Page 70 of Charmed

Irritation morphed into fury. She raised onto her elbow and set her head in her hand. "I would never hurt you and she's my sister. Her concern should lie with whether you'd break my heart."

He almost laughed. How he'd kept it in check, he'd never know.

For him to be capable of breaking her heart meant she'd have to have hers engaged in the first place. Which she didn't. It was possible she had one foot in and was contemplating the other, but she wasn't there yet. Also, the phrasing he'd used was hurt, not heart, making him wonder if he was off in that assessment altogether. He had zero doubt she cared about him, but that wasn't the same as where he was headed.

Splat came to mind.

"I'm sure she's worried about you as much as she is me. The tasks, too." He played with the ends of her soft strands, rubbing them between his fingers. "I'm not the one denying there's something more going on here than sex. According to her, you said you were better off alone." And damn, did that still ache. Smack in the center of his ribs and behind his eyes.

She worked her lower lip with her teeth, gaze elsewhere. "I did say that, but the intention got skewed." She looked at him, her shoulders deflating. "Our families can't hold on to happy, Riley."

So, this was a protection reflex, just as he'd suspected. "I can't promise you five minutes from now, never mind five years. I can't hang the moon and stars like you deserve or assure you the sun will shine simply because I like looking at you in the morning light. I can't guarantee a lifetime of laughter or that I'll never make you cry."

He mirrored her position and dropped his head in his palm. "But I can swear on an oath that I'll never stop trying for as long as you'll let me. Longer, considering I'm pretty daft about relationships. I'd rather take a shot in the dark than give up over a maybe. Wouldn't you?"

"Goddess, what am I going to do with you?" She rolled to her back and dug her fingers into her eye sockets, her posture a total tribute to submission. The whine that followed was adorable as hell and a nice exclamation point.

"I can think of a few things. One of them involves never leaving this bed."

She laughed, husky and deep, and dropped her arms. Turning her head, she stared at him, her expression sobering. "All right, you win."

He grabbed his chest and faked cardiac arrest.

She smacked his arm. "We can take it day by day."

He grinned.

She narrowed her eyes to slits. "No sonnets or gushy adorations about feelings. I'm serious," she emphasized when he continued to grin. "Day by day, Riley."

"Babe, we can take it hour by hour if you want." He gripped her hip, rolled her to face him once more, and slid her across the mattress until she was flush against him. He knew he looked like a damn fool still beaming at her, but he didn't care. "Since you're so serious, I have an incredibly important question." He ran his finger over the swells of her breasts above her purple nightgown. "Are all your PJs this hot?" The satin clung to every supple curve.

"They are all similar, yes." Up went her brows. "Except the lace ones. Of course, I sometimes wear nothing."

"Tease."

"Sucker."

Brushing his nose against hers, he smiled. "Guilty."

Badly as he wanted her, what they'd shared tonight wasn't about physical need. So, when he leaned in to kiss her, he kept the heat out and infused the affection she continually brought to the surface. It seemed each encounter with her raised the bar on sentiment.

He tilted his head, tangling his tongue with hers in a slow, sensuous glide he felt all the way in his soul. He wondered how long she'd been tiptoeing toward that particular destination since it appeared she'd taken up residence there. Another area she'd embedded herself without him realizing until it was too late. He attempted to gauge whether he cared, decided he didn't, and threaded his fingers in her hair.

Her hands were warm as they held his jaw, her fingertips stroking his stubble, and she moaned. That atmospheric scent of hers invaded again, clinging to him and her sheets. He wanted to sink inside her, breathe nothing but her, but he got a grip. Barely.

Pulling away, he shifted to his back and tucked her to his side. He waited for her to settle before he spoke. "Are you feeling better?"

She hummed her consent. "You've calmed down from your mood, too."

Yeah, but concern lurked in the corners. "I had an outburst of my own after you left the mansion."

She turned her head and set her chin on his pec, a question in her eyes.

"I broke every dish in the china cabinet." He raked his fingers through his hair. "I was pissed at you. Well, it started that way. I looked at the china and I lost it. All the family dinners and tension and crap our uncle put us through came to a head. There was glass everywhere by the time I was done. My brothers helped also. I guess I should thank you for getting me going."

Understanding looked back at him. "It was an ugly china pattern."

He huffed a laugh. "Amen."

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