Page 57 of Cold Foot Komodo

He shook his head and rested his forehead between her breasts, gripping her hips. “I still can’t believe this is my life. Whatever happens, I want to try and keep as much of it as I can.”

“It’s normal to feel like the other shoe is going to drop when you go through a long time of hardship,” she said softly. “The longer you stay steady, the more you’ll trust what’s happening. I’m working on the same thing.”

“Smarty-farty,” he teased.

“I did go to nursing school.”

“I’m still trying to figure out why you’re hanging out with me.”

“Mostly because you’re hot,” she joked.

He chuckled and lay back on the bed, taking her with him. She yelped and fell onto his chest, kicking her legs as he tickled her ribs. His smile reached her lips as he rolled her onto her back and covered her with his own body, kissing her.

His hand stayed gripped on her waist, and without telling her body to do it, she arched her back slightly and moaned against the kiss.

Reed pushed his tongue into her mouth, and her brain just shut off. He was such a consuming man—all hard body, giant frame, powerful touch, smelling like cologne. He was warm and banished the chill that had clung to her from outside.

Sasha reached under the hem of his sweater and reveled in the curves of his flexed abs. Up, up she reached until she could feel his powerful chest. Reed eased out of the kiss and pulled his sweater off in one smooth motion, and now she had full access to his skin.

“Where’s the tattoo,” he murmured against her neck as he laid kisses there.

“Oh, you’ve been thinking about it, have you?”

“You have no idea.”

A grin took her face as she looked up at the tall A-frame, vaulted ceiling. “So you’ve been thinking about me naked?”

“Twenty-four hours a day,” he murmured against the sensitive skin at her throat.

“Then why haven’t you put the moves on me?”

He snorted and eased up, searched her eyes. “I’m trying to do this right.”

“Oh. I thought you just didn’t want that with me.” She only half-believed it, and was more so teasing him.

“Woman, are you kidding me? Every time you touch me, my dick gets hard.” He pulled her hand down to the seam of his jeans.

“What if I get nervous and I’m bad at this?” she whispered, her smile fading as she voiced an insecurity.

Reed chuckled and stroked a strand of hair out of her face. “Want me to make you feel better?”

“Yes.”

Reed’s fingertips trailed down her cheek, to her neck, to her chest, and then down to the bottom of her shirt. He slid his hand up under it and gripped the skin at her ribs with his big, strong, warm hand. He leaned down and rested his lips right near her ear as he told her, “I’ve been locked up for ten years. If I manage to slide inside of you without exploding, we’ll be doing good. You could lay there and do nothing, and you will still blow my mind.”

“So the bar is set low. I like it.”

He laughed and eased up to kiss her lips again. “I think you’re the sexiest woman alive. I can’t keep my eyes off you. I can’t keep my hands off you. Every time you touch my arm, or hug me, I get this overwhelming urge to take you into the nearest closed-off space and make you mine.”

“And yet you have resisted,” she teased.

“For you. I want you going into this with your eyes wide open. I don’t just want to fuck you. I want to be your best friend. I want you to need me.”

Butterflies were slamming their wings against her chest right now. “You’re in this for the long game,” she whispered.

“Damn right I am. You’re sexy, and kind, and mature, and hardworking, and well-rounded, and funny, and happy, and you take away all the dark parts of my life. I know exactly what I have in you, Sasha. I don’t want to fuck it up.”

“Are you hunting me, sir?” she asked, cupping his cheeks.

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