Page 80 of Scorched

Chapter 14

The soft whir of the garage door opening and closing reached Maggie’s ears as she lay in bed. It was after three a.m., and she should be sound asleep after the day she had. But even after a hot shower and a shot of whiskey, she was wide awake. She was antsy. And she missed Declan’s presence. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t shared a bed since the night Thomas’s clinic burned. Knowing he was in the same house gave her a measure of peace. Without him there, her anxiety ran rampant and kept her awake.

But he’s home now.

His footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors as he walked across the living room and down the hall to the spare bedroom.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to tap into that peace he brought.

The bathroom door shut and the shower started.

Images of his body, naked and wet, flooded her mind. She stifled a groan. Now she was awake for another reason. Her body burned as it remembered his touch. She wanted so much more from him. If she were more confident, she would march into the bathroom and join him. But her virgin sensibilities overruled her libido. She had no idea how to seduce a man. Especially one who was exhausted and thought he wasn’t good enough for her.

She rolled onto her side and covered her head with a pillow, trying to drown out the sound of the water. Maybe if she couldn’t hear it, she wouldn’t think about him in the shower.

Water glistening on ripped muscles. Getting caught in the springy hair on his chest. And lower.

“Fuck.” She held the pillow tighter to her ear and tried to think about case law. Nothing was more dull than legal jargon.

The water cut off, and she breathed a sigh of relief. He would get dressed and go to bed, and she would be able to finally fall asleep.

A soft knock sounded on her door.

No!

Eyes wide, she peaked out from under the pillow. Maybe if she was silent, he would go away. Did she want him to, though? How big of a fool would she make of herself as she stammered through a conversation with him?

The door creaked open.

“Maggie? Are you awake?” he whispered.

For half a second, she debated feigning sleep. But she wasn’t a chicken. She pulled the pillow away and sat up. “Yeah.”

He pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Can’t sleep?”

“No. My mind won’t shut off.”

In the light coming from the pole lights on the lane outside, she saw him drum his fingers against his leg. He glanced out the window, then looked at her. She could just see the lights glittering in his eyes in the darkness.

“You want some company?”

Every hormone she’d managed to put back in its box surged free again. She fought to corral them. “Um. I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”

“You didn’t have any problem climbing into my bed.”

“Yeah, well, we were both injured.”

“So, it was safe, is what you’re saying?” He walked closer, standing over her. “Maybe I don’t want safe, Mags.”

She swallowed hard. “You don’t?”

He kneeled on the bed and leaned over her. “No. I don’t.” His mouth crashed onto hers and all those hormones flew out of their box again.

Feelings she never felt before washed over her. But one thought still managed to make its way through her muddled brain. She pushed him back.

He frowned down at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Why did you change your mind?”

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