Page 9 of Mistletoe Mischief

“Merry Christmas,” he whispered.

Her body jerked, and she began to quiver. Roger thought he had hurt her somehow. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

She eased back and turned her face up to look at him, then burrowed it into his shoulder.

Roger levered them both over until she was on her back and he on his elbow beside her. “What’s wrong, Cassandra?”

Blinking, fighting tears, she seemed too overcome with emotion to utter a word. Her hands were clasped over her face, fingers rubbing at her eyes. Roger gathered her to him, pressing kisses to her hair and face. “You’re breaking my heart, baby. Tell me, please.”

“I just—,” she gasped, then fought for control. “This is going to sound so lame, but this has been the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

Roger chuckled against her, relief making him a little giddy. “Damn, woman, I thought there was something seriously wrong.”

She shook her head, laying back against his arm. “No. You’ve done everything right and I don’t want this day to end. I’m afraid that when the real world intrudes it’s all going to come falling down.”

“Why?” he asked softly, looking into her jade-shot eyes.

Her face scrunched up a little. “Because that’s the way my life seems to roll. I find something a little tiny bit good and life snatches it away from me. I’m afraid to hope for more.”

Roger took her words and gave them the consideration they deserved. Then he pressed a firm kiss to her lips. “I think that, as of last night, your luck has changed.”

For a moment she seemed hopeful, then her face crumpled. She started to tremble. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

He brushed her hair from her forehead. All of the make-up from the night before was gone, but she was still just as beautiful to him.

“What baby?”

For a long heartbeat of time, she looked him in the eye. “I don’t know if I can lose you.”

Roger stilled, wondering if he’d heard her correctly. The sick feeling in his stomach told him he had, and he realized the thought of leaving her absolutely gutted him as well. They’d been together an incredible ten, twelve hours, maybe not even that long, and he couldn’t imagine her not being in his life. Cassandra Jones drew him like no other woman ever had. He cleared his throat, suddenly a little anxious. He knew what he wanted to say to her. It was there in his heart.

“I don’t think I can lose you either,” he admitted.

Her eyes widened as he leaned down to kiss her again, and he realized it was easier to show her how he felt than to articulate it into words. She opened her mouth to him as she cupped his face in her palms.

Roger could count on one hand the number of times he’d been kissed in the past few years, but he’d never in his life been kissed like this. As if the weight of dreams too long unrealized threatened to suck Cassandra under before she had a chance to transfer them to him. Roger took everything, every nibble and moan, and gave her back the same. In spite of the tears just now, he knew Cassandra was a strong woman. She’d battled her way out of poverty and heartbreak, and he wanted to be as strong as she was.

Yes, he’d been through a lot physically, but he felt likeshewas the warrior.

Roger allowed himself to feel the body beneath him. Lush and soft, Cassandra’s shape was his idea of arealwoman. Her breasts pressed against his chest, making his hands want to wander, but he didn’t want to move too fast. His body was ready to go all the way, and his mind and his heart were quickly getting on board with the idea, but it was entirely up to her. He didn’t want to push her into anything.

Cassandra moaned into his mouth, shuddering, and he hardened to the point of pain. Shifting his hips away from her, he tried to maintain control over his rioting body, but it was hard to do with every signal she put out telling him that she wanted him.

Then her hands clutched his ass, dragging him back over top of her. Roger gasped as she ground her pelvis up against his own.

“Oh, fuck, baby, you have to stop doing that or we’ll never get out of this bed.”

“And is that a bad thing? You’re the first man I’ve wanted here in years.”

He stilled and looked down at her. Those seductive eyes of hers were clear with determination and half-slitted with arousal. “Are you serious?”

She nodded, her dark hair a halo around her head. She gave him a soft, tentative smile and shrugged a little self-consciously. “Like I said, had to call cops for the last two. One wouldn’t take no for an answer and tried to beat me into a yes, and the other just wanted to get close enough to steal my car. They never got anywhere near my lusciousness, though.”

She grinned up at him, and that warrior spirit of hers turned self-consciousness to bravado.

Roger grinned down at her, entranced by her. “You amaze me, Cassandra Jones.”

With a long, considering smile, she pushed at his chest, rolling him to his back. Then she sat up, turned to face him and whipped her sleep shirt over her head.

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