What was the problem? He didn’t exactly know, but something felt off. First she’d avoided him all evening, now she was in his room, seemingly bent on seduction. He didn’t want to be suspicious of her actions, but when she leaned forward again, he summoned a shred of wavering willpower and pressed back against the headboard.
“Kendra, no. I won’t take advantage of you. You need to leave.” The words fell short of the command he meant them to be.
She shook her head and smiled slowly, shifting her position until she straddled him where he sat on the bed. In desperation, he removed his hands and fisted them in the bedspread. “God, you have no idea what you’re doing,” he rasped.
“I have a fair idea.” She slid across his lap until her thighs rode his hips. His arousal throbbed and, as she settled her weight onto him, the pleasure-pain was unbearable.
“Kendra, I’m serious,” he pleaded, grasping her arms with the intent of pushing her away.
“Colton, I need this.” Her brown eyes pleaded as much as her whispered words. She pushed against his weak hold, stopping only when her lips brushed his. “Please. I need you. Now.”
And with that, he couldn’t have denied her even if he’d wanted to. He surged forward to embrace her full against his chest. The kiss spun on a dangerous tilt until he rolled her beneath him on the small bed. Poised above her, he smoothed her hair back and drank in the beauty of her face in the moonlight. The complete trust in her shadowed eyes brought an ache to his chest. He silently vowed to do everything he could to erase the nightmare of her rape.
With every kiss, every touch, every whisper, he cherished the woman who’d snuck into his heart when he wasn’t looking. He gave her everything he had and made sure she experienced the joy and wonder of making love more than once before even considering his own release. Afterward, he hugged her back to his chest, the only way they could fit on the small mattress. She sighed a soft, heart-tugging sound of contentment before drifting off to sleep.
Colton lay wide awake, staring toward the window as the moon climbed higher. Shadows lengthened, changing the landscape and messing with his head. While he enjoyed the sensation of her small body against his, insistent doubts hounded him with the reminder of their opposite lives.
The worst of it was, he’d gone and fallen for her. Love was never supposed to be an option for him. Panic fluttered in his chest with the silent admission, but her warm curves soothed the emotion to a manageable level. Even went so far as to inspire tentative optimism. After what they’d shared tonight, he wondered if he dared hope what their future held in store. Was it possible they could have one together?
****
He woke to the soft rustle of fabric. Without moving, he watched Kendra slide her jeans up her slim legs and over her hips. She fastened them, adjusted her shirt, then sat on a nearby chair to pull her socks on. He remembered kissing her foot; she was ticklish. There and other places. A satisfied smile curved his lips as desire flared in his gut, making him wish she’d stayed in bed. His gaze went to her face, wanting to see her in the light of early morning after what they’d shared in the moonlight.
Her lush lips were pressed in a thin line and a frown marred her delicate brow. A painful vice squeezed his chest as he wondered if she already regretted what’d happened. And then something else hit him like five tons of bricks.
He’d completely forgotten protection. What if she got pregnant?
Unexpectedly, a thrill shot through him. He could be a father.
Focus, you ass, this isn’t about you.
Obviously, something had her upset—and whether or not it was regret for what they’d shared, he should reassure her she wouldn’t be alone if the end result should be a baby. Again, excitement rose up. Tempering it, he braced upright on one elbow and spoke her name. Her head snapped up at his sleep-raspy voice and her jumpiness made him feel like a jerk.
“You’re awake.” The unnecessary statement further revealed her unease.
Colton sat up the rest of the way and scooped his shorts off the floor. He noticed with a bit of misplaced irritation and more guilt that she turned her back when he stood to pull them on. He moved across the room and extended a hand to her shoulder. She flinched under his touch. His hand fisted and he dropped his arm to his side.
“I want you to know that if…well, if anything should result from last night, you won’t be alone.” Much as he hated it, he couldn’t control the hurt that roughened his tone.
She turned with another frown. Damn, it was hard to face the woman he loved with all her regrets reflected in her eyes. So he looked out the window as he ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I was so stupid.”
Her indrawn breath drew his attention back to her face. Oh, man, wrong thing to say. Now, besides the regret, he’d wounded her. “I mean, I always use something,” he clarified. “I should’ve thought about it. What about you?”
“What are you talking about?”
The confusion in her expression made him pause. She couldn’t be that innocent, could she? Looking at her face, though, he gues
sed he had his answer even before he asked. “Protection…are you on the pill or any type of birth control?”
Her eyes widened, and she dropped her gaze while shaking her head.
“I’m sorry,” he told her.
A sharp jerk raised her face back to his. “What are you sorry for? It’s not your fault.”
“I should’ve been more responsible.”
“You don’t have to worry, Colton. I’ll take care of it.”