“And the day you took him to the canine instruction academy. Emily, how the hell did you manage to convince him to dress in those pads and let those dogs attack him?”
Her lips twitched. “I was the one who was going to do it. But that made him come apart at the seams. So I told him if he did it, he could give me an accurate account and I would settle for that.”
He shook his head. “You’re a bad girl.”
“Does that mean you’ll spank me later?” She curled closer to his chest. “You could spank me now, just to teach me a lesson, you know.”
Green eyes darkened, became brighter, sexier before an edge of regret filled his gaze and he glanced at the clock on her bedside stand.
“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up for two hours now. I have a meeting with the other team members when they arrive in about half an hour. With your father.” But he considered her suggestion for a few seconds, before shaking his head and loosening his hold on her. “Come on, vixen. I’ll spank you later.”
“What were you doing while I was asleep?” She lay back on the bed, admiring the lean, muscular perfection that filled her gaze. Erection and all, he was a sight to behold.
Her gaze caressed over his buttocks as he pulled his jeans over them, not bothering to snap them as he tugged the zipper up.
“I was holding you.” His look was frankly possessive. “Watching you sleep.”
And he wasn’t in the least ashamed of it. What had Kira told her once? That men never cuddled. Once they had finished, they were finished.
The bitterness in her friend’s voice when she made the comment had clenched at Emily’s heart. Because she wanted the tenderness Kell had given her. She hadn’t known how much she needed it until he had given it.
The way he held her and bathed her. The fact that he had watched her sleep, that he had just held her.
“I like being held,” she whispered as she stared up at him. “I liked it very much.”
The quirk of a smile suddenly curled his lips and lit his eyes. He leaned across the bed, bracing his weight on his arms as his head lowered, his overnight growth of beard caressing her cheek before his lips settled against hers gently.
“Get up, sugar,” he drawled, gripping her arms and drawing her up with him. “You have a full day ahead of you and I have things to do to keep that pretty little butt of yours safe so I can spank it later.”
She wiggled said butt at him, shrieking as he made to slap at it before pulling back at the last second.
“Shower with me?” she suggested, casting a suggestive look over her shoulder as she moved to the bathroom.
He shook his head, drawing in a deep breath before grimacing in denial.
“Not a chance. Reno will skin me alive if I’m late for this meeting. Get your shower and I’ll come back for you when I’m done. I want to go down to breakfast with you.”
She paused. “You don’t think I’m safe here? In Dad’s house?”
“I feel better knowing you’re safe,” he stated firmly. “Let’s get through this, Emily. We’ll iron out rules later. Deal?”
“The rules are adding up fast, Krieger,” she informed him warningly. “I’m making a list, you know.”
“I’m sure you are, sweet.” He chuckled. “I have no doubt. Now shower. I’ll be back here in twenty minutes.”
“Make it forty.”
“Try thirty. I’m hungry. Someone used me hard last night and I need to restore my energy.”
“Yeah, someone might end up using you hard again tonight,” she suggested, her heart racing at the look of remembered pleasure in his expression.
He winked wickedly, picked up his boots and then left her bedroom. Before closing the door he turned the lock on the doorknob then pulled it firmly behind him.
She got the idea. Don’t open it for anyone but him.
A smile tugged at her lips as she went into the bathroom and adjusted the water for her shower. They would have to talk soon, she knew that. There were secrets Kell was holding back, she could see them in his eyes sometimes, she heard them in his voice. Whatever those secrets were, they were filled with pain.
As she stepped into the shower she thought again how little she knew about him. She didn’t know his past, barely knew his present, but he was becoming more important to her than people she had known her entire life.