She sat up and gaped at the faux flames. “It looks like a real fire. I have never seen anything like that, either.”
“It’s nice ambiance with a little bit of warmth when I need it.”
Laila nodded, then settled back onto her pillow with a contented sigh.
“Good night, little one.”
She didn’t say anything, simply curled up like a cat again and closed her eyes, long lashes brushing the tops of her cheeks.
He should stop staring, but he couldn’t do it. He just wanted to drink in everything about her—the little baby curls around her hairline that framed her face, the hint of roses in her cheeks, the full lips that beckoned him whether she smiled or frowned, the delicate hands that clutched the blanket under her chin protectively.
In the real world, if he wasn’t her bodyguard, she would never have looked twice at him. Trees knew he was a big brute without an ounce of polish. He was from “flyover” country. He hadn’t finished college. Hell, he hadn’t had running water most of his childhood. He lacked Zy’s charisma, good looks, pedigree, and charm. Sure, he appealed to some women, but most were subs who wanted his gentle but firm discipline, not his handsome face or sparkling personality.
And Laila might be the most gorgeous woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Graceful. Sensual. Stunning. What the fuck did she see in him? Safety? Or was her seeming acceptance of the comfort of his bed another ruse?
Beside him, she shivered and scooted closer. Even from two feet away, he felt the chill of her feet.
“You want another blanket?” He had a quilt in the closet.
She gave him a drowsy-eyed glance. “No.”
Then she inched closer.
Shit if that didn’t make him harder.
With a sigh, he plucked his phone from his nightstand and checked in with one of his online prepper groups. Yeah, all his friends thought he was crazy, bracing now for the erosion of society into anarchy. When chaos ensued and there was no such thing as a supply chain anymore, he’d be set for years—and everyone else would be shit out of luck.
He tried to focus on the community chatter. Live below your means. Duh. Store water in collapsible containers. Double duh. Don’t store all supplies on one place. So fucking obvious. No wonder he was way more aware of Laila stretching beside him before balling up again, this time even closer.
Her feet were seriously like ice.
“You’re still cold.” He set his phone aside.
She didn’t answer, simply opened her eyes and met his stare.
Their connection zinged.
Jesus, how was he supposed to stop himself from touching her? But after everything she’d been through, he had to. He didn’t want to give her any reason to think that she had to pay for the food she’d eaten or the shirt she wore in ways other than the ones they’d negotiated. On the other hand, he couldn’t stand doing nothing while she shivered.
He sighed. “Turn over.”
“What?”
“Lie on your other side.”
“And put my back to you?” The way she said it sounded like a giant hell no.
“I won’t hurt you, Laila. I won’t touch you without your consent. Remember, if anything is ever too much, you can stop me with a word. But I’m simply trying to help you get comfortable so you fall asleep.”
She hesitated before finally nodding and rolling onto her side, giving him her graceful nape and slender shoulders.
He hooked an arm around her middle and dragged her against his body, avoiding the ache of his cock. “Put your feet on me.”
She stiffened but didn’t move away. “I do not wish to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“All right.” She wriggled closer and pressed her twenty-below feet against his thighs, then relaxed with a sigh. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Surely she felt him hard as fuck against the small of her back, but she wasn’t freaking out. Did she trust him? Did she hope that if she didn’t mention it, he wouldn’t press her? Or did she not realize how fucking much she aroused him?
Slowly, her body lost its starch. She didn’t fall asleep; he would have heard the change in her breathing. She was awake—and completely relaxed against him. He tried to close his eyes and get some sleep. Tomorrow would be another day of potential surprises and hell. He had to be prepared.
All he could feel was Laila’s ass against his throbbing cock. All he could smell was the faint soap and feminine musk wafting from her soft skin.
Fuck, he should have grabbed a few minutes in the shower with his bath gel and his hand.
Five minutes turned into ten, then into twenty. Her breathing slowed and deepened, almost as if she’d dropped off…but not quite. To his surprise, she turned in his arms, facing him once more, and snuggled against him. Her head rested inches from his chest. He felt her every exhalation and shuddered at the thought of her breath bathing his skin.
Trees would have sworn it was impossible, but his cock stiffened even more, weeping in need for her.
But she was finally warmer. He could feel it in her toasty toes and the laxness of her muscles. He couldn’t take that away from her just because his dick was nagging him like a toothache.
It was going to be an excruciating night, but Laila needed to sleep in peace.
He repeated that like a litany over and over, like a mental leash he used to jerk himself in line.
Until she sighed contentedly against him again. “Trees…”
Then she pressed her lips against his chest.
His whole body lit up. “What?”
Her lashes fluttered open, and she speared him with a soft, sultry glance. “Will you kiss me good-night?”
Was she serious? Was she crazy?
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Her full lips pursed into a pout. “Surely there is no harm in a kiss.”
“Laila, I’m not going to want to stop there.”
“I like kissing.”
For Laila, that was a big admission.
“I like kissing, too. But if we’re not careful, it will lead to more.”
“It does not have to. Please.” Her eyes slid shut and she lifted her face to him, offering him her pillowy lips.
He was a fucking goner.
With a groan, he rolled her to her back, wrapped his arms around her, and took her mouth in a desperate kiss, barging his way past her lips. Instead of pushing him away, her arms curled around his neck and she opened to him without hesitation. Then he thrust his tongue against hers, into the deepest recesses of her sweet, silken mouth.
God, she was heaven. She made his thoughts dissipate, his caution evaporate, and his desire roar.
Experimentally, he pulled back. To his surprise, she followed, moaning in protest as she lifted closer to renew the kiss.
Shit. Did she actually want this? Want him? Was this more than another escape attempt? Or was she merely trying to pay him for the roof over her head?
That jerked him out of the moment. “Why?”
Laila bit her lip. “Because you make me feel good.”
“You want that now?”
“I need it. Without you, I would feel so alone.”
Without her sister and her nephew—her lifelines? He could see that. He understood it. He just wasn’t sure he one hundred percent believed it. “I’m here.”