to work on the
other foot, easing it a couple of inches away from the first and
continuing to knead.
Gem fought the muddled morass of her
feelings. More than just her foot hurt, and here Blue was, invading
her space, a perfect scapegoat for her wounded heart. “What is it
you want, Blue? My inn? Think you can make a fortune through
me?”
He kissed her foot, moved up to her ankle
and then her calf. His eyes lifted, meeting hers. Their blue color
was smokier than normal. “It’s not money I want,” he said.
A sob caught in her throat. Warring feelings
buzzed through her blood, made her dizzy. “You want to bed me? Is
that it? The way you always talk to me…”
His admission slid through her like hot
steel. “Bed you, kiss you…lick my way up one leg and down the
other…with a lengthy pause in between.” He widened her thighs an
inch by moving her foot, and stared between them.
She gasped. “I’m n-not…I…” She couldn’t make
her brain work. Instead, she pushed at him, but she had no
strength. She was shocked. That was what it was.
“One kiss,” he said darkly, and then crawled
atop her, dragging her up the bed. He settled himself between her
thighs, making her gulp. Her lungs were working so hard, and it
felt like she was trying to drag wet, heavy air into them. She’d
never felt the weight of a man before, never known what it would do
to her body.
“Hyna!” she gasped.
“Blue,” he growled against her mouth. “Just
Blue.”
They heard a door slam, then Brandy’s voice
rising in anger. Blue had left Gem’s bedroom door open, but it was
Zsak her sister was yelling at…for now.
Blue cursed. Vividly and thoroughly. For a
moment he refused to move, maybe couldn’t. Then he rolled off Gem,
getting to his feet with another oath. Disoriented, Gem sat up,
staring at the door with confusion.
Brandy appeared. Her angry expression grew
suspicious. “What’s going on in here?”
Gem struggled to look normal, though it was
difficult to focus. “Nothing! He didn’t even kiss me.” She made it
to her knees and glanced at Blue. He rolled his eyes and looked
away.
Brandy shot Blue a look of disgust. “You
were seducing her, weren’t you? I knew it! Wrecking my father’s
room, worming your way in here…you just want to get into her bed,
don’t you?”
He folded his arms and stared at her.
“Have you no shame? You’re diseased, aren’t
you? You’ll bring disease to my sister…and babies! You’ll get her
with child and leave. How dare you? Don’t you have any…?” Brandy
ranted on and on. She just wouldn’t shut up.
Blue glanced at Gem’s belly, then her face.
He looked away. A tiny smile began to play at the corners of his
mouth. Soon he was fighting an actual grin.
“What are you smiling at?” Brandy screamed.
She looked ready to hyperventilate.
Zsak walked up behind her, listening. He
gave her a wide-eyed look and drew her forcibly from the room. “I
think they need to talk,” he told Gem’s sister. “And you need to
breathe.”
“He…he…” Brandy wheezed.
“We’ll leave the door open. Come here. I’ll
find you a bag.” He took her across the room and made her lie down
on the couch, coached her to slow down and breathe.
Blue looked at Gem. She was sitting on the
bed, still dazed. “Well, that was a near thing. Guess it was a good
thing your sister was here to save you from my big bad self.”
She blew out a breath and looked away.
“I’d better get back to work,” he said. With
one last scorching look, he shook his head as if with deep regret.
He sauntered to the door, hesitated in the doorway. There he
turned, scanned her again…and winked.
She drew a deep, shuddering breath. Eyes
closed, she spared a moment to wish Brandy had taken longer to get
home. That he’d closed the door. That…something. Well, maybe a
closed door would have been bad. He wasn’t “the one,” but at least
a kiss would have ended the tension between them. Of course,
other foot, easing it a couple of inches away from the first and
continuing to knead.
Gem fought the muddled morass of her
feelings. More than just her foot hurt, and here Blue was, invading
her space, a perfect scapegoat for her wounded heart. “What is it
you want, Blue? My inn? Think you can make a fortune through
me?”
He kissed her foot, moved up to her ankle
and then her calf. His eyes lifted, meeting hers. Their blue color
was smokier than normal. “It’s not money I want,” he said.
A sob caught in her throat. Warring feelings
buzzed through her blood, made her dizzy. “You want to bed me? Is
that it? The way you always talk to me…”
His admission slid through her like hot
steel. “Bed you, kiss you…lick my way up one leg and down the
other…with a lengthy pause in between.” He widened her thighs an
inch by moving her foot, and stared between them.
She gasped. “I’m n-not…I…” She couldn’t make
her brain work. Instead, she pushed at him, but she had no
strength. She was shocked. That was what it was.
“One kiss,” he said darkly, and then crawled
atop her, dragging her up the bed. He settled himself between her
thighs, making her gulp. Her lungs were working so hard, and it
felt like she was trying to drag wet, heavy air into them. She’d
never felt the weight of a man before, never known what it would do
to her body.
“Hyna!” she gasped.
“Blue,” he growled against her mouth. “Just
Blue.”
They heard a door slam, then Brandy’s voice
rising in anger. Blue had left Gem’s bedroom door open, but it was
Zsak her sister was yelling at…for now.
Blue cursed. Vividly and thoroughly. For a
moment he refused to move, maybe couldn’t. Then he rolled off Gem,
getting to his feet with another oath. Disoriented, Gem sat up,
staring at the door with confusion.
Brandy appeared. Her angry expression grew
suspicious. “What’s going on in here?”
Gem struggled to look normal, though it was
difficult to focus. “Nothing! He didn’t even kiss me.” She made it
to her knees and glanced at Blue. He rolled his eyes and looked
away.
Brandy shot Blue a look of disgust. “You
were seducing her, weren’t you? I knew it! Wrecking my father’s
room, worming your way in here…you just want to get into her bed,
don’t you?”
He folded his arms and stared at her.
“Have you no shame? You’re diseased, aren’t
you? You’ll bring disease to my sister…and babies! You’ll get her
with child and leave. How dare you? Don’t you have any…?” Brandy
ranted on and on. She just wouldn’t shut up.
Blue glanced at Gem’s belly, then her face.
He looked away. A tiny smile began to play at the corners of his
mouth. Soon he was fighting an actual grin.
“What are you smiling at?” Brandy screamed.
She looked ready to hyperventilate.
Zsak walked up behind her, listening. He
gave her a wide-eyed look and drew her forcibly from the room. “I
think they need to talk,” he told Gem’s sister. “And you need to
breathe.”
“He…he…” Brandy wheezed.
“We’ll leave the door open. Come here. I’ll
find you a bag.” He took her across the room and made her lie down
on the couch, coached her to slow down and breathe.
Blue looked at Gem. She was sitting on the
bed, still dazed. “Well, that was a near thing. Guess it was a good
thing your sister was here to save you from my big bad self.”
She blew out a breath and looked away.
“I’d better get back to work,” he said. With
one last scorching look, he shook his head as if with deep regret.
He sauntered to the door, hesitated in the doorway. There he
turned, scanned her again…and winked.
She drew a deep, shuddering breath. Eyes
closed, she spared a moment to wish Brandy had taken longer to get
home. That he’d closed the door. That…something. Well, maybe a
closed door would have been bad. He wasn’t “the one,” but at least
a kiss would have ended the tension between them. Of course,
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