Mission: Impossible to Protect (The Impossible Mission Romantic Suspense Series Book 6), стр. 41
“Right now, it’s hard for me to be afraid. I feel so content…and it’s a new feeling for me. I’m usually wanting to book it…you know?”
“Yes, I do know.”
“Now, I thought we agreed no more snide remarks about my past.”
“God, you just can’t stop. Can you be serious for once in your life?”
“Okay. I’m not afraid—”
“Yes, you are. It’s evident by your track record. I’m sure there were many women who wanted more than one night with you.”
“If you had let me finish…” He grinned, seeing her eyes narrow and her lips pinch together. “I’m not afraid. I’m terrified. You’re brilliant, beautiful, funny, sweet, loyal. You can have your pick of any man. You have, or had, the famous Alex Hardy at your feet.”
“You know Alex and I never—”
“You didn’t?” He couldn’t stop his grin from widening.
“You’re incorrigible.”
“It makes me happy to think all the time I was dying imagining you and Hardy together, you weren’t tearing up the sheets.”
“You never texted or called me.”
“Because I thought you went back to your famous boyfriend. And your stint at my bedside was because of your guilt. I thought that I was the only one who cared. Reeves told me I was pitiful after you left.”
He ran his fingers along her arm, loving her silky-smooth skin. “Can we take it nice and slow? Prove to each other that we’re both into exploring this thing more than just a few nights in bed.”
“I’d like that… I’d like that a lot.” She tugged his ear between her teeth.
“We’re in New York, and as long as we are cautious, we can spend time exploring the city together. We don’t have to spend all the time in bed.”
“You promise that you won’t run terrified if I start actually to care about you?”
She was amazingly fearless; he knew how difficult it was for her to admit she cared after Jax, the jerk. And thanks to some crazy twist in the universe, she wanted Lars. And he planned to work his ass off to make their relationship succeed.
“Honey, I’m not going anywhere. You have to promise you won’t run once you realize what a bad bargain I am.”
“What a pair of neurotics we are. Make love to me, Lars Jenkins. And let’s forget our trust and terror issues. It seems to be all right when I’m in your arms.”
His chest filled with hope, looking into her eyes shining with love. “I feel the same way.”
He reached behind him for a condom and covered himself. He slowly entered her while he lifted her breast into his mouth, enjoying the sound of her whimpers.
Danni was hot and moist, and it was hard to take it slow when he was ramped up by the glowing love in her eyes. And he wasn’t kidding about her scent driving him to possess her. “Can you come for me, honey? One last time to finish our perfect evening… You screaming my name.”
* * *
Lars jerked awake to the vibration of his cell phone. His eyes scanned the darkened room. For a second, he couldn’t get oriented until he homed in on the sound of a soft snore. Danni’s presence eased him into the wonder of waking next to this woman, all silky and warm.
Sprawled out across the entire width of the bed, she’d forced him to the edge of the king-sized bed. Damn. She took up a lot of space and was pushing him around, even in her sleep. He’d just have to reclaim his spot…
The phone buzzed again. He slowly disengaged himself from her casted right arm, which had been resting across his chest. He gently propped her wrist on his pillow before he slid gingerly out of the bed, trying not to wake her. She sighed with the movement but then returned to muted snuffles and snores.
Ryder had texted him. “Your brother wants admission to the suite.”
Lars stared at his phone. It was eleven p.m. It didn’t take a Mensa membership to know which brother.
Taking his gun from the bedside stand, he walked into the bathroom, closed the door on the shining light, and texted Ryder back. “Tell Sten to come in quietly. Danni is sleeping.”
Lars jumped into the shower. Sten could wait since he decided to show up unannounced, possibly breaking Lars’s cover. Sten was too smart to commit such an amateur mistake.
Lars slipped into clean jeans and a T-shirt with his gun snug in his shoulder holster. He wasn’t sure how Danni would want to handle his brother’s appearance. Danni’s clothes were all over the living room after last night’s sex on the couch. Lars would never hear the end of it.
He strode over to the bed. Danni hadn’t changed her position since he left to shower. Lars resisted the need to kiss her, taking care not to wake her. She needed the rest.
Lars sauntered into the living room to find both Sten and Izzy with wine glasses in their hands, admiring the view.
“Help yourself, why don’t you?” Irritation crawled up his spine. He could handle Sten’s reaction to Lars and Danni together, but Izzy would be a whole different kettle of pickled herring.
Sten turned and grinned. “Thank you. We did.”
Lars scanned the couch for Danni’s clothes as he crossed to join them. The clothes were now folded into a neat pile on the end of the couch, her underwear nowhere in sight. He was sure that Sten hadn’t folded the clothes. There would be hell to pay when all the women found out, and he had no doubt they would. Neither he nor Danni needed her friends going ballistic about their budding relationship.
Lars hugged Izzy. Facing his brother out of Izzy’s view, he gave his twin his wide-eyed WTF look.
“What a great surprise.” He could barely get the words out. The lie almost caught in his throat.
Sten’s eyes, so like his own, were bright with amusement.
“Hey, great to see you too.” Sten’s entertained