Darkness Torn Asunder by Alexis Morgan Page A

they were both seated at the table, her pulse had returned to normal and her good mood was pretty much restored.
    “I hope you like blueberry pie.”
    Emmett’s eyes lit up. “Seriously? After putting in a long day at the clinic, you did all of this and made a pie for me?”
    His obvious pleasure drove away the last of the shadows. “I did indeed.”
    He gave her a look hot enough to melt steel. “I’d love to show you my sincere appreciation—several times.”
    Okay, then. With the deep rumble of his voice, she could have sworn that each word he spoke caressed her skin. For sure, her body responded that way, leaving her breasts feeling heavy and a damp ache between her legs. She’d put a lot of effort into this meal and didn’t want to rush through it. On the other hand, if he affected her this strongly with a hot look and a few words, she couldn’t wait to experience his appreciation firsthand.
    •  •  •
    Emmett hoped like hell that he’d done justice to the meal, but he couldn’t be sure. At the moment, he wanted to shove the dishes aside and take Jana right there on the table. He also had a few ideas involving the couch in the living room, the big shower he’d spotted in the bathroom, and for the grand finale, her bedroom down the hall. Considering he hadn’t had a lover in a decade and a half, he wasn’t all that sure about his stamina, but a man could dream. Regardless, it had taken all the concentration he could muster to carry on even simple conversation as they ate.
    He’d brought his toothbrush, but he’d left it in the car along with the box of condoms he’d picked up just in case. As soon as he’d seen Jana wasn’t alone, he’d tucked the paper bag under the seat of the truck. There was no way he’d have come strolling up the sidewalk with those in hand.
    All things considered, he wasn’t going to assume that the rest of the evening was going to turn out the way he’d hoped. Maybe, though. There’d been a definite gleam in Jana’s dark eyes when he’d offered to show her his appreciation. Despite the long drought in his love life, he hadn’t forgotten what feminine desire looked like.
    If he didn’t get up and move a bit, he feared his head would explode. He topped off her glass of wine. “You enjoy that while I take care of the dishes.”
    “You don’t have to do that, Emmett. I’ll wash them later.”
    But he had plans for later. “It won’t take long. Besides, it would only be fair for me to clean up since you did the cooking.”
    She finally gave in, but he was well aware of her eyes following his every move as he loaded the dishwasher and washed a few things by hand. When he was done, he dried his hands and leaned against the sink as he considered his next move. There had to be something that would ease them into phase two of the evening’s entertainment.
    One thought occurred to him. “Do you dance?”
    Jana blinked and looked confused. “You want me to dance?”
    He walked around the table and tugged her up to her feet. “No, I want us to dance, preferably to something slow and sexy.”
    Her eyes lit up in delight. “Let’s go into the other room. The television in there has better sound.”
    He followed after her trying to make sense of what she’d said. Seriously, the television? But sure enough, she turned on a channel that played soft pop. They lucked out and the first song was something low and smooth with lyrics that spoke of broken hearts getting a second chance at love. Jana slid into his arms, as always a perfect fit. The two of them swayed from side to side, her head tucked under his chin and her arms wrapped around his neck. He breathed deeply of her scent and soaked in the warmth of her skin. Damn, this might be the closest to heaven as he might ever get.
    One song faded into the next. By the third one, they’d coasted to a stop. Emmett pressed a soft kiss to her temple. Jana eased back but stayed within the circle of his arms. She touched his