lips. Yep, a bolder woman might want to do that.
She swallowed. Time literally ticked by as the grandfather clock tick-tocked in the corner. The sound was usually soothing. Now it only emphasized the rapid beating of her heart.
“Do you want the truth, Sofia?” His eyes glistened in the lamplight as if he couldn’t hold his secret back for another second.
She squelched her curiosity as best she could, then jerked a shoulder up and resumed breathing. “Sure. Go for it.”
“Those dreams”—a fresh grin slowly curved his lips—“are all I have to look forward to. I don’t want them to stop.” He gave a short laugh. “And you know what?”
“You’ve lost your mind?”
“Possibly. Because I have no desire to leave here tonight.” He brought a hand up and ran his knuckles across her cheek. “I don’t want to leave here. Can I stay? I promise to behave myself.”
Her skin sizzled under his touch. Geez, was he going to kiss her? No, he couldn’t. Not tonight. Not ever. It just wasn’t going to happen. She’d already come to terms with it, and now he needed to. Right?
“No,” was all she managed to say.
“Please. I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“I’m still angry with you. You treated me awful.”
“I know.” His fingers traced her jaw, her neck. “I was an asshole. I don’t deserve your kindness.”
“You blew it.” She shivered. Her head swirled.
“An unforgivable asshole. If you punched me in the face and told me to go to hell, I wouldn’t be surprised.” His voice lowered as he spoke, his gaze dropped and focused on her lips. “But you won’t. Because you are kind. Because you’ll take pity on me…and the bad day I’m having. My car’s broken down. I don’t have anywhere to go.” He met her eyes again. “Please, Sofia.”
The room did another complete spin, but she tried to blink it away.
“We should go to bed.” She blurted out the words and instantly felt the heat reach her cheeks. “Um…I meant I should go to bed.”
And get away from you before I do something stupid.
Sofia stretched her arms out in front of her, simultaneously pushing Gray away from her. A safe distance. That was what she needed. “I’m exhausted.”
“And a little tipsy,” he added.
“No, I’m fine. I’m super fine. But you…” She dropped to the floor and felt the room spin around a few more times. Maybe she wasn’t so fine.
She gripped the butcher block to keep steady. How was she going to get rid of this guy without feeling guilty for throwing him out into the darkness without a vehicle? Dang it. Why did she care? “You can sleep in the guest bedroom if you want.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and smiled mischievously.
“But you’ll have to leave first thing in the morning, understood?”
“No problem.”
“Because I don’t think—”
He put his hand up to stop her. “I know. I blew it.”
~ * ~
Gray had to admit, Sofia’s backside was starting to become his favorite part of her body, with the way her ass filled out those shorts. She led him up the narrow, dark wooden stairway, with two lamps hanging from her fingertips. Sweet Dreams stretched out with each step.
“I think Nana has a fresh toothbrush stored in the medicine cabinet. And I’ll have to make sure there are fresh linens on the guest bed.”
An orange cat zipped past at warp speed, nearly tripping Sofia on the top step.
Gray didn’t have enough viable brain cells left in his head to react in time. His leg curved into hers and his pelvis pushed against her bottom before he could stop.
“Sorry,” he said, and took a step back. Just in time. One second more, and she’d have felt his erection hardening in his jeans.
“My fault. I shouldn’t have stopped short.” She continued down the hallway. “Sam scared the bejeezus out of me. I really hate coming up here when it’s dark. It’s creepy, the way the old
She swallowed. Time literally ticked by as the grandfather clock tick-tocked in the corner. The sound was usually soothing. Now it only emphasized the rapid beating of her heart.
“Do you want the truth, Sofia?” His eyes glistened in the lamplight as if he couldn’t hold his secret back for another second.
She squelched her curiosity as best she could, then jerked a shoulder up and resumed breathing. “Sure. Go for it.”
“Those dreams”—a fresh grin slowly curved his lips—“are all I have to look forward to. I don’t want them to stop.” He gave a short laugh. “And you know what?”
“You’ve lost your mind?”
“Possibly. Because I have no desire to leave here tonight.” He brought a hand up and ran his knuckles across her cheek. “I don’t want to leave here. Can I stay? I promise to behave myself.”
Her skin sizzled under his touch. Geez, was he going to kiss her? No, he couldn’t. Not tonight. Not ever. It just wasn’t going to happen. She’d already come to terms with it, and now he needed to. Right?
“No,” was all she managed to say.
“Please. I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“I’m still angry with you. You treated me awful.”
“I know.” His fingers traced her jaw, her neck. “I was an asshole. I don’t deserve your kindness.”
“You blew it.” She shivered. Her head swirled.
“An unforgivable asshole. If you punched me in the face and told me to go to hell, I wouldn’t be surprised.” His voice lowered as he spoke, his gaze dropped and focused on her lips. “But you won’t. Because you are kind. Because you’ll take pity on me…and the bad day I’m having. My car’s broken down. I don’t have anywhere to go.” He met her eyes again. “Please, Sofia.”
The room did another complete spin, but she tried to blink it away.
“We should go to bed.” She blurted out the words and instantly felt the heat reach her cheeks. “Um…I meant I should go to bed.”
And get away from you before I do something stupid.
Sofia stretched her arms out in front of her, simultaneously pushing Gray away from her. A safe distance. That was what she needed. “I’m exhausted.”
“And a little tipsy,” he added.
“No, I’m fine. I’m super fine. But you…” She dropped to the floor and felt the room spin around a few more times. Maybe she wasn’t so fine.
She gripped the butcher block to keep steady. How was she going to get rid of this guy without feeling guilty for throwing him out into the darkness without a vehicle? Dang it. Why did she care? “You can sleep in the guest bedroom if you want.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and smiled mischievously.
“But you’ll have to leave first thing in the morning, understood?”
“No problem.”
“Because I don’t think—”
He put his hand up to stop her. “I know. I blew it.”
~ * ~
Gray had to admit, Sofia’s backside was starting to become his favorite part of her body, with the way her ass filled out those shorts. She led him up the narrow, dark wooden stairway, with two lamps hanging from her fingertips. Sweet Dreams stretched out with each step.
“I think Nana has a fresh toothbrush stored in the medicine cabinet. And I’ll have to make sure there are fresh linens on the guest bed.”
An orange cat zipped past at warp speed, nearly tripping Sofia on the top step.
Gray didn’t have enough viable brain cells left in his head to react in time. His leg curved into hers and his pelvis pushed against her bottom before he could stop.
“Sorry,” he said, and took a step back. Just in time. One second more, and she’d have felt his erection hardening in his jeans.
“My fault. I shouldn’t have stopped short.” She continued down the hallway. “Sam scared the bejeezus out of me. I really hate coming up here when it’s dark. It’s creepy, the way the old
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