Page 6 of Saving Shepperd

“Mmm, yes please,” she said and tilted her chin toward me. “I was hoping you would after the way you were just looking at me.”

Threading my fingers through the hair at her nape, I gripped the back of her neck and tugged her closer. Our mouths met gently at first. Tentatively. She tasted like the wine we were sipping…and sin. Or at least what I thought sinning with this sexy little thing should taste like. Arousal surged through my body and thickened my cock. Damn, I should’ve done this earlier in the night so I might be inside her body by now.

That particular thought encouraged my tongue’s exploration. She was so delicious, I immediately had fantasies forming about tasting her everywhere. We parted, and I watched her slowly open her eyes and grin.

“What is that grin about? Looks very mischievous,” I teased.

“Truth?”

“Always,” I answered easily.

“I was letting my imagination run free,” she whispered. The husky tone of her voice intensified with her arousal, and the sound made my blood heat.

“Care to share?” I asked, appreciating her honesty and bravery.

But she slowly shook her head and tapped her temple. “No. I think I’ll keep that particular one to myself. For now.”

I was getting addicted to her smile. Every version of it. She said so much without saying a word. I could watch her all night.

“You know, I hope I don’t regret saying this, but I really like you,” I admitted.

“Why would you regret saying that? And thank you. I really like you too.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t want to seem clingy or creepy or anything.”

She chuckled before saying, “Oh, gorgeous man, you are the furthest thing from creepy. Trust me.”

“Had your share of creepers, have you?”

“Hasn’t every girl? Internet dating seems to bring them out of the woodwork. Or at least that has been my experience.” She shook her head slowly and rubbed her forehead.

“That comment sounds like there’s at least one entertaining story behind it. Spill it,” I teased and poked an index finger into her side.

Shepperd shook her head and squirmed out of reach while giggling. “No way.”

I launched myself at her and tickled her sides, and she burst with the most delightfully sultry, rumbly laugh I’d ever heard. The resonance of the sound vibrated through my entire body and made my dick spring right back to attention. From a woman’s laugh? Couldn’t say that had ever happened before.

“Tell me,” I insisted and tickled her sides again while she squirmed beneath me. Playfully I pinned her arms down at her sides, and something switched, like a circuit being blown. Her face went from light, giggling playfulness to sheer terror in the blink of an eye.

“No! Stop!” she shouted and began thrashing beneath me. I released the hold I had on her immediately and sprang to my feet, presenting my hands out in front of me so she could see them both.

“Okay. Okay.” I don’t know why I repeated the word, but I was so thrown at the mood shift I couldn’t get my brain online quickly enough to say anything else. So I said it a third time. “Okay.”

And then silence. Neither of us said a word, but the woman’s panicked breaths sawed in and out of her body in a way that had her entire torso racked with the effort.

Cautiously I said, “I’m so sorry. I’m not sure what just happened, but I assure you it wasn’t my intent. I was just playing around.” I kept my voice quiet and calm and slowly eased back down to the sofa. With my careful movement and quiet voice, I hoped she’d snap out of whatever she was experiencing.

But her wide, wild eyes just darted back and forth. I didn’t want to say anything that would set her off again but couldn’t take the silence. I wanted to hold her and comfort her but instead left plenty of space between our bodies.

“You okay?” I asked. Maybe if she’d talk a little, she’d calm down. When she didn’t reply, I tried, “Shepperd? You good?”

The woman sprang to her feet like she just popped out of a jack-in-the-box. I didn’t miss the tears wetting her cheeks. I didn’t know how to make up for my monumental screw-up. Shit, I wasn’t even sure what I did wrong.

“I should go,” she blurted. Her movements were erratic and frantic, and there was no way in hell I’d let her drive in her current state.

“I think you should settle down before you get behind the wheel, sweetheart. I’d never forgive myself if you were injured or, God forbid, hurt someone else. Want a little more wine to calm your nerves?”

“I’ll be fine,” she clipped and whipped her head back and forth clearly looking for something.

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