Her eyebrows rose, disappearing under the long fringe of her bangs. After a moment, she tucked a short brown curl behind her ear. “If David knew what you’ve been doing, he’d be jealous. He never bothered to keep me warm when a storm was about to dump a foot of snow. He never helped wash dishes or let me borrow his sweatshirts or changed my flat tire.” She pushed her forefinger toward the ceiling and broke into a broad smile. “And he never would’ve climbed a ladder to rescue a balloon for a little girl.”
Whenever he heard her point out what he’d done right, he wanted to carry her into his bedroom to thank her the best way he knew how. Burning hotter than a kiln at full blast, Mitch reached for the slender curve of her waist. Her soft T-shirt felt good in the palm of his hand. “Wait ‘til you see what else I’ll do for you. I’m just getting started.”
She lowered her gaze and touched his forearm.
Her fingertips were cool, the perfect antidote to the fire under his skin. He brushed his lips against her cheek. The peachy softness sent a spike of testosterone into his bloodstream, prompting him to nibble on a tender earlobe.
Jaye shivered. “Th-that feels nice.”
A stripe of gooseflesh rose down her neck. He chased the small bumps with his mouth, devouring her sweetness.
She let out a sexy little whimper.
“Love it when you moan.” He nudged the vee-shaped neckline of her T-shirt, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her right breast. He pressed his mouth to the soft swell and his groin throbbed.
“Mitch.” She cupped the back of his head, threading her fingers through his hair. “I want your mouth on mine. Hard.”
Red-hot lust ripped through him. He covered her mouth with his, sinking into the soft, moist flesh.
She pulled him closer—chest to chest, hip to hip, flank to flank. Angling her head, she took control of the kiss, twirling her tongue around his.
He gripped her hips, savoring the lean muscle beneath his palms. “Lay down in front of the fire with me.”
“Good idea.” She glanced at the hearth. “The floor will be hard. Shall we find something soft to lie on?”
“I’m way ahead of you.” He gave her a quick kiss and grabbed his sleeping bag out of the hall closet, shaking out the roll in front of the brick hearth.
She helped him flatten the thick quilted fabric and sat in the middle, giving him a smile. “We’ve got a campfire and a warm place to sit. Now all we need are marshmallows.”
He grabbed two pillows from the couch and tossed them beside her. “Sorry, no marshmallows. Would you settle for an aroused glassblower?”
Her smile broadened. “Only if it’s you.”
Emotion arched through him. Not only did she make his libido roar, she treated him better than anyone else ever had. She stood up for him at work, prodding his father to listen. She covered his tracks at home when he forgot Halloween. Unlike his ex-fiancée, she cared enough to stand up to him when they fought.
For those reasons and more, Mitch looked into her eyes and knew he was in serious trouble. He fell to his knees beside her.
She squinted at the neckline of his T-shirt. “Is that a scar near the bottom of your neck?”
“Yeah.” He pulled off the shirt, revealing the stripe of puckered skin stretching from his collarbone to shoulder.
With a gentle touch, she traced the old wound with her fingertips. “What happened?”
“Brody ran into the street. I stopped him.”
She frowned, her brown-eyed gaze meeting his. “That’s it?”
“A truck clipped me.” He shrugged. “Left a scratch.”
“A big scratch. How long were you in the hospital?”
“I didn’t go to the hospital.” Memories surfaced of a small room reeking of disinfectant, the pinched worry on his parents’ faces, and the sickening taste of the plastic tube down his throat. “When I was thirteen, I got meningitis and spent a chunk of time in the ICU. When I got out, I swore I wouldn’t go back.”
Her exploratory caress stopped. “Sounds serious.”
“Not as serious as the bruise I got when you poked me in the chest. It’s killing me.” He wasn’t kidding. The memory of angering her made him ache with remorse.
“Hm. I don’t see anything.” Her fingers stopped midway down the indentation between his pecs. “Is this the spot?”
He nodded, feeling his heart thump beneath the gentle press of her fingertips.
Jaye straddled his hips and pressed soft lips against his chest. “Better?”
“Yeah.” He crushed the hem of her T-shirt in his fist. “Can we take this off, pixie? I want to feel your skin against mine.”
“Mm-kay.” She pulled the shirt over her head.
He caught a glimpse of a white sports bra before she hugged him tight. The taut column of her silky abdomen against his felt unbelievably good. He kissed the graceful line of her neck and looked down. The sports bra was low enough to expose the top of her pretty chest. On the rise of her left breast, he spotted a small birthmark in the shape of a star. Sliding his hand between their bodies, he brushed a touch over the star-shaped birthmark and felt his universe rattle. “God, you’re beautiful.”
“I was thinking the same thing about you.” She kissed his mouth and closed her eyes. “You glassblowers are built like professional linebackers. Very handsome.”
All the punishing hours he’d spent in the gym were worth the compliment. Feeling as though he’d been drugged by some powerful hallucinogen, he felt his world narrow to the woman wrapped around him. With a twist of his torso, he lowered her to the thick sleeping bag and lay half on top of her, mindful to keep the bulk of his weight off the magical creature in his arms.
A long leg twined around his thigh, squaring his hips with hers.
His erection found the warm vee of her
