Page 27 of Stone
The hurt had never left me and I knew after seeing him now, I’d think of him and the what-if’s for the rest of my life.
He’d changed, taller by at least two inches and packed with an additional seventy-five pounds of raw muscle. His jaw was just as strong, but his facial features were more chiseled. Age had turned him into a gorgeous hunk of a man, so much so the sight of him had taken my breath away.
With his three-day stubble, a girl could swoon just looking at him. His hair was much longer, a couple of inches past his collar, but the rich whiskey color was exactly the same as I’dremembered, and I’d wanted to run my fingers through the thick strands.
A quick knock on the door forced me to suck in my breath. When the door was opened quickly, I yanked at the two corners of the towel, uncertain who to expect.
Stone stuck his head in, and immediately his eyes opened wide. For a few seconds, he allowed them to linger before dropping his gaze.
For those same few seconds, I wanted to drop the towel.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I just wanted to make certain you were okay. And to bring you some clothes. Not much, but it’s something you can sleep in.” He extended his arm as if afraid to walk into the tiny room.
“I’m fine, Stone. You can stop worrying about me now. I can take care of myself. At least usually.” I took a few tentative steps closer, reaching out for the folded clothes. When I did, our fingers touched. The burning sensation I’d missed during long, lonely nights returned with throbbing pressure. My core was on fire, my fingertips seared.
He sucked in his breath as he glanced at my hand, but remained quiet.
With my mouth suddenly dry, I had no idea what to say to him. I clutched the clothes, immediately taking a step back.
He remained transfixed in the doorway, also uncertain what to say. Even with our reconnected chemistry, tension remained. There was something entirely different about the way he was looking at me. Not like the soldier determined to free a woman held hostage, but more emotional. As if living the same memoryover and over again, the once faded black and white images shifting to vivid color.
After he rubbed his face, he cleared his throat. “Um, when you’re dressed, why don’t you come out into the living room. There’s some food and drinks. I mean… I mean if you’re up for it. If not, you can take the bed and rest. We’ll be flying out early in the morning as long as everything goes according to plans.”
I’d never felt so frozen or awkward around him before. “Okay.” Okay? The man had flown halfway across the world to rescue me against brutal odds without knowing the outcome. He’d made certain I could rest and would be taken to safety and all I could say was ‘okay’?
I placed the clothes on the edge of the sink, rubbing my sweaty palm against the towel. He was watching me, even dragging the tip of his tongue across his lips.
God, they were rosy and looked so soft.
“How’s your bruise?”
I touched my eye, half laughing from nervousness. “It’s getting better.”
“Good.”
“Yes, good.”
He nodded, lingering for a few seconds longer. I couldn’t stand the tension between us. Before I second guessed myself, I closed the distance, stood on my tiptoes, and tried to press my lips against his cheek, but at the same time he moved his head, so our lips collided.
We were both so shocked we didn’t move, but a mere two seconds later, he slipped his hand around to my waist, holding me still as he opened my lips with his. The taste of him was exactly as I remembered, all man with the slight addition of peppermint candy.
My pussy quivered, the intense throb pushing my heart to a rapid beat. When he darted his tongue inside, dozens of sparkling lights floated in front of my eyes.
The feel of his hold was possessive, so strong and caring and I allowed myself to briefly forget about everything else.
The danger.
The uncertainty.
The possibilities.
The fear.
All I wanted to experience was having him close and forgetting all the years that had passed between us. He dominated my tongue, skittering my heart until it pitter-pattered. I was lightheaded, no longer able to feel my legs. This felt more like a fantasy than a cruel reality where nothing in my life could ever be the same.
I pushed him away, fearful where this would go. When I did, I lost hold of the towel. Yet when the terrycloth slipped away, I was still so frozen in the moment I didn’t notice at first.
Until his nostrils flared, his eyes now completely hooded and his chest rising and falling rapidly.
