and frowned as she took a quick step back.
"No need to be jumpy, sweet thing. Nothing is going to happen under this roof that you don't want to happen. You have my word on that." He watched warm color race over her face, and an answering heat raced through his body. "Nobody will touch you unless you want to be touched."
"Wouldn't it be safer for you if I just left? My step dad is a mean, nasty, conniving bastard who would take everything you had if he thought he could get away with it. I don't want to have him coming after you for harboring a criminal runaway."
Flint shook his head and ran a lean hand through his hair. "No one is going to hurt me or mine. And since I consider you mine, that includes you, darlin'."
Lily felt as if a hand had closed around her heart, hearing his words. "No one...no one has ever said anything like that to me before. Exactly what do you mean by that, Flint Calderon? That you own me? Or that you are in control of me like he was?"
She watched his eyes darken as he moved a slow step closer. Sweet Lord...the vibes that man was sending could have stopped a horse in full gallop. She felt his lean hands slide around her narrow waist as he pulled her very gently against his taut body. As their hips met, his eyes flared.
"No. I mean that you sneaked into my motel room and I decided right then and there that you belonged to me. If I hadn't made a promise to keep my hands to myself unless you wanted me, I would be stripping off every stitch on that little hide of yours and making you know exactly how much I want you."
His nose nudged aside the hair at the side of her cheek, and she shivered in pleasure as his lips pressed into the skin of her throat.
"You don't play fair, Calderon..." her voice was strained and breathless as every nerve in her body lit up like a firecracker.
"Who said I'm playin'?"
She stepped back and lifted shaking hands to her throat and the place where his lips had been. His eyes were nearly pitch black with something that left her breathless.
"This isn't just because you feel pity for me?" Her voice was raspy.
"Pity is not the correct word for what I'm feelin' about now, darlin'. And I can see that what I'm feelin' isn't welcome at the moment, so if you'll pardon me, I'll finish up a few of the chores I left hangin' earlier before supper. Dora could use some help in the kitchen, if you're lookin' for somethin' to do."
She watched as he turned toward the door and reached for his Stetson, which hung on a hat rack beside the bookshelves. Unable to find words that would make it past her closed throat, she stood numbly staring at the closing door.
I just stood here like a stupid fool when that man made a real, genuine pass at me? What the hell was I thinking?
Maybe she was so damn screwed up by her hellish existence that she couldn't respond to a hot, delicious, and thoughtful man. He had made it plain that he wanted her...that he'd wanted her from the get go. And Lily wasn't some timid, innocent virgin who couldn't see how the man felt or responded to her. True, she wasn't a terribly experienced non-virgin, but she'd been around the block...once. Almost twice, but she'd chickened out that first time with Brad Farraday. The jackass figured she owed him for a nice dinner and a movie, and she'd disagreed. It had been a damn long five-mile walk back to town.
It was high time Lily Thomas picked up her shattered life and started putting one foot ahead of the other. She'd remained in limbo for too long. If Flint Calderon was willing to take her in, protect her from the shit storm that she knew was coming, and cared enough about what happened to a virtual stranger who'd broken into his life, what the hell was she shying away from? That man was the first one she'd ever had such an instant attraction to for as far back as she could remember, and here she was acting like he was no one special.
Stepping out of the library, she hurried up the curving stairs to her own room. Lily
"No need to be jumpy, sweet thing. Nothing is going to happen under this roof that you don't want to happen. You have my word on that." He watched warm color race over her face, and an answering heat raced through his body. "Nobody will touch you unless you want to be touched."
"Wouldn't it be safer for you if I just left? My step dad is a mean, nasty, conniving bastard who would take everything you had if he thought he could get away with it. I don't want to have him coming after you for harboring a criminal runaway."
Flint shook his head and ran a lean hand through his hair. "No one is going to hurt me or mine. And since I consider you mine, that includes you, darlin'."
Lily felt as if a hand had closed around her heart, hearing his words. "No one...no one has ever said anything like that to me before. Exactly what do you mean by that, Flint Calderon? That you own me? Or that you are in control of me like he was?"
She watched his eyes darken as he moved a slow step closer. Sweet Lord...the vibes that man was sending could have stopped a horse in full gallop. She felt his lean hands slide around her narrow waist as he pulled her very gently against his taut body. As their hips met, his eyes flared.
"No. I mean that you sneaked into my motel room and I decided right then and there that you belonged to me. If I hadn't made a promise to keep my hands to myself unless you wanted me, I would be stripping off every stitch on that little hide of yours and making you know exactly how much I want you."
His nose nudged aside the hair at the side of her cheek, and she shivered in pleasure as his lips pressed into the skin of her throat.
"You don't play fair, Calderon..." her voice was strained and breathless as every nerve in her body lit up like a firecracker.
"Who said I'm playin'?"
She stepped back and lifted shaking hands to her throat and the place where his lips had been. His eyes were nearly pitch black with something that left her breathless.
"This isn't just because you feel pity for me?" Her voice was raspy.
"Pity is not the correct word for what I'm feelin' about now, darlin'. And I can see that what I'm feelin' isn't welcome at the moment, so if you'll pardon me, I'll finish up a few of the chores I left hangin' earlier before supper. Dora could use some help in the kitchen, if you're lookin' for somethin' to do."
She watched as he turned toward the door and reached for his Stetson, which hung on a hat rack beside the bookshelves. Unable to find words that would make it past her closed throat, she stood numbly staring at the closing door.
I just stood here like a stupid fool when that man made a real, genuine pass at me? What the hell was I thinking?
Maybe she was so damn screwed up by her hellish existence that she couldn't respond to a hot, delicious, and thoughtful man. He had made it plain that he wanted her...that he'd wanted her from the get go. And Lily wasn't some timid, innocent virgin who couldn't see how the man felt or responded to her. True, she wasn't a terribly experienced non-virgin, but she'd been around the block...once. Almost twice, but she'd chickened out that first time with Brad Farraday. The jackass figured she owed him for a nice dinner and a movie, and she'd disagreed. It had been a damn long five-mile walk back to town.
It was high time Lily Thomas picked up her shattered life and started putting one foot ahead of the other. She'd remained in limbo for too long. If Flint Calderon was willing to take her in, protect her from the shit storm that she knew was coming, and cared enough about what happened to a virtual stranger who'd broken into his life, what the hell was she shying away from? That man was the first one she'd ever had such an instant attraction to for as far back as she could remember, and here she was acting like he was no one special.
Stepping out of the library, she hurried up the curving stairs to her own room. Lily
Similar Books
