Page 54 of Stealing Home

I fight a full body shiver. “I think you prefer me that way.”

His arms cage around me, trapping me between him and the kitchen counter. “I like you every way. A lot.”

My hands travel up his forearms. All the strength in his well honed muscles under my fingers makes me want to rush through dinner.

“I’ve been wondering about something,” I say hesitantly.

Scott pulls me tighter against his chest and using the end of my hair he pulls my head back so I’m looking him in the eyes. “You can ask me anything. I’ll never lie to you.”

“You were very, uhm, dominant last night. Is that something you’ve done before? I haven’t, but—” All of this is so much harder to say out loud than I anticipated. “I liked it.”

His face turns red, and he looks down. “What did I say?” I ask.

Scott takes a step back and shifts his weight from foot to foot. “I promised I’d never lie to you.”

My stomach clenches in a knot as I wait for him to tell me whatever is bothering him.

When he doesn’t say anything right away I get even more nervous. “It’s okay. I know I’ve only been with one person, but you’re a popular athlete and apparently thehook up king. I’m sure girls have thrown themselves at you. I understand that.”

“Yeah they have, but—” He looks at me, and I see fear in his eyes. Of what? That I’ll reject him?

He takes a deep breath. “When I came to college, I was still dating my high school girlfriend. She wanted to wait, and I respected that. Last year I caught her cheating on me. While I was turning down all the girls out for bragging rights for hooking up with the pitcher, she was seeing a guy in one of her classes. She thought I wasn’t going to be able to come home for break because of baseball, and I stupidly thought I’d surprise her. It was a surprise all right.”

I step closer to him. “I’m so sorry.”

Scott’s hand cradles the side of my face. “I’m not. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. But, yeah, it hurt for a long time. I did turn to some of the girls then, but uh, I’d waited so long that sleeping with someone I didn’t care about didn’t feel right.”

“What are you saying?” I ask him.

He takes a deep breath. “I’ve never—”

“You’re a virgin?”

Scott nods. “Does that bother you?”

I’m shaking my head before I even know what I’m going to say. “No, but this definitely adds another check to the nice column.”

He growls, and lifts me over his shoulder. With determined strides he heads for the stairs to the loft.

“I thought you were hungry,” I say laughing.

“Food can wait. I’m going to eat you.”

How he climbs the stairs with me hoisted over his shoulder is a marvel of his strength. Dolores is right, there’s something hot about being flung around.

19

Scott

Once we’rein her bedroom I lower her off my shoulder by letting her slide down the front of my body. The press of her soft curves against me makes me desperate to be inside her, but we need to clear a few things up first. “You asked me a question earlier, and I didn’t answer it all the way. No, I haven’t dominated women, but I would very much like to own you. All you have to do is tell me if you’re uncomfortable with something, and I’ll stop.”

I turn her around and sweep her long, dark hair over her shoulder. “Do you want that, sweetheart?”

She tilts her head to the side, to look at me. My fingers slide up her throat, and I savor the way her pale skin contrasts with the tanned skin of my hands. Stroking my thumb back and forth over her pulse, feeling it speed up with my touch. I lower my voice to a whisper, “I think you like that idea. I can feel the blood racing through your veins. I think the idea of belonging to me excites you.”

“What does it mean to belong to you?” she whispers.

I can’t resist her anymore and lean down to kiss her. Her lips move against mine with equal hunger. Forcing myself to pull back, I stroke the side of her face. “It means you’re mine to protect, to touch, and to cherish.”

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