Tommy hated emergency rooms. He hated getting scanned and stitched. He hated concussions. Most of all, he hated Ryan telling him the perpetrator got away.The only thing he didn’t hate was having Anaisse glued to his side whenever some nurse, doctor, or technician wasn’t shooing her away so they could inflict more torture on him. Of course, he gladly would have traded her worry and guilt for less tear-inducing emotions, but one thing seemed fairly obvious to him, even with his somewhat fuzzy head. She cared a lot, whether she liked it or not.By the time the ER finally spat him out, the sun had dawned skull-splittingly bright against a cloudless, electric blue sky in the City of Dreams. Despite his protests, he found himself propped between Anaisse and Ryan and walked to the curbside pickup/drop-off zone like a ninety-year-old invalid. Seeing the yellow Bug pulled up to the curb improved his mood slightly. He liked his ride home, at any rate.Anaisse ran around to the driver’s side wh
Shaking her head, she hugged his shoulders and pressed her lips to his neck, his jaw, along his cheekbone, and finally, unbelievably soft, delicate kisses around the edge of the bandage at his right temple. Suddenly feeling incredibly alive, he raised his chin and intercepted those restless lips. Their mouths fused, and she stilled, sighed brokenly, and sank into him.Within seconds, they were panting and pulling at her clothes. He dragged her wet shirt over her head and tossed it. It landed with a slap against the tiled floor, but he barely noticed. He was too absorbed in the sight of her—her breasts encased in a wet, white, completely transparent bra. When he cupped those breasts and lifted them, taking their weight, her head tipped back and her thighs tightened around his hips.Needing to taste her skin, he popped the front clasp and watched warm, smooth flesh burst free of the sodden confines. “Closer,” he whispered, and with an arm behind her back, he brought one straining pink n
Tommy was the one who had suffered a concussion, so Anaisse wasn’t really sure why she felt so light-headed. But she did. From the moment she’d seen him standing beside the tub, all roughed up and naked, he’d stolen her breath and left her equilibrium asking which way was up. Even now, lying beside him in his big bed with her head cushioned in the curve of his shoulder and afternoon sunlight filtering in through wooden shutters, she couldn’t seem to draw the right amount of air into her lungs. Her head felt as weightless as the dust motes floating in the sunbeam slanting across the foot of the bed.After mind-blowing sex, he’d switched things up, holding her captive with his molten gaze while his hands traveled intimately, yet innocently, over her skin and hair, bathing her. She’d returned the favor, reveling in the vitality of his body.She could happily revel forever, drifting along blissfully as his fingers threaded lazily through her hair, and his heart pounded strong and steady b
By the time she pulled into her driveway, she’d figured only one thing out—the questions were too complex to resolve during a drive home, especially with her nerves shot and her body craving sleep. The rest of the day would be quiet and calming, she promised herself as she trudged upstairs. Her heart leaped into her throat when the front door suddenly swung open and she confronted a lean, muscular chest encased in a dark blue T-shirt. A quick tilt of her head brought Ian’s amused face into view.He stepped out onto the landing. “Hey, Anaisse . How’s the patient?”Dazed by his presence, she traded places with him. “Fine. Um, resting comfortably. Is Annabelle okay?”His grin stretched into a wry smile. “She’s a little pissed. Probably my fault. Don’t worry though, she’ll level out once she realizes I’m right and stops fighting the inevitable.” He jogged down the stairs, calling, “See you later.”“Later,” Anaisse parroted, still bemused by his presence and his strange, cocky pronouncemen
Somehow, during the course of weighing her options, she bypassed BJ’s, crossed West Avenue, and worked her way along Morato Street. Without really thinking things through, she found herself parked in front of Tommy’s house. Apparently, some appetites trumped others.Would it be so wrong to indulge the craving? Be like Stacy for once, take what she wanted, and get on with her life. She couldn’t afford more. That much she knew. Allowing herself to fall for Tommy threatened to turn her from a determined, goal-oriented woman to a clinging basket case, completely dependent on him for her happiness and sense of fulfillment.Annabelle’s usual approach to physical intimacy represented her only viable option aside from abstinence. Comparing twenty-three years of abstinence to a couple of nights with Tommy, she could say with utter certainty, abstinence sucked.Lights shone through the windows facing the street, making it easy to see his Land Cruiser in the driveway. While she sat there, debati
He’d meant to sound flippant, but he could tell by her guilty expression he’d missed his mark. Shit. This was a new experience for him, being the one who wanted a relationship, while the other person adamantly didn’t. As if that wasn’t painful enough, he had to go and advertise his wounds with acerbic comments. She’d never second-guess her decision if he whined and picked at her, and he’d lose all respect for himself in the process. Reaching deep for patience and dignity, he got up, swept her sweats from the floor, and tossed them to her. “Come on. I’ve got an extra pair of chopsticks with your name on them.”She relaxed and smiled, as he’d intended, and shimmied into her pants—which he’d also intended, but nonetheless regretted a little. Taking her hand, he led her out of the bedroom.Dinner ended up being a comfy, cozy picnic on his living room sofa. Tucked snugly into one corner with her knees drawn up, Anaisse peered at him from over the cardboard container of sweet-and-sour veggi
She blinked. Name her prize. With desire swirling in her stomach at the sight of him, taut and toned and shirtless, thinking strategically posed a challenge. Moving to face him, she couldn’t help but notice the way his rippling abs disappeared into the low, loose waistband of his Levi’s. Drawn to the play of muscles, she let her palm slide over the chiseled terrain. He groaned a low warning, but she didn’t heed it. Instead, she moved her hand along the front of his jeans and cupped him through the denim.“This is my prize.”The breath burst from his lungs like a small explosion. His balance faltered, but then he tightened his obliques and steadied while her mouth watered at the display.“That’s cheating.”She met his half-amused, half-tortured gaze, and gently squeezed his erection, then hummed with pleasure as he swelled to new dimensions, as if straining to reach her. Her nipples tightened in response, and she felt an answering throb between her legs. “Do you feel cheated?”His eyes
He stood and pulled her to her feet. If she dissolved into tears on his bed, he’d cave for sure and would never be able to face himself in the mirror again. “No. I’m saying I want to spend time with you somewhere besides there.” He gestured to the bed. “I want to send you roses. I want to see the way your skin glows in candlelight. I want to call you in the middle of the day, just to talk. I want all of that, and a hell of a lot more. But, if you don’t, if that’s too disruptive to your precious plans, then…” Drawing a deep breath while parts of his anatomy vehemently protested the ultimatum, he gathered his strength and finished. “No. Your body, amazing as it is, isn’t enough for me.”She lowered her head, but not before he saw her chin tremble. “Anaisse …” Cupping his hand around her neck, he nudged his thumb along her jaw, lifting her face to his. Her chin had firmed, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes.“I should go.”Not the answer he’d been hoping for. Forcing a smile, he said, “Yeah,