Page 20 of Defender

Now he was back to looking away and stuttering.Summer reached over, hooked an arm around his neck and kissed him.

He paused for just a moment and she was afraid he would pull away.But then he groaned and scooped her up and placed her on his lap so her legs straddled his hips.

He kissed her with shattering absorption, as if he couldn’t get enough of her.Whatever timidity had possessed him each time they’d spoken over the past few months was gone now.

Her hands slid up his shoulder and she felt the edge of another bandage.Not wanting to hurt him in any way, she slid her fingers up around his neck and into his thick brown hair.

His arms wrapped around her hips, pulling her more tightly against him.She barely restrained a gasp at the feel of her breasts crushed against his chest.

How long had it been?She’d forgotten how good it felt to have strong arms wrapped tightly around her.

His tongue traced her bottom lip before slipping into her mouth.Summer sank deeper into him, her fingers clutching him to her.

The kiss went on and on until she couldn’t think straight for the need pulsing through her.But vaguely she became aware that Ashton was slowing the kiss down.Drawing it out.

Easing back.

She pulled away from him so she could look into his soft brown eyes.

“Want to take this into my bedroom?”She could hardly recognize the husky voice as her own.

He put his forehead against hers.“I do.More than I want to take my next breath, I want to move this into the bedroom.I want to keep you in there for about the next month.”

“There’s a huge but in here, and it’s not mine.”She began to pull away.

He grabbed her buttocks and pulled her back against him.Both of them gasped slightly at the contact.He thrust his hips gently against hers.

“You cannot doubt that I want you right now.Because I do.And yes there is another but in here that is not nearly as fine as yours.”

“What is it?”

“We haven’t even been on a date yet, Summer.”

She began kissing along his jaw.“Will you have dinner with me, Ashton?”

He groaned as she made her way down to his ear.“Yes.I most definitely will.And we’ll talk.And after that, if your bedroom is still an invitation, I will most definitely take you up on it.”

She sat back so she could see his eyes.“Do you have something bad to tell me?”

He sighed.“Not bad.Just...complicated.Right now isn’t the time to go into it all.It’s late and it’s been a long day for both of us, filled with all sorts of crazy.Let me take you out on Friday night.We’ll have a nice meal, just the two of us, and talk.”

She narrowed her eyes.“You say it’s not bad, but I feel like it is.Like you’re trying to get out of being intimate with me right now.”

He sighed.“I’m not.I promise.Trust me, I’m calling myself all sorts of a fool.But if you still want me after we talk on Friday night, I promise you—” now he leaned forward and began to kiss her jaw the way she’d been kissing his, working his way down to her throat “—I will take you back to that bedroom or this couch or hell, the kitchen counter—maybe all three—and make love to you until neither of us can move.”

She moaned as his lips nipped gently at her throat.

“Ashton, are you involved with someone else?Is that what you have to tell me?”

“No.”

“Are you a criminal?”

“No.”

“Then fine.”She leaned back so she could look at him more clearly.She didn’t understand why he wanted to wait, but she would respect his reasoning.Plus, it would give her a chance to be prepared with some underthings that were a little more sexy.She hadn’t been expecting this—him,them—tonight.“Friday it is.But I fully expect to take you up on your promise to not be able to move Saturday morning.”

He already had part of her heart.She was ready to give him more.

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