Page 19 of Protected By the Billionaire Ex-SEAL

“I feel better now.”

“Good.” Then, “Raven?”

“Yeah?”

I don’t realize I’ve been looking at his mouth for the better part of the conversation, just memorizing every curve. I still remember how it felt against mine and how it just…did things that made me lose my mind and experience so much pleasure. Comprehension dawns that the intimacy is still there…and that I’m in his lap, tucked tightly against him.

And Christian’s looking at me with a darkness in his gaze and that mouth inches from mine.

A steady hum thrums in my nerves, then my bones, already tasting the kiss for what it’s going to be: hot. Electric. Explosive. My breath stops when his hand tightens around my waist and his body tightens, too, until I can feel every delicious inch. Then his other hand reaches up?—

And he promptly moves me off his lap.

“I’m glad to be of help.”

My heart pounds hard in my chest, then my ears. I swallow back the roar of desire that floods my system in that second when I feel my butt dragging against his hard thighs before I’m on the mattress.

I’m so stupid for thinking we’ll kiss again. Of course we won’t.

That’s no longer in the picture.

“I…yeah.”

“Goodnight.”

And he’s no longer warm but back to cool and polite. I can only sit there in confusion, then resignation, as he leaves my bedroom with quick strides and closes the door with a decisive click. All the while, my head just keeps coming back to one thought as mortification takes its place.

Stupid.

Also…

He ghosted you. Don’t forget that.

* * *

I’m so quiet that all I need is to tiptoe to take it up a notch, but I don’t resort to that as I slip out of the house through the garage, then slowly open the door there, too. Christian and I have been living together for three days, with him asking me every morning how last night went. Translation: did I have another dream?

Yesterday’s answer was a solid, relieved no. But tonight’s a yes, and I don’t want to get into what I dreamed about: namely, not Sam, because Christian’s too busy occupying tonight’s thoughts and…well, let’s just say they’re not entirely clean dreams.

Stop thinking about it.

I know it’s the lingering effects of that first night when he soothed me from my nightmare, but now it’s Monday and time for preschool. Work is one of the things that will take my mind off things, so I slip into my car, more than ready to meet Honey Lee’s students, and turn on the ignition?—

“Good morning.”

The voice startles me before a shadow steps into my path. My heart leaps before I realize who it is…and then my heart leaps even more.

Christian, in the meantime, looks careful, like he doesn’t want to scare me. But he’s freshly showered with that glorious hair slicked back and wearing a new pair of jeans and a limecolored shirt. I don’t know how he does it, but I bet he can wear a sack and still look good.

Totally unfair.

“What are you doing here?”

I can’t read his expression, but his voice is mild. Cool. “Not anticipating this, for sure.”

He saunters over to the passenger seat, opens it, and slides in like the slickest man there is. I stare.

“Christian…what are you doing?”

---