Page 4 of Light Me Up

“You tell me,” he replied. “How much longer do you need?”

“Dangerous question. I could spend months here looking at all the glorious art and architecture. There’s so much to see.” The expression on his face made her smile. “But I won’t,” she assured him.“Don’t worry.”

“It’s OK,” he said, stoically. “I can take it.”

And he could. Truth was, Noah genuinely liked looking at art. Considerably more than most guys did. He collected art himself. Even created some of his own, if his animal carvings could be counted. But nothing could have prepared him for the kind of intense over-the-top art worship that Caro had in mind once theygot to Europe.

Her every wish was his command, though. She was a goddess. She’d been through hell on earth, and she’d fought back the powers of darkness like a boss. She deserved to be indulged for as long as she fucking felt like it. He was fully committed to that enterprise.

His survival technique, when he’d had enough of paintings and frescoes and sculptures and yikes, gift shops, was as simple as it was effective. He just gazed at Caro while she wandered through museums, churches, palaces. She was particularly beautiful when she was looking at stuff that she thought was beautiful. He loved the way her eyes shone, the slowly revolving mantle of rainbow colors that fluctuated around her.

There was only so much medieval art he could look at in a given day, but he could look at her grooving on it all for-fucking-ever withoutgetting tired.

Caro slowed down as they strolled past the Trevi Fountain. The massive sculptures of sea horses and mythical water gods were illuminated by glowing lamps that cast glimmering liquid shadows over the surrounding buildings. The effect was like a huge energy sig. Caro gazed around the square as the breeze lifted her dark cloud of ringlets.

He leaned down, on impulse. Kissed her swiftly and hungrily, savoring the flavor of her lips, her silken texture. A hint of the winethey’d shared.

She vibrated with emotion in his arms, pressing against him. He slid his hand up the warm curve of her back, and his calluses snagged over the fine fabric as he gripped her waist. “Let’s get back to the hotel,” he saidthickly. “Now.”

Almost there. They headed up the Spanish Steps at a swift clip. He had to exert all his willpower to not drag her at a sprint like a sex-crazed lout.

She didn’t have the shoes for it.

Chapter 2

Noah’s urgent pace had Caro panting by the time they reached the gated archway of their hotel. He kept her hand clasped firmly in his, his gaze constantly sweeping the empty street behind them for the brief time it took to be buzzedin by security.

His unwavering insistence upon both extreme luxury and absolute safety had narrowed their lodging options way down, but she had at long last found one that fit his exacting standards. The cost of the Residence Santa Sofia had left her speechless, but Noah didn’t care about the money. It was a beautiful baroque palace converted into a hotel. Classic columns, stunning statuary, and vaulted ceilings for her, top of the line security for him. Everyone was happy.

As happy as Noah would permit himself to be, at least.

She walked faster to keep pace with him through the flowering gardens in the central courtyard, into the lobby, and past the bar. They entered the elevator where they stood side by side, eyeing each other, intensely conscious of the security camera mounted high in the corner of the elevator cab.

The heat and strength of Noah’s hand said it all. He barely ever kissed her in public, taking his personal mandate of protecting her from danger very seriously, but when they were out sightseeing, wandering through ruins or palaces or museums, the sexual tension kept mounting all day long, until it swelled into something both delicious and excruciating. The constant pull of controlled desire. The fierce glow of his eyes, endlessly fascinated by her.

Whoosh.The bronze doors opened. Noah kept close by her side as they reached their suite, where he entered the long security code into the keypad. The door lock clicked. The door swung open.

Sometimes, the grip of his tension locked him in place for a while even after the door shut and they were finally alone. He’d just stand there, stiff and silent, gazing at her with a smoldering intensity that made her thighs press together. He was so fine. So big and strong, with that hard, massive body. So powerful, so focused.

So insatiablyhungry for her.

She loved this part. Playing it cool while he burned red-hot. Trying to remember how to breathe as she bent down to unbuckle her high-heeled sandals.

She tugged them off. “Those cobblestones are killers. I’m wearing sneakers next time.”

“Want me torub your feet?”

“Maybe after,” she murmured.“Like, after.”

“Before, after, whatever and whenever you want it.I’m your man.”

“Lucky me.” She smiled at him, scooping all her hair up into a loose coil on her head. It wouldn’t stay there long. She didn’t want it to. Caro arched her back and thrust herchest forward.

His smoldering gaze heated her up from the inside. He lifted his phone, tapping the app he’d recently designed that made the black full-protection shield in his contact lenses go suddenly transparent. She loved that moment, when the gorgeous blaze of luminous, back-lit amber in his eyes was finally revealed.

Her nipples had his full attention. Ever so lightly, she brushed her fingertips over them. The mesmerized look in his eyes turned her on so much she couldbarely breathe.

“Do you like to watch me do that?”she whispered.

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