Darkness Seduced (Primal Heat Trilogy #2) (Order of the Blade) by Stephanie Rowe Page B
Authors: Stephanie Rowe
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about that.”
“Hey, no problem.” He kept stroking her hair, and she didn’t pull away. It felt too good. “Women often react that way when they wake up in my bed. I’m used to it.”
She snorted then pulled her hands down so she could look at him. His eyes were bright blue in the early morning light, studying her intensely. “When I woke up pinned down like that, it made me remember—” No, she didn’t want to remember.
Anger flashed over Gideon’s face, but it was instantly contained. “It’s okay. I should have thought of that. My fault.”
“Yours? Yeah, you should totally be prepared for me to become completely irrational and fall apart on you...” Her voice trailed off as she recalled the hours of tears she’d dumped on him last night. Where was the woman she used to be? The one who was methodical, orderly, and always in control. The one who didn’t dwell on what had happened to her when she was seventeen. The one who didn’t let Nate get to her. “Sorry about the meltdown last night.”
“No, it’s fine.” Gideon shrugged it off, then and propped himself up on his elbow so he could look at her. She liked looking up at him, seeing him leaning over her, like he was her shield from the world. He made her feel small and feminine, but not in a vulnerable way. She felt cherished and protected, as if she didn’t have to be strong anymore. Not that she had a problem being strong—she liked it—but it felt good not to have to be strong.
Gideon grinned. “It made me feel like a man to have you go all weepy on me. Feel free to stroke my ego anytime.”
She almost laughed at the absurdity of his response, and her reaction startled her. When was the last time she’d laughed? She couldn’t even remember.
Gideon shifted next to her and the silver sleeping bag slid down his hip, revealing a broad expanse of taut skin. She realized it had unzipped when she’d been panicking, revealing far more of Gideon that she’d been in any state to notice last night. Heat flared in her cheeks. “Are you still naked?”
He grinned. “Hell, yeah. Wanna see?”
“No.” But she couldn’t quite keep herself from sneaking a peek at his shoulders. They were heavily muscled, broad and entirely bare, and her body heated in response. Not just heat. A burning, calling, needing for him. For his touch, for his kisses, for his body to rub against hers, skin to skin—
He leaned over her, his eyes a turbulent blue. “Liar,” he whispered.
She tensed as his breath fluttered over her lips, clenching her fists against the compulsion to tangle her fingers in his hair and tug him down to her.
Her attraction to him was too intense , she realized suddenly, her body going cold with the shock of that comprehension.
She should have realized it last night at Nate’s house, but she’d been too freaked out about everything. But now...it was so obvious. No wonder she’d been so certain he was her destruction. God, what an idiot she was! How could she have gotten herself in this situation? She couldn’t even get away from him, stuck in the desert like this... She’d spent her life preparing for this moment, but still been totally blind-sided by it!
“Lily?” He touched her cheek. “Talk to me.”
She met his gaze, her heart racing. “Aren’t you worried about being alone with me?”
His eyebrows shot up, and for a moment he looked adorably confused. She would never have imagined Gideon Roarke with such a vulnerable, human expression on his face, but he looked ravishingly handsome with his hair disheveled, his body still relaxed from sleep, and those blue eyes uncertain. This was the side she never would have expected of this cold, deadly warrior, and it made her heart melt just a little bit.
“Why would I be afraid of you?” he asked.
She had to say it. Had to lay it out there. Now, before others from the Order came around. Now, while they still had a chance to fix it. “Because I might be your sheva .” Her
“Hey, no problem.” He kept stroking her hair, and she didn’t pull away. It felt too good. “Women often react that way when they wake up in my bed. I’m used to it.”
She snorted then pulled her hands down so she could look at him. His eyes were bright blue in the early morning light, studying her intensely. “When I woke up pinned down like that, it made me remember—” No, she didn’t want to remember.
Anger flashed over Gideon’s face, but it was instantly contained. “It’s okay. I should have thought of that. My fault.”
“Yours? Yeah, you should totally be prepared for me to become completely irrational and fall apart on you...” Her voice trailed off as she recalled the hours of tears she’d dumped on him last night. Where was the woman she used to be? The one who was methodical, orderly, and always in control. The one who didn’t dwell on what had happened to her when she was seventeen. The one who didn’t let Nate get to her. “Sorry about the meltdown last night.”
“No, it’s fine.” Gideon shrugged it off, then and propped himself up on his elbow so he could look at her. She liked looking up at him, seeing him leaning over her, like he was her shield from the world. He made her feel small and feminine, but not in a vulnerable way. She felt cherished and protected, as if she didn’t have to be strong anymore. Not that she had a problem being strong—she liked it—but it felt good not to have to be strong.
Gideon grinned. “It made me feel like a man to have you go all weepy on me. Feel free to stroke my ego anytime.”
She almost laughed at the absurdity of his response, and her reaction startled her. When was the last time she’d laughed? She couldn’t even remember.
Gideon shifted next to her and the silver sleeping bag slid down his hip, revealing a broad expanse of taut skin. She realized it had unzipped when she’d been panicking, revealing far more of Gideon that she’d been in any state to notice last night. Heat flared in her cheeks. “Are you still naked?”
He grinned. “Hell, yeah. Wanna see?”
“No.” But she couldn’t quite keep herself from sneaking a peek at his shoulders. They were heavily muscled, broad and entirely bare, and her body heated in response. Not just heat. A burning, calling, needing for him. For his touch, for his kisses, for his body to rub against hers, skin to skin—
He leaned over her, his eyes a turbulent blue. “Liar,” he whispered.
She tensed as his breath fluttered over her lips, clenching her fists against the compulsion to tangle her fingers in his hair and tug him down to her.
Her attraction to him was too intense , she realized suddenly, her body going cold with the shock of that comprehension.
She should have realized it last night at Nate’s house, but she’d been too freaked out about everything. But now...it was so obvious. No wonder she’d been so certain he was her destruction. God, what an idiot she was! How could she have gotten herself in this situation? She couldn’t even get away from him, stuck in the desert like this... She’d spent her life preparing for this moment, but still been totally blind-sided by it!
“Lily?” He touched her cheek. “Talk to me.”
She met his gaze, her heart racing. “Aren’t you worried about being alone with me?”
His eyebrows shot up, and for a moment he looked adorably confused. She would never have imagined Gideon Roarke with such a vulnerable, human expression on his face, but he looked ravishingly handsome with his hair disheveled, his body still relaxed from sleep, and those blue eyes uncertain. This was the side she never would have expected of this cold, deadly warrior, and it made her heart melt just a little bit.
“Why would I be afraid of you?” he asked.
She had to say it. Had to lay it out there. Now, before others from the Order came around. Now, while they still had a chance to fix it. “Because I might be your sheva .” Her
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