“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“My arm.”
“Oh, Jazz. I’m sorry. I forgot about your burn. This is silly. We shouldn’t do this. You’re hurt.”
“I’m just fine. We just need to be a little careful. It’s only my arm. The good stuff is just fine.” She giggled again and the bubbly sound lifted his heart.
“Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You should know by now, Roan Sullivan, there’s no escaping life’s pains.”
“I do know that,” he said. “It’s why I’m so scared.”
She cupped his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. “I’m scared too.”
“Do you still want to—”
In way of answer, she kissed him to shut him up.
He squeezed her tight, so grateful to have found her. She was a balm to his wounds. The pain of the man who’d lost his wife and become a single dad, the ache he hid from the rest of the world with a strong work ethic, slipped away and he wasn’t afraid for her to see him bare naked and starving for her.
Jazzy.
She was as effervescent as her name. Lively and fun, but sensible and down-to-earth. The girl nextdoor who grew up to be a raving beauty.Jazzy, Jazzy, Jazzy.
“Roan?” she murmured.
“Yes,” he whispered against her lips.
“Could you go get the condoms in my bathroom vanity? I want you to make love to me now.”
“If you’re certain that’s what you want.” He didn’t want to do anything she wasn’t one hundred percent sure of, but it would kill him not to keep going. The day she’d abandoned him and crawled out the bedroom window had shaken his confidence and now he was gun-shy. He wanted her more than he wanted to breathe. But he wanted it to be right. He wanted this to be a wonderful experience for them both.
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life, but I’m worried...”
“What about, sweetheart?” He pushed her hair from her forehead, peered down into her eyes.
“That I’ll disappoint you.”
“That can never happen.”
“How do you know? I might be completely lousy in bed.”
“Someone with your optimistic, can-do attitude could never be bad in bed. Don’t give it a second thought.”
“I don’t know a lot of tricks or maneuvers.”
“I don’t need that. All I need is you. And if you want to learn tricks and techniques I would be happy to serve as your tutor.”
“Really?”
“Hey, that’s the benefit of sleeping with an older man, right?”
“Does it bother you?” she asked. “Our age difference?”