Take a Chance by Lavender Daye Page A

he’d taken the long way home, making sure they
weren’t followed. Leading her into the kitchen, he paused and
adjusted the settings on the security system.
    “ Paranoid, are we?” she
asked with a lopsided grin.
    “ No, ma’am. Security is my
business and I take it seriously. With you in the house, more so.”
The sight of her standing in his kitchen, her hair a mess of brown
silk floating around her shoulders and her eyes half glazed, made
him itch to lift her in his arms and carry her to his
bed.
    Not a good idea.
    A concussion and his kind of sex, done right,
didn’t make good bedfellows.
    She needed tenderness and a sense of safety.
Without proper preparation, her first sight of his toys could put
her on edge.
    “ I’m going to settle you on
the sofa and you can watch a movie.” Taking her bag and putting it
on the kitchen island, he steered her into the main living area,
appreciating the fact that his housekeeper had been through the
place just yesterday. Newspapers had been corralled and all the
incidental clutter had disappeared.
    “ I’m fine, really. I just
need a nap,” Dena said when she sat down on the definitely sleep
worthy couch. He’d had many a productive nap in that spot but he
didn’t want her dozing too soon.
    “ I’d rather you stay awake
for a little while. I want to watch for signs of concussion
issues.”
    “ I have a little headache,
that’s all.” Her shoes dropped to the floor and she curled her feet
up on the sofa. “This okay, with my feet up here?”
    Damn straight. With her knees bent and her
feet next to her hips, the little blue skirt she wore rode up her
thighs and gave him a sweet peek of soft skin. His body responded
of its own accord and he reminded himself to back off. She’d been
in a wreck. She’d been traumatized and almost kidnapped. She’d been
naked with him just last night and after everything he’d done to
her, she was most likely sore.
    Didn’t keep his dick from rising to the
occasion.
    “ No problem.” Clearing his
throat to keep the tone casual, he said, “Tell me the names of your
brothers.”
    Her head tilted to one side and a thin
wrinkle formed above her nose. “Why? You already know my
brothers.”
    “ It’s a test. Tell me their
names.”
    A soft sigh twisted his buttons a little
tighter, and she replied. “Simon’s the bossy one, Grant is the
quiet one but follows Simon’s orders most of the time, and Brent is
my sweetie. He always brings me treats and helps me get away with
things.” Her lips curled in and her eyes popped in his direction.
“I shouldn’t have said that last part. Brent’s a good brother. The
end.”
    Despite the headache, she was playing with
him. Touching him without lifting a hand. Damn, he was going to
fall so hard for this little speck of a woman. He just hoped she
appreciated his lifestyle. “What has Brent helped you get away
with?”
    “ Promise you won’t tell
Simon?”
    “ That bad?”
    She wiggled in her spot, rearranging her
position and he could feel a bead of sweat forming on his temple.
“Not really, but Simon wouldn’t approve.”
    A laugh escaped and a bit of the tension in
his body eased. “I have a feeling Simon doesn’t approve of
much.”
    “ I’ve often wondered how
Simon had three kids, since he’s fairly straight-laced about
sex.”
    “ What did you do,
Dena?”
    “ You know, I think you’re
right. What kind of movies do you have?”
    “ You’re teasing me, aren’t
you?” Damn, she was a sassy little thing, even when banged up and
fragile. “Not a good way to go, Dena.”
    “ I don’t know what you mean.
I thought we were going to watch a movie.”
    “ And I thought you were
going to tell me what Brent helped you get away with.”
    She stretched and yawned, and then stretched
out on his sofa. “Oh, Brent, yes. He’s always coming up with ways
to get me in trouble. He’s a sweet brother.”
    Fuck. Twice in the span of a minute or two,
she’d arched her back and