****
When his breathing had returned to normal, Hawk searched for and found Zoe’s lips. “The next time we do this the light stays on,” he said, his tone adamant as he slowly eased out of her though he was reluctant to move.
Her hands ran up and down his back in a caress. “Maybe.”
“No maybes. I want to see you when I touch you next time, Zoe.”
“Maybe we can work our way up to that, a little at a time.”
“You just trusted me enough to make love with you. How can you do that, and not trust me enough to let me see you while I’m doing it?”
“In the dark, I can be as beautiful as any other woman for you.”
Pain grabbed him by the throat. “Oh baby--” He rested his cheek against hers and swallowed against it. “You are beautiful, Zoe. Every time you walk into a room, I get hard. I’ve been going around for weeks in that condition.”
“I have too, I mean, not hard, but you know.” Her voice was just above a whisper. Her lips parted and warm touched his shoulder.
An instant response shot through him and he turned his lips to hers. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.”
He eased away from her and off the bottom of the bed. Closing the bathroom door, he turned on the light and moved to the toilet to discard the condom. He froze. “Oh, shit.” A dropping sensation hit his stomach worse than a three thousand foot parachute jump. As the prophylactic hit the water, he drew several steadying breaths, a thousand thoughts and emotions bombarding him as he watched the useless thing circle the toilet bowl and disappear down the drain.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the door, leaving the light on. She had gotten under the covers, and as he crossed the threshold, she drew the sheet up over her breasts. Two long steps put him at the foot of the bed. The pale light from the bathroom etched one side of her face and shoulder, leaving the rest in shadow. She looked so young, so small. Responsibility lay like a weight upon his shoulders. “We have a problem, Zoe.”
Breaking Free Page 33