long moments, just savoring the feeling of her breath against his neck. Her heart was beating against his chest, slowing down as she relaxed into a deeper sleep.
He gently cradled her upper body and lowered her to the surface of her bed. She frowned and made another needy sound as she turned one way and then the other. Her lips pushed into a pout as she twisted again. He smoothed the hair off her face and she sighed again, turning toward him… seeking him.
Ah hell. He should leave. She would be furious—there was no doubt about that. But that thought made it even easier for him to kick off his boots and lie down beside her. He had a fascination with her temper, possibly an unhealthy one, but it was wrapping its roots around him more and more with every encounter.
It was far too simple, too enjoyable to gather her against his side. And he liked the contented sound she made as she nuzzled against his chest… far too much.
But he was fairly sure he’d attempt to kill any man who tried to make him leave.
Bloody hell.
Two
Sophia smiled, surprised her nose wasn’t cold for a change. In fact, she was toasty warm from head to toe and her body was humming with contentment. She stretched one leg and then another before rubbing her nose against her pillow one final time before forcing herself to rise. How tempting it was to be lazy.
She frowned when the fabric tickled her nose, feeling rougher than she recalled her sheeting should be. She stroked her pillow, only to discover it to be the same texture as wool. Now that she was waking up, it smelled also like wool and something else, something from her dreams…
Her eyes flew open and she lifted her head. She blinked and then blinked again, but the sight of Bion Donkova lying on his back in the center of her bed didn’t dissipate. Her chemise was twisted up to the top of her thighs while Bion had an arm locked very familiarly along her back. She looked at his lower body and heard him chuckle once she’d discovered that he was indeed wearing all his clothing.
“I save my seductions for females who are wide awake,” he said.
She jerked upward and then stood up, frantically trying to recall how the man had arrived in her bed. Bion stretched, cocking his head from side to side until his neck popped. She backed away from him, completely alarmed by the lazy look on his face—relaxed, actually. The man was at ease, comfortable even, and her cheeks burned scarlet. He’d slept in her bed!
They’d slept together!
“What are ye doing in me bed?” she demanded.
He sat up, pausing as he began to pull his boots on. “Your Irish comes out when you’re agitated,” he noted.
“Agitated?” She nearly choked on the word and her hands propped onto her hips. “Ye’re right about that, Bion Donkova. Now explain to me how ye came to be here.”
He stood up, but his unruly hair and disheveled appearance prevented him from impressing her as he usually did. Instead, she felt drawn toward this unexpected peek at what the man looked like when he wasn’t buttoned and polished in his uniform. It was surprising and mesmerizing, threatening to draw her closer to him.
It was like nothing she had ever experienced. Ladies did not receive gentlemen in their… unmentionables!
Of course, Bion wasn’t a gentleman and had never professed to be interested in behaving like one.
“You were having nightmares.” He brushed his hair back with his hand, restoring some of his normal poise. “The night Guardian summoned me to investigate the cries he heard coming from your room, since he knew you retired alone.”
“And why is it he didn’t simply look into the matter himself?” she asked suspiciously.
He surprised her by answering with a grin. One of his dark eyebrows arched mockingly. “Because, Miss Stevenson, I consider you my priority and what manner of gentleman would I be to turn my back on you when you settled so very contentedly into my embrace?”
She sputtered but he held up
He gently cradled her upper body and lowered her to the surface of her bed. She frowned and made another needy sound as she turned one way and then the other. Her lips pushed into a pout as she twisted again. He smoothed the hair off her face and she sighed again, turning toward him… seeking him.
Ah hell. He should leave. She would be furious—there was no doubt about that. But that thought made it even easier for him to kick off his boots and lie down beside her. He had a fascination with her temper, possibly an unhealthy one, but it was wrapping its roots around him more and more with every encounter.
It was far too simple, too enjoyable to gather her against his side. And he liked the contented sound she made as she nuzzled against his chest… far too much.
But he was fairly sure he’d attempt to kill any man who tried to make him leave.
Bloody hell.
Two
Sophia smiled, surprised her nose wasn’t cold for a change. In fact, she was toasty warm from head to toe and her body was humming with contentment. She stretched one leg and then another before rubbing her nose against her pillow one final time before forcing herself to rise. How tempting it was to be lazy.
She frowned when the fabric tickled her nose, feeling rougher than she recalled her sheeting should be. She stroked her pillow, only to discover it to be the same texture as wool. Now that she was waking up, it smelled also like wool and something else, something from her dreams…
Her eyes flew open and she lifted her head. She blinked and then blinked again, but the sight of Bion Donkova lying on his back in the center of her bed didn’t dissipate. Her chemise was twisted up to the top of her thighs while Bion had an arm locked very familiarly along her back. She looked at his lower body and heard him chuckle once she’d discovered that he was indeed wearing all his clothing.
“I save my seductions for females who are wide awake,” he said.
She jerked upward and then stood up, frantically trying to recall how the man had arrived in her bed. Bion stretched, cocking his head from side to side until his neck popped. She backed away from him, completely alarmed by the lazy look on his face—relaxed, actually. The man was at ease, comfortable even, and her cheeks burned scarlet. He’d slept in her bed!
They’d slept together!
“What are ye doing in me bed?” she demanded.
He sat up, pausing as he began to pull his boots on. “Your Irish comes out when you’re agitated,” he noted.
“Agitated?” She nearly choked on the word and her hands propped onto her hips. “Ye’re right about that, Bion Donkova. Now explain to me how ye came to be here.”
He stood up, but his unruly hair and disheveled appearance prevented him from impressing her as he usually did. Instead, she felt drawn toward this unexpected peek at what the man looked like when he wasn’t buttoned and polished in his uniform. It was surprising and mesmerizing, threatening to draw her closer to him.
It was like nothing she had ever experienced. Ladies did not receive gentlemen in their… unmentionables!
Of course, Bion wasn’t a gentleman and had never professed to be interested in behaving like one.
“You were having nightmares.” He brushed his hair back with his hand, restoring some of his normal poise. “The night Guardian summoned me to investigate the cries he heard coming from your room, since he knew you retired alone.”
“And why is it he didn’t simply look into the matter himself?” she asked suspiciously.
He surprised her by answering with a grin. One of his dark eyebrows arched mockingly. “Because, Miss Stevenson, I consider you my priority and what manner of gentleman would I be to turn my back on you when you settled so very contentedly into my embrace?”
She sputtered but he held up
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