Page 15 of Desert Loyalties
“I’ve got a delivery coming,” I whisper, wiggling a little against his arm. “Need to sign for it. Let me go.”
His arms loosen, but instead of letting me leave, he shifts, fast andflipsme onto my back like I weigh nothing.
Now he’s hovering above me, all heat and tattoos and bed-head, staring down with a look that makes my heart bang against my ribs. His forearms cage me in. His leg slides between mine.
“Delivery can wait,” he says, voice lower now. Rougher. Eyes locked on mine. “You were in my bed. You’re inmyshirt. You think I’m lettin’ you sneak out before you say good morning?”
I open my mouth. Maybe to argue, maybe to say something sarcastic. But all that comes out is a soft, stupid breath. Becauseright now, with his weight pressing into the mattress, his hair a mess, and thatlookin his eyes... I forget every damn reason I had to leave this bed.
Just for a second.
“You’re ridiculous,” I mutter, trying not to smile.
“Yeah,” he says, brushing my hair off my face with a surprising gentleness. “And you’re stuck with me now, sweetheart.”
I squint up at him. “Well, you’re not kissing me until I brush my teeth.”
He just stares down at me, and something shifts in his eyes. That heat? Yeah, it dials up to ten. “That so?” he says, voice low and deliberate.
Before I can blink, he leans down.
I try to clamp my lips shut, turning my head like that’ll stop him, but he’s persistent. His mouth moves against mine, coaxing, teasing, until he slips past my defences with a low growl and—
Mint.
The little bastard popped a mint. His tongue sweeps against mine, cool and tingling, and I feel it, the damn mint pushed into my mouth. Our tongues tangle, and now I’m not resisting, I’m melting.
He doesn’t kiss like a man tasting something for the first time. He kisses like he’sstaking a claim.
By the time he pulls away, I’m breathless. Chest rising and falling like I just ran a marathon.
His hand cups my cheek, thumb brushing over my jaw, but it’s his voice that really knocks the air out of me.
“Don’t ever tell me I can’t have what’s mine.”
For a second, something dark flares in his eyes. Possessive. Intense. Almost...dangerous.
It should scare me.
And maybe it does. But it also lights something low in my belly.
Then he smirks, full-on cocky bastard smirk, and adds, “There’s mint in the bedside drawer.”
I blink. “Youplannedthat?”
His smirk only widens. “Darlin’, I plan everything. Just like I planned to delay the delivery to ten,” he says hovering over me, voice all smug satisfaction, “so you could sleep in.”
I blink at him. “Youwhat?”
His thumb brushing across my cheek again. “Figured you’d need the rest. Called the courier last night.”
I smile without meaning to. It slips in before I can stop it, this soft curl of surprise and warmth. No one’s ever done something like that for me. Ever.
His thumb lingers at the corner of my mouth. “You’re beautiful when you smile.”
I grin wider. “What about when I don’t?” I ask, fully fishing now.
He doesn’t hesitate. “Then you’re fuckable. Makes me wanna fuck the attitude right out of you.”
