Page 54 of A Legal Affair
Or so he told himself.
Frowning darkly, Caleb rose from the sofa, reached down and swept her easily into his arms. She didn’t wake up as he carried her down the hall and into the first bedroom, which he assumed, from the rumpled bedcovers, must be hers.
He laid her down gently on the queen-size bed, considered, then discarded the idea of removing her robe. He didn’t think he could handle seeing whatever she wore—ordidn’twear—beneath. Besides, he reasoned, it was probably best for her to stay covered up in case she got chills overnight. He drew the heavy comforter over her body and tucked it under her chin.
As an afterthought, he touched the back of his hand to her forehead. Her skin felt hot, almost feverish. He frowned, wondering if he should wake her and bring her some medicine or a cold, damp cloth.
As he stood over her debating his next move, she tossed fitfully in her sleep, turning onto her side to face him. He froze, holding his breath. But she didn’t wake up.
Deciding he’d better get the hell out of Dodge while he still could, Caleb turned and headed for the door.
A soft, restless moan from the bed stopped him.
He turned his head, glancing over his shoulder at Daniela. In the soft wedge of light from the living room, he saw that her eyes were still closed. So he was unprepared to hear the softly uttered plea, “Don’t go.”
He stood in the doorway, his pulse drumming in his ears. Every ounce of common sense warned him to pretend he hadn’t heard her and to keep going until he’d put her cozy little bungalow in his rearview mirror. No good could come of him staying there a minute—hell, asecond—longer.
His mind heeded the logic of the warning.
His body was an entirely different matter.
Before he could stop himself, he was striding back across the room, removing his wallet and keys from the back pocket of his jeans and depositing them on the nightstand before gently lowering himself onto the bed. He’d stay for a few more minutes, just to make sure she was all right. Never mind that he could monitor her condition just as effectively from the chair by the window, or from the safe distance of the living room. And never mind that, given how tired he already was, he could very wellfall asleep in her bed and awaken to God only knew what kind of temptation.
Careful not to disturb Daniela, who’d dozed off again, he clasped his hands behind his head and stared at the darkened ceiling with a look of fixed determination.
Just fifteen minutes, he vowed. And then he would go….
18
Daniela woke sometime later and blinked in the quiet stillness of her bedroom. For a moment she felt groggy and disoriented. And then, all at once, she became aware of the solid warmth of a body beside her.
Amalebody.
Her heart thudded. She sat up quickly, staring down in shocked disbelief at the man sleeping next to her. How had Caleb Thorne wound up in her bed? The last thing she remembered was inviting him to watch a movie with her, and being secretly thrilled when he agreed. She didn’t remember falling asleep, and shedefinitelydidn’t remember luring Caleb into her bedroom.
A buttery shaft of light from the living room illuminated him, his breathing deep and even. The hard angles of his face were softened in sleep, his thick black lashes fanning out in perfect formation from his closed eyelids. One arm was folded behind his head, the other draped across his flat, hard stomach. One long leg hung off the edge of her bed, as if he couldn’t decide whether to stay or go.
She glanced toward the bedside clock. It was 2:17 a.m.
He’d stayed this long, she reasoned. No sense in sending him home now.
Slowly, so as not to awaken him, she eased from under the covers and crawled toward the end of the bed. She unlaced one of Caleb’s big leather boots and carefully removed it, along with his sock. His foot was long and masculine with short, clean toenails and a sprinkling of black hair on top.
Her mouth ran dry. Even the man’s feet were hella sexy.
Reaching over the side of the bed, she lifted his other foot and began to work the laces free.
When she’d finished her task, she looked over her shoulder—and found her guest awake and watching her intently.
Her nerve endings tingled with awareness as she stared into his midnight eyes, his lids at half-mast. “I was just, um, making you more comfortable,” she murmured. “It’s late. I figured you might as well spend the night.”
“You figured, huh?” His deep, sleep-roughened voice did dangerous things to her pulse.
She nodded, her tongue snaking out nervously to wet her lips. “Only if you want to stay, of course.”
Slowly, keeping her trapped in the heat of his focused gaze, Caleb eased himself into a sitting position, resting his back against the headboard. “Come here,” he said, a low, husky command that sent a shiver through her.
She crawled over to him, and without a single word he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her smoothly onto his lap. Liquid heat flooded her core as she straddled his hard thighs, finally getting her lustful wish.
