all right?"
"Yeah. Just a crazy dream."
"You seem to have a lot of those."
"Always have. Some are better than others." She recalled the dream about him the previous afternoon. That had been a good one.
He took her hand. "You're shaking."
"It was scary."
"Want to talk about it?"
"No. Thank you."
"Scoot over."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." He nudged her with his hip. "Come on."
She moved to the far side of the bed and then gasped when it dipped under his weight. "W-what're you doing?"
"This." He slid his arm under her and carefully brought her into his embrace, making sure to accommodate her injured arm and leg. By the time he had her all arranged, her face was pressed to his chest, and he held her snugly against him. Maddie couldn't breathe from being this close to him, and she had nowhere to rest her sore hand but on his firm belly.
Brushing a kiss over her hair, he said, "Go back to sleep."
Um, yeah. Sure. With her senses overwhelmed by his sporty scent, the feel of his soft chest hair under her cheek, and his hand caressing her back—how did he expect her to sleep ?
"It's okay, Maddie. Nothing will happen to you or Thomas while I'm here. I promise."
How could he know that was exactly what she needed to hear right then? That nothing he could've said would have meant more to her? Tears leaked from her closed eyes. She was so tired—and not just from the sleepless night. The heavy weight of responsibility resting on her fragile shoulders was enough sometimes to make her buckle under the strain. Now here was this man wanting to make it all better—even if just for a little while—and it was so very tempting to let him. Tomorrow she'd get back to fighting him off. For right now, it felt too good to be held by him to think about fighting. She sank into Mac's embrace and absorbed the comfort he so willingly offered.
Mac didn't dare move. He'd had no idea how overwhelming it would be to hold her like this, to have her soft, fragrant hair brushing against his face, to have her body yield trustingly into his, and yes, to have her breasts pressed to his side… If she moved, even the slightest bit, she'd be able to feel what her closeness had done to him. So Mac focused on breathing the way the doctor had taught him—in through the nose, out through the mouth.
"Does your chest hurt?" Her breath fanning his heated skin only added to the problem in his lap.
"No."
"Why are you breathing like that? Does something else hurt?"
Mac chuckled. She was so cute. "Nothing that'll kill me."
After a long pause, she suddenly got it. Gasping, she began to move away from him.
He tightened his hold on her. "Stay. Please. I love holding you like this, but I can't help that having you so close turns me on."
"Oh."
In the waning darkness, he smiled. The innocent way she always said that single word was adorable—as if it was a huge surprise to her that she turned him on. She had no idea what she did to him, but apparently she intended to find out. Her injured hand moved from his belly to his face, her fingers caressing his jaw. Mac swore his heart stopped while he waited to see what she would do next. "Maddie…"
"Hmm?"
"What're you doing?"
"Touching you."
Jesus. Kill me now . He'd never been more painfully erect in his life. "Honey, you're going to be tired tomorrow—or I guess I should say today."
"S'okay. I've got someone covering for me at work."
He laughed. "Poor sucker."
"Mmm." Her fingers moved to his mouth, smoothing over his bottom lip in a light caress that once again stopped his heart.
Releasing a tortured groan, he held her tighter while being mindful of her injuries. They didn't seem to be bothering her at the moment.
"You're so handsome," she whispered.
Startled by the unexpected compliment, he cleared his throat. "Is that so?"
"Sure," she said, laughing. "Like you don't know."
"I had no idea until this very minute."
She poked his ribs, making him startle and then laugh again. "You're so full of
"Yeah. Just a crazy dream."
"You seem to have a lot of those."
"Always have. Some are better than others." She recalled the dream about him the previous afternoon. That had been a good one.
He took her hand. "You're shaking."
"It was scary."
"Want to talk about it?"
"No. Thank you."
"Scoot over."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." He nudged her with his hip. "Come on."
She moved to the far side of the bed and then gasped when it dipped under his weight. "W-what're you doing?"
"This." He slid his arm under her and carefully brought her into his embrace, making sure to accommodate her injured arm and leg. By the time he had her all arranged, her face was pressed to his chest, and he held her snugly against him. Maddie couldn't breathe from being this close to him, and she had nowhere to rest her sore hand but on his firm belly.
Brushing a kiss over her hair, he said, "Go back to sleep."
Um, yeah. Sure. With her senses overwhelmed by his sporty scent, the feel of his soft chest hair under her cheek, and his hand caressing her back—how did he expect her to sleep ?
"It's okay, Maddie. Nothing will happen to you or Thomas while I'm here. I promise."
How could he know that was exactly what she needed to hear right then? That nothing he could've said would have meant more to her? Tears leaked from her closed eyes. She was so tired—and not just from the sleepless night. The heavy weight of responsibility resting on her fragile shoulders was enough sometimes to make her buckle under the strain. Now here was this man wanting to make it all better—even if just for a little while—and it was so very tempting to let him. Tomorrow she'd get back to fighting him off. For right now, it felt too good to be held by him to think about fighting. She sank into Mac's embrace and absorbed the comfort he so willingly offered.
Mac didn't dare move. He'd had no idea how overwhelming it would be to hold her like this, to have her soft, fragrant hair brushing against his face, to have her body yield trustingly into his, and yes, to have her breasts pressed to his side… If she moved, even the slightest bit, she'd be able to feel what her closeness had done to him. So Mac focused on breathing the way the doctor had taught him—in through the nose, out through the mouth.
"Does your chest hurt?" Her breath fanning his heated skin only added to the problem in his lap.
"No."
"Why are you breathing like that? Does something else hurt?"
Mac chuckled. She was so cute. "Nothing that'll kill me."
After a long pause, she suddenly got it. Gasping, she began to move away from him.
He tightened his hold on her. "Stay. Please. I love holding you like this, but I can't help that having you so close turns me on."
"Oh."
In the waning darkness, he smiled. The innocent way she always said that single word was adorable—as if it was a huge surprise to her that she turned him on. She had no idea what she did to him, but apparently she intended to find out. Her injured hand moved from his belly to his face, her fingers caressing his jaw. Mac swore his heart stopped while he waited to see what she would do next. "Maddie…"
"Hmm?"
"What're you doing?"
"Touching you."
Jesus. Kill me now . He'd never been more painfully erect in his life. "Honey, you're going to be tired tomorrow—or I guess I should say today."
"S'okay. I've got someone covering for me at work."
He laughed. "Poor sucker."
"Mmm." Her fingers moved to his mouth, smoothing over his bottom lip in a light caress that once again stopped his heart.
Releasing a tortured groan, he held her tighter while being mindful of her injuries. They didn't seem to be bothering her at the moment.
"You're so handsome," she whispered.
Startled by the unexpected compliment, he cleared his throat. "Is that so?"
"Sure," she said, laughing. "Like you don't know."
"I had no idea until this very minute."
She poked his ribs, making him startle and then laugh again. "You're so full of
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