to me." I giggled and a smile ghosted on his lips. "You hit your head harder than I thought if you're laughing at my lame joke. Can you tell me your name?"
A sharp pain stabbed my brain when I sat up a second time. "Ouch."
Carefully, he lowered me into the cushions behind my head and when his neck came within inches of my face, I trapped the scent of his cologne in my lungs.
"Are you always this stubborn?" he asked. "Stay still. You've got a nasty bump on your head and half the skin on your knee is missing."
"What happened?"
"You took a nose dive in front of my car and scared the hell out of me." He draped the afghan from the back of the sofa over me. "While you might be comfortable in those little shorts and top, I'm not."
I forgot about my makeshift pajamas and gave him a wary glance. Something about the glint in his eyes made me want to sit up just to feel his hands on my bare shoulders again, breathe in his cologne…taste his neck.
Marli Davis! Get a grip—he's a stranger! One hot-looking stranger I swear I'd seen somewhere.
He regarded me, amused, and my cheeks flushed. "Trust me, you're safe."
Great. He's not even remotely interested.
He held up his index finger. "Can you at least follow my finger?" I crossed my eyes. "Girl, you're impossible." This time he batted his long lashes with dramatic overkill. "Please tell me your name."
I crossed my arms, attempting a serious expression. "Marli Davis. And you are?"
Eyes the color of a deep, mossy pond sparkled. "I hoped it was you. I'm Jordan Mason."
Holy hell! How hard did I hit my head that I didn't recognize the guy whose picture used to be covered in drool until...I gave up hope…stopped dreaming.
His bronze hair had been cropped short, but the sexy signature smile remained the same. Mortified, I wished for death. No makeup, morning breath, not my best boxers, and apparently, a lumpy head. I slid under the afghan.
"No way! I could die!"
Jordan pulled the blanket off my face. "I think you've already cheated death once today."
He rose and held out his hand. "Why don't you go change into something to stop my mind from wandering and I'll pour us some coffee. When you come back, we can get better acquainted."
When I stood, my leg buckled and Jordan lifted me in his arms. "Falling for me already?" The warmth of his arm under my thighs and the other holding me against him sent my head spinning and apparently stole my voice. "I could use a hint where to take you."
My cheeks flamed hot. "Sorry. Upstairs, second door on the right."
Jordan carried me as if I weighed nothing. We paused outside the door with "Marli's Room" painted inside a circle of hand-painted daisies. He fought back a snicker. "Cute."
A smile reaching his eyes played around the edges of his mouth. His intense stare felt so intimate, I dropped my eyes to avoid melting. The whirlwind of emotions I felt the day I watched his interview pod erupted.
"I can make it from here," I said.
After promising to yell if I needed help, he placed me on my feet, his hands framing my waist, hopefully to steady me, but the grip was too soft to be lifesaving. After an awkward moment, he retreated to the kitchen and I willed my heart to resume beating.
Not wanting to be away from him any longer than necessary, I carefully wiggled into the closest items of clothing I could find. Quickly, I brushed my hair into a ponytail, scrubbed my face and teeth, and carefully applied some mascara, hoping to make my swollen eye less noticeable. I blew into my palm and popped a bubble gum-flavored mint in my mouth for extra measure.
My knight-in-shining-armor met me halfway, helping me down the last few steps. Playful eyes appraised my oversized Ohio State sweatshirt and denim shorts.
"Better. Although I think you could pull off wearing a garbage bag and look great."
"Yeah, right."
He held my chair—a gallant gesture not used by any of the boys I knew. We studied each other through the curling wisps of steam off our
A sharp pain stabbed my brain when I sat up a second time. "Ouch."
Carefully, he lowered me into the cushions behind my head and when his neck came within inches of my face, I trapped the scent of his cologne in my lungs.
"Are you always this stubborn?" he asked. "Stay still. You've got a nasty bump on your head and half the skin on your knee is missing."
"What happened?"
"You took a nose dive in front of my car and scared the hell out of me." He draped the afghan from the back of the sofa over me. "While you might be comfortable in those little shorts and top, I'm not."
I forgot about my makeshift pajamas and gave him a wary glance. Something about the glint in his eyes made me want to sit up just to feel his hands on my bare shoulders again, breathe in his cologne…taste his neck.
Marli Davis! Get a grip—he's a stranger! One hot-looking stranger I swear I'd seen somewhere.
He regarded me, amused, and my cheeks flushed. "Trust me, you're safe."
Great. He's not even remotely interested.
He held up his index finger. "Can you at least follow my finger?" I crossed my eyes. "Girl, you're impossible." This time he batted his long lashes with dramatic overkill. "Please tell me your name."
I crossed my arms, attempting a serious expression. "Marli Davis. And you are?"
Eyes the color of a deep, mossy pond sparkled. "I hoped it was you. I'm Jordan Mason."
Holy hell! How hard did I hit my head that I didn't recognize the guy whose picture used to be covered in drool until...I gave up hope…stopped dreaming.
His bronze hair had been cropped short, but the sexy signature smile remained the same. Mortified, I wished for death. No makeup, morning breath, not my best boxers, and apparently, a lumpy head. I slid under the afghan.
"No way! I could die!"
Jordan pulled the blanket off my face. "I think you've already cheated death once today."
He rose and held out his hand. "Why don't you go change into something to stop my mind from wandering and I'll pour us some coffee. When you come back, we can get better acquainted."
When I stood, my leg buckled and Jordan lifted me in his arms. "Falling for me already?" The warmth of his arm under my thighs and the other holding me against him sent my head spinning and apparently stole my voice. "I could use a hint where to take you."
My cheeks flamed hot. "Sorry. Upstairs, second door on the right."
Jordan carried me as if I weighed nothing. We paused outside the door with "Marli's Room" painted inside a circle of hand-painted daisies. He fought back a snicker. "Cute."
A smile reaching his eyes played around the edges of his mouth. His intense stare felt so intimate, I dropped my eyes to avoid melting. The whirlwind of emotions I felt the day I watched his interview pod erupted.
"I can make it from here," I said.
After promising to yell if I needed help, he placed me on my feet, his hands framing my waist, hopefully to steady me, but the grip was too soft to be lifesaving. After an awkward moment, he retreated to the kitchen and I willed my heart to resume beating.
Not wanting to be away from him any longer than necessary, I carefully wiggled into the closest items of clothing I could find. Quickly, I brushed my hair into a ponytail, scrubbed my face and teeth, and carefully applied some mascara, hoping to make my swollen eye less noticeable. I blew into my palm and popped a bubble gum-flavored mint in my mouth for extra measure.
My knight-in-shining-armor met me halfway, helping me down the last few steps. Playful eyes appraised my oversized Ohio State sweatshirt and denim shorts.
"Better. Although I think you could pull off wearing a garbage bag and look great."
"Yeah, right."
He held my chair—a gallant gesture not used by any of the boys I knew. We studied each other through the curling wisps of steam off our
Similar Books
