Page 16 of Protecting Vera

Something like an explosion sounded, cutting her off. She jumped, landing so her body pressed up against his. Fear slid through her. His arms tightened around her, making her feel better. And then she realized his chest was bare. Her thin tank top didn’t do much to cover her, and neither did her underwear.

Her cheek brushed over his pec, and she gasped as she tilted her head up just as he looked down. Their lips were close, almost touching. His breath on her cheeks and his hands on her back made her nipples tighten.

A siren sounded outside, the lights from the emergency equipment illuminating their space enough that she could see the desire in his eyes. The heat in his gaze was unmistakable, and she wanted it. She wanted to get even closer to him, to find out what his hands actually felt like on her body.

He cleared his throat and stepped back. “I should see what’s going on.”

A tinge of disappointment slid through her, but it wasn’t the time to explore whatever she felt when she’d been pressed up against his body.

She nodded, stepping away from him. With the lights outside, she could make out the color of his underwear. Which meant he could see her panties.

Her cheeks heated as she made her way back to her room. She shouldn’t be so embarrassed, but she couldn’t get over how she’d reacted to his touch.

She pulled on shorts and a T-shirt over her tank. Her shoes were in the closet at the front of the house, so she headed into the den and slid on her socks and shoes.

Once outside, she found Hop standing on the front lawn, his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts now, which was probably better than him going out in his underwear. The street was filled with emergency responders and their vehicles.

“What happened?” she asked as she moved to stand beside him.

“Looks like a house down the block had an issue. We probably shouldn’t be out here for long. The wind is blowing the other way, but still, whatever is in that smoke could be toxic.”

She glanced around, noticing that most of the police officers and firemen didn’t currently have any masks on. She’d never been this close to a fire before and certainly never this close to an explosion. “How far down is their house?”

“Next block. Looks like it’s about five or six houses in.”

“Did you know them?”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t know anyone on that part of the street. If it’s the house I think it is, they moved in last year. I always thought they looked sketchy. Like, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a drug house. Maybe it’s not the house I’m thinking about. If it’s a drug house, we might be evacuated.”

“Shit. We should probably go back in before the wind shifts.”

“Yeah. You’re right. That smoke could be very toxic.”

They headed inside, her going in before him. The lights were still off, so she stopped, having to think about where the chair was. Hop almost ran into her, and he reached out and grabbed her shoulder. His hand on her was almost too much. She drew in a ragged breath, trying to stay calm.

“Sorry. I don’t feel comfortable walking without a light.”

“Yeah, I get that. I left my phone in my room.”

“Same.”

She took a step just as he did. She mis-stepped and almost fell. Hop grabbed her arm, steadying her. She ended up facing him as she stumbled another step closer, her hands landing on his chest.

Her gaze swung up just as he glanced down. This time, she didn’t want to pull away, but kissing him would be wrong. They were only pressed up against each other because they were stumbling around in the dark. He wouldn’t have pulled her into a hug if the sun was up and they were just hanging out together. The darkness hid their expressions, but it couldn’t hide the desire she felt flowing off him. His hands lingered on her as his fingers caressed her side, then her back. The sound of him sniffing her hair sent tingles down her spine. They were so close she could feel his breath on her neck.

She expected him to back away, but he didn’t move, and neither did she. It felt good being only inches from him. He squeezed her arm, and she wished he would do more. But that was dangerous. She needed this place to live. She could find an apartment, but then her name would be on the lease. She didn’t want Logan to know where she was, and having her name attached to an address was scary.

A siren sounded outside on the street, and that was her sign to back away. He cleared his throat and then stepped back. That was her cue to go back to her bedroom and ignore the desire floating in the air.

“If they make us evacuate, I’ll wake you up. I think it’s safe to go to bed.”

She nodded. “Thank you. I should sleep some more. At least it’s Sunday, and I can take a nap.”

“Yeah. We can nap tomorrow.”

She didn’t think he realized what he’d implied. But had he actually implied anything? She was reading too much into it. They were both tired, and he’d just meant they could both take naps but not together.

It would be irrational to think they would nap together. Just the thought of him holding her while they slept was almost too much. Once back in her bed, she stretched out, pulling the sheet up to her neck, trying hard to push the desire down. Getting all worked up over Hop wouldn’t be good for her. She needed to keep her head on straight and not fall into the trap of thinking he wanted something to do with her when he was just being nice. They weren’t going to be together. She was only here because he was doing a favor for his sister. That was all.

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