Page 27 of Justice for Samara

“Oh, interested but not creepy, huh? Get on this bed. Your suggestion, and now I’m sleepy.”

Samara was still laughing. “Like a baby. Feed ’em, burp ’em, and put ’em down for a nap.”

“Hey, it was your idea! Don’t be blaming me!” He was already on his back, fingers interlaced behind his head as he lay there, and when she lay down, she rolled to her side, her hands folded under her face on the pillow, and watched him. He gave her a quizzical look. “What?”

“Nothin’.”

“No, it’s something. What?”

She blinked deeply and shrugged against the mattress. “It’s just… You haven’t made any attempt to touch me. Unless you really don’t…” She just couldn’t say it.

“Want to?” She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to respond. Besides, she might really embarrass herself. In answer, his hands came down from behind his head and he rolled to face her. He swept the knuckles of his right hand down her cheek. “Oh, I definitely want to.” His index finger slid until it was under her chin, and pressed toward the headboard until her face was even with his. “I think I’ve wanted to do this since the first minute I saw you.”

A fluttering burst into being in her chest when his lips touched hers, and she felt her body, dormant for so long, come to life. Nerves she’d forgotten she had buzzed like live wires and gooseflesh popped up on her arms. When her palm came to rest on his cheek, she knew she was gone. That kiss lasted forever but not long enough, and when he pulled back, he smiled into her eyes. “Oh, god, Michael, is… is this real?”

“As real as it gets. Now let’s take that nap. The first time we’re joined together, I don’t want it to be two ice cream-drunk idiots groping each other.” Then he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

Samara melted into him and never wanted to be anywhere else. To his coworkers, Michael seemed green and a little slow, but there was nothing slow about him. He was deliberate, confident, and smart as a whip. She’d noticed it right away, how even when he was under stress, his demeanor never wavered, his hands never shook, and he never got frazzled. That was what she needed, someone steady and sure, not high octane and combustible. As soon as she pressed herself to him, his arms wrapped around her and squeezed. It was heaven.

“Damn, your hair smells good,” he whispered.

“Thanks. Argan and avocado oils.”

“Hmmm.” She felt him settle into the pillow and he held her tightly against him. “This is nice. Really, really nice.”

“Yeah, it is.” She snuggled into him even tighter, and then she noticed something pressing up against her. “Um, are you…”

“Yeah. It’s fine. It’ll go away.”

“Do you want it to go away?”

“Right now? Yeah. But it can come back after dinner if you want.”

“Oh, can it?”

“I’m pretty sure I can make that happen. I could be wrong, but I haven’t been. About that, I mean.” He pulled back just a little and his brow furrowed. “I thought you wanted to nap.”

“I do. Sure you don’t mind?”

He laughed softly. “Do I look like I mind? Or sound like I mind? No. I don’t mind at all. I’m not some voracious animal who can’t control himself.”

The minute the words were out of his mouth, she could feel herself stiffening and trying to pull away, even though she didn’t want to. Every inch of her body was on high alert and out of her control as memories tumbled through her mind like a waterfall roaring. Her pulse was doubling and her heart pounded so hard that she could feel it under her skin.

His hands were on her upper arms and he was staring into her face. “Samara? What’s happening? Hey, what’s going on?”

Hands. Those hands, gripping her as she fought against him. “Let go of me! Let go! Stop!” Wiggling and squirming, she broke free and felt that relief.

Until she looked into Michael’s face.

Shame washed over her, and she could feel her cheeks burning. “Oh, god, I’m so sorry. Really, I?”

He wasn’t touching her. Instead, he’d sat up on the mattress and was staring down at her. “What the hell was that about? I mean, what is… Did I… I mean, I’m sorry if?”

“No, no. No. It’s not you. It’s me.”

“Oh, is that like the old saying, ‘If they say it’s not you, it’s me, then it’s definitely you?’ Because if you don’t want this, you shouldn’t have?”

“But I do!” She couldn’t stop the tears. She wasn’t prone to crying, but the adrenaline rush had passed and the drop that followed made her shake. “I didn’t mean to do that! I’m so, so, so sorry. Oh, god, Michael, did I hurt you?” She knew she’d been fighting pretty hard, and if she’d injured him, she’d never forgive herself.

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