Page 78 of Darkness Bound (Night Prowler 5)
Without turning, Hawk said, “It’s a present. From Morgan. For you.”
It sounded as if he were having difficulty getting more than a few words out at a time. “Does nudity bother you?” she asked. Curiously, it no longer bothered her, though she clearly remembered that it used to. Why, she couldn’t fathom. It seemed so natural to be naked, especially here in the jungle.
Especially in front of him.
“Let’s talk about something other than nudity,” he said through clenched teeth.
Jack stood thinking a moment. “Do you think you should take a look at my back before I get dressed? Most of the bandages came off during my shower.”
“You got them wet?” he shouted, spinning around. He realized his mistake, clapped his hand over his eyes, and did a quarter turn.
“Oh. Yes. Was that bad?” She was having a little trouble differentiating between what was good and bad. Everything just seemed so good.
“Jacqueline. Listen to me carefully. Put the towel back around your body, and come over here and sit on the edge of the bed.” He paused. “Can you do that for me? Please?”
She did, and sat waiting. He lowered his hand from his eyes and glared at her. He pointed.
“Turn that way.”
She complied again, commenting, “You’re really crabby today.”
He blew out a hard breath and sat down on the edge of the bed behind her. “Pull your hair over your shoulder.”
Once she had, he eased the towel down a few inches past her shoulder blades. Silence.
“How does it look?”
His voice came a little easier. “Better than it should. Stay like that; don’t move.”
He rose from the bed and was back in a moment. Then he began to spread ointment over her skin.
It was cool and smooth and wonderful, especially with the added warmth from his fingertips. “That feels so good,” she whispered, shivering in pleasure.
He froze. Seconds later, he resumed a little more tentatively. She kept quiet because she didn’t want him to stop, and she sensed he would if she opened her mouth again.
He worked his way across both shoulders, down her spine, over her ribs on either side, ending just above the small of her back where his fingers lingered just a moment too long.
Then he said quietly, “Done.”
She turned to him so quickly he flinched. They stared at one another in silence for a long moment, the only sound the rain drumming softly on the roof above.
“I did something wrong again, didn’t I?”
He closed his eyes and breathed slowly in and out through his nose,
gripping the small container of ointment so hard his knuckles were white. “No. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then why are you angry with me?”
He opened his eyes, and they were pained. “I’m not . . . don’t think that. I’m not. It’s just . . .”
When he didn’t go on, Jack said, “I meant what I said before, you know. It’s not what you think; it’s not the drugs. I know what I’m saying when I say I want you.”
His eyes widened.
She leaned forward, repeated softly, “I want you, Lucas.”
He crushed the jar of ointment in his fist.
