her.
“For now, we’re safe,” he soothed.
Looking out onto the surf, she was utterly dumbstruck. Because angry as she might be, she couldn’t ignore the fact she’d felt none of those pounding feelings inside when other men had touched her. She’d never reacted to anyone’s touch the way she did with this man’s.
Numb from such an overload of emotions descending on her, she didn’t fake a smile. Instead, Lauren clamped her lips and held back the urge to frown. She forced her thoughts to her brother. “I didn’t ask for any of this. I hope you know that.”
“Innocent people rarely ever do.” A grimace took hold of his expression, planted itself there.
“Tell me the truth. How hurt are you?”
Jaden rubbed his side, causing his weight to shift and his leg to brush against hers. There again came a jolt of electricity making her feel like she’d been struck by a thunderclap.
“It’s not as bad as it looks.”
She reminded herself to breathe, while folding her arms again and squeezing her elbows tight.
“You’re shivering.” Jaden’s arm went around her shoulders.
She ignored the spark of fire from his touch and scanned the skies. Blackness everywhere. No hope for a break in sight. “If you’re feeling better, shouldn’t we get going?”
“As soon as I stop bleeding.”
Thunder clapped in the sky directly overhead. A fierce reminder there wasn’t much time to regroup. “Let me see what I can do for your cut.”
Quickly she moved to the pile of supplies she’d gathered and back. “I can make a Band-Aid with this.” She couldn’t steady her hands being so near to Jaden, unsure if it was anger or something else entirely, and she nearly dropped what she was holding. “Close your eyes.”
It would help if his intense blue eyes weren’t staring directly at her.
He leaned his head back on a rock as he winced. “And how is it that you know how to do this?”
She went to work placing the scrap of material on his cut and tying it with the straps. “You grow up like I did and you learn to do plenty for yourself.”
Too much, probably. Lauren had never been able to allow herself to rely on anyone else.
Every muscle in Jaden’s body tensed as she pulled the strap closed.
“Sorry. I’m hurting you,” she said meeting his gaze. His shifted from hers, skipped over her breasts to the makeshift Band-Aid she’d fashioned on his hand.
Being so close to Jaden caused her pulse to pound in her veins and her body to spark, reacting to the sexual chemistry. And here she knew next to nothing about him. What was it about this guy that was getting to her?
Maybe that was the attraction. A strong mystery man who’d swooped in to save her like a superhero. A real-life good guy.
Who wouldn’t be attracted to that?
Jaden leaned forward until his face was inches from hers.
The move caused her body to heat and desire to swell inside her.
His hand came up to her shoulder, and her tension melted under his gentle massage. She searched his pale blue eyes and caught a glimmer of sexual spark in return.
“Let me warm you up.” He bent further until he could wrap his strong arms around her and pull her up until she was kneeling inside his thighs. Her hips were inches from his skin. Heat pulsed between them.
“You’re exhausted aren’t you?” He brushed back her hair and really looked at her. “Close your eyes.”
Lauren did. She allowed herself to be tugged forward and enveloped by his muscular frame. His skin was soft and warm. Her head made its way to his chest.
He pulled her in close until she could breathe his breath. It smelled warm and like peppermint.
Everything about this man heightened her senses and brought her body to life, his warm and salty scent, his solid-walled chest, his beautiful eyes, and those lips … oh God, those lips.
He stroked her hair as his lips brushed her forehead, and she felt a yearning well up from so deep inside that it made her head numb.
The weather had
“For now, we’re safe,” he soothed.
Looking out onto the surf, she was utterly dumbstruck. Because angry as she might be, she couldn’t ignore the fact she’d felt none of those pounding feelings inside when other men had touched her. She’d never reacted to anyone’s touch the way she did with this man’s.
Numb from such an overload of emotions descending on her, she didn’t fake a smile. Instead, Lauren clamped her lips and held back the urge to frown. She forced her thoughts to her brother. “I didn’t ask for any of this. I hope you know that.”
“Innocent people rarely ever do.” A grimace took hold of his expression, planted itself there.
“Tell me the truth. How hurt are you?”
Jaden rubbed his side, causing his weight to shift and his leg to brush against hers. There again came a jolt of electricity making her feel like she’d been struck by a thunderclap.
“It’s not as bad as it looks.”
She reminded herself to breathe, while folding her arms again and squeezing her elbows tight.
“You’re shivering.” Jaden’s arm went around her shoulders.
She ignored the spark of fire from his touch and scanned the skies. Blackness everywhere. No hope for a break in sight. “If you’re feeling better, shouldn’t we get going?”
“As soon as I stop bleeding.”
Thunder clapped in the sky directly overhead. A fierce reminder there wasn’t much time to regroup. “Let me see what I can do for your cut.”
Quickly she moved to the pile of supplies she’d gathered and back. “I can make a Band-Aid with this.” She couldn’t steady her hands being so near to Jaden, unsure if it was anger or something else entirely, and she nearly dropped what she was holding. “Close your eyes.”
It would help if his intense blue eyes weren’t staring directly at her.
He leaned his head back on a rock as he winced. “And how is it that you know how to do this?”
She went to work placing the scrap of material on his cut and tying it with the straps. “You grow up like I did and you learn to do plenty for yourself.”
Too much, probably. Lauren had never been able to allow herself to rely on anyone else.
Every muscle in Jaden’s body tensed as she pulled the strap closed.
“Sorry. I’m hurting you,” she said meeting his gaze. His shifted from hers, skipped over her breasts to the makeshift Band-Aid she’d fashioned on his hand.
Being so close to Jaden caused her pulse to pound in her veins and her body to spark, reacting to the sexual chemistry. And here she knew next to nothing about him. What was it about this guy that was getting to her?
Maybe that was the attraction. A strong mystery man who’d swooped in to save her like a superhero. A real-life good guy.
Who wouldn’t be attracted to that?
Jaden leaned forward until his face was inches from hers.
The move caused her body to heat and desire to swell inside her.
His hand came up to her shoulder, and her tension melted under his gentle massage. She searched his pale blue eyes and caught a glimmer of sexual spark in return.
“Let me warm you up.” He bent further until he could wrap his strong arms around her and pull her up until she was kneeling inside his thighs. Her hips were inches from his skin. Heat pulsed between them.
“You’re exhausted aren’t you?” He brushed back her hair and really looked at her. “Close your eyes.”
Lauren did. She allowed herself to be tugged forward and enveloped by his muscular frame. His skin was soft and warm. Her head made its way to his chest.
He pulled her in close until she could breathe his breath. It smelled warm and like peppermint.
Everything about this man heightened her senses and brought her body to life, his warm and salty scent, his solid-walled chest, his beautiful eyes, and those lips … oh God, those lips.
He stroked her hair as his lips brushed her forehead, and she felt a yearning well up from so deep inside that it made her head numb.
The weather had
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