Page 76 of Wild Ride

“Can I?”

He nodded, so she continued to push up, up, revealing inch after inch of smooth, golden muscle. His six-pack was brimming with vitality and heat, and it was all she could do not to fall to her knees and start licking. Instead, she kept it classy and let her hands wander over his hot skin. His sharp intake of breath told her he approved.

With his help, she pulled his shirt up over his head.

“You’re so beautiful,” she murmured to his chest. She couldn’t believe she was here, that this was happening. After last night, when he’d called a halt, she wondered if they’d get here. Because nothing in life was certain.

He slipped off her jacket and started undoing the buttons on her blouse.

His expression turned uncertain. “You sure, Ashley? Don’t do this because you feel sorry for me.”

She felt a lot of things right now; pity wasn’t even close to the top of the list.

“I want you, Dex. I hope you want me, too.”

His expelled breath was both relief and invitation. “Fuck, yes. Never doubt it.”

He cupped her beneath her butt and lifted her against his body, leaving her no choice but to wrap her legs around his hips.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

“What? Risk putting your back out?”

“Take you somewhere no one can find you and have you all to myself.” He frowned. “Not in a creepy abduction way. Just a ‘let me inside you and make you feel special’ way.”

“I got it,” she whispered, not sure why that sounded so sweet to her ears. Something about Dex made her feel oddly cared for. She wasn’t used to it, given that she spent so much of her time focused on the needs of other people. It was so wonderful to be the center of his attention.

Carrying her forward, he kept his gaze locked on hers, like he was worried she might disappear before his eyes. She could tell him she was here for however long he needed her, but she didn’t want to make any promises. Eventually she’d have to return to the real world.

Gently he placed her on the bed and pushed her on her back. Now for the reckoning.

It was complete daylight.

She was about to get naked in front of an Adonis.

She was sincerely out of practice.

And definitely not wearing her nicest underwear.

He ran a hand over the front of her jeans, the same ones she’d worn last night. The zipper scrape was so loud she almost jumped.

“Okay?”

“Yeah, just yank them off.”

He rolled them down an inch, while she tried not to let the released-into-the-wild muffin top bother her. Her underwear—plain black boy shorts—stayed on, so at least he had that to distract him.

Her blouse was already open, so he finished the job and slipped it off her shoulders. Kneeling between her legs, he moved his gaze over her with a focus that made her go stiff.

His gaze locked onto hers. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s been a while for me, Dex. I don’t want to say how long because it would embarrass us both. And I’m not like the women you’re used to. I’ve got a mom bod and I wasn’t really prepared for this.” It wasn’t a complete jungle down there, never mind the jiggle when she moved, but neither was it ready for prime time with a man like Dex O’Malley.

Feeling self-conscious, she clamped her thighs together as if that could make this conversation any easier.

“Ashley, you are so beautiful. Do you not see that?”

Tears threatened. She hadn’t heard that in a while. Or ever.

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