Page 8 of My Surly Valentine

But seconds later, my arms are filled with her soft curves, my nose is filled with the faint fragrance of her silky hair, and my ears are filled with a soft hum. “Much warmer. Thank you, Mr. Furnace.”

“Feel free to elbow me if my arm is too heavy.”

She snickers. “Okay.”

Inhaling her sweetness, I manage to stay awake long enough to feel Hazel fall asleep with her body molded to mine. She trusts me. She craves this closeness as much as I do.

And even though I swore to myself that I wouldn’t, tomorrow I’m going to be crossing a whole pile of lines.

5

HAZEL

Itwitch and flail, startling myself awake. No surprise there. I’ve always been a jerky sleeper.

It feels like I’ve slept for a solid eight hours without moving. Then I realize that my back is snuggled right into Axton’s chest again. His thick arm curls around my left side, his fingers splayed across my right rib. His warm breath grazes the top of my head, his chin barely touching my hair.

It’s comforting to feel his warm presence all around me like a protective blanket. More than that, it’s hot – as in,sexy.

Axton isunbelievablysexy. From the way he moves like a panther around the cabin, to the way he thinks before he speaks, to the way he seems surprised every single time he laughs.

And those eyes! The way they track me. Study me. Get even darker brown, almost black, if a topic comes up that upsets him.

Like the topic of my father trying to control me. Axton definitely has a problem with that. It makes me melt inside.

I snuggle against him a bit closer, brushing my legs against his. Then I hear a change in his breathing.

“Are you awake?”

His words are a soft, rough growl against my ear, causing heat to pool between my thighs. “Not…really?”

“Me neither.” His fingers tighten against my skin, then he tilts my head back toward him a bit with his chin. “Looks like I held you even tighter in my sleep last night.”

“Yeah.” My breath is unsteady. “That’s okay, though.”

He shifts again, and I suddenly realize what that lump against my back is. He’s hard. Forme. He wants me as much as I want him.

Wow. This changes everything.

“You’re going to forgive me for cuddling you in my sleep? Just like that?”

Turning back to face him, I shift until our lips are barely three inches apart. “Yes.”

The light coming in the snowy window is only faint, but I sense the outline of a grin. “What if I accidentally kiss you in my sleep?”

I shift again, moving to grip his shoulder. “Pretty sure I’ll forgive you for that, too. But there’s only one way to know for sure.”

His nose brushes mine as his right hand grabs my ass firmly. I can hear him stifle a groan. Then he freezes, peering into my eyes in the near dark.

“Hazel.” His voice is rough, but not with sleep. “What if I kiss you when we’re not quite asleep?”

I have no idea what to say. I want him. I want him to take me any way he likes. I just can’t quite find the words. My breath hitches, and I nod slightly.

His eyes blaze. “You’ve already got me by the shoulder, Goldilocks. Push me away or pull me close. Your choice.”

I melt even more. Axton is actually forcing me to initiate our first kiss instead of just taking it himself? Somehow, that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever even heard of.

My fingers tighten slowly, guiding his shoulder toward me, which pulls the rest of him closer too.

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