
“Are you just going to stare or are you maybe going to do something? You got me naked and I figured you had a plan.”
If his arousal-fogged mind had any plan at all it was to kiss every single inch of flesh he had exposed.
That seemed like a good place to start. He could decide what step two was while he was executing step one.
His tongue slid over the curve of her breast to circle a hardened peak and he delighted in her indrawn breath and moan of pleasure. Drawing it into his mouth, he scraped his teeth along the sides and her nails cut into the skin of his back as her legs fell naturally open as if in supplication. He situated himself between them, pushing them farther apart with his knees.
“I want you to scream my name when you come. That’s the plan.”
* * * *
As far as plans went, it was a good one.
Josie was completely on board, every part of her. Honey dampened her thighs and a bar of arousal had formed in her belly. Her limbs were heavy and white-hot heat licked at her flesh as his incredibly talented mouth kissed a wet trail down her abdomen, over her mound, and onto her inner thighs. His tongue swirled on the sensitive skin and she hissed in approval when he nipped and licked at the juncture where hip met thigh.
His hands had abandoned her wrists and she found her fingers tangled in his silky dark hair, the short scruff of his beard scraping ticklish spots and sending shivers of pleasure straight to her clit. Licking at her slit, he parted the drenched flesh and ran a callused finger around her swollen button, drawing a tortured moan from her lips. She canted her hips in desperation as his tongue sought out every nook and cranny but the one place she needed him the most.
“Please.”
The word came out raw and barely intelligible but he must have understood because he immediately took pity on her, closing his mouth over the sensitive pearl and sucking softly while his tongue rubbed each side in turn. The wave of pleasure hit her like a barreling freight train and she froze, her spine stiffening and her toes and fingers curled into the sheets. Throwing her head back, Josie called out his name as she trembled and quaked with each crest and surge. Before she could catch her breath, she heard the rustle of foil and the snap of latex.
It was about damn time.
She should have known that making love with Evan Davis wouldn’t be the same as any other lover she’d had in the past. There was no hesitation, no tentative, fumbling touches. Only a sure alpha male between her quivering thighs. Evan hooked one of his arms under each of her knees and pushed them up and apart, spreading her wide open to his hot, avid gaze. Every shred of decency and ladylike behavior must have fled at some point because instead of feeling embarrassed or ashamed she felt aroused at the pleasure he was displaying as he looked her up and down, clearly enjoying what he was seeing. He made her feel like the sexiest, most desired woman on the planet and she could only hope she made him feel the same.
Justice Reborn (Cowboy Justice Association Book 8) Page 12