Page 51 of Hidden Hero

Her lips curved, and he continued, “And right now, all either of us wants is to crash. Just sleep. Let the night fade away in our memory and find peace when we wake again.”

“That sounds nice,” she whispered while nodding.

“And I’d love to sleep curled around you, protecting you in your dreams even if I can’t protect you from the shit our chosen careers sometimes offer us.”

“Okay, that sounds really nice.” She reached up to take one of his hands and led him down the hall to the bedroom with Max and Mia at their heels.

His gaze moved around the room, taking in the pale blue walls, rose-colored curtains and comforter, and the thick-cushioned, floral-patterned, comfortable chair in the corner. It was simple and neat, so like Cora. Yet while the splashes of color were a surprise, they were also like her.

Smiling, he stared at the queen-sized bed. She jerked back the covers and crawled onto the side closest to the en suite bathroom. She patted her side, and he walked around the bed. Shucking his T-shirt, boots, socks, and jeans, he crawled under the covers with his boxers left on. Her mattress was exceptional, and the pillows cradled his head. Rolling onto his side, he faced her as she had done the same.

“Maybe this is crazy,” she whispered. “But I’m really glad you’re here.”

“In our line of work, sometimes crazy is what we need to go with. And I have a feeling you haven’t had enough crazy in your life.”

She laughed, and the sound wrapped comfort around him. He gave in to the urge and lifted his arm, his heart pounding a rhythm he was unused to… uncertainty. But she immediately snuggled next to him, and he pulled her close. Her breath quickly evened out, the little puffs dancing over his chest. He wondered if he could ever rest with her sleeping so closely.

And then he fell asleep.

22

Cora woke slowly, her eyes blinking open, her mind not understanding why her room was so bright. The events of the previous evening came rushing back, and she sighed, thinking of the poor woman who had died in the squalor of the trailer. She didn’t often work straight through the night, but the hours of a medical examiner were not set. A straight day shift was possible if something unusual had not occurred. But nights like last night were not rare.

Even with the sun pouring through the slats of her blinds, the room felt unusually warm. She turned her head, quickly realizing Jeremy’s presence in her bed had raised the temperature with the natural body heat he produced. He was still asleep, and she took the opportunity to stare at his face when he was completely rested. Even without the smirk, he reminded her of a little boy.

Except for the heavy shadow of scruff on his jaw. And the thick muscles that corded his neck. In fact, with the comforter pushed down to his waist, she could see more muscles in his arms and chest.Okay, maybe not like a little boy, after all.

She thought about rolling closer and nuzzling his neck. Or kissing along his jawline. Planting her lips fully over his. She thought about trailing her hand over his body and gripping what she had no doubt would be an impressive cock. She even wondered if he’d appreciate a blow job as a wake-up call.

Smiling, she considered that last possibility more until her gaze landed on the old-fashioned clock she had sitting on the nightstand. Eyes wide, she realized that she had slept most of the day. She had only meant to sleep for a few hours, wake with him, and then they’d both go to work for a couple of hours. It was still crazy to think she invited him over just to sleep, then had to stifle a snort. When most people talked about sleeping with someone, a lot more was involved than just actual sleep.Leave it to me to be so literal.

She had no idea if he meant to sleep the day away, but it was now early afternoon, and she knew they both should be heading to work.

“Hey, Cora, babe. You keep looking at my crotch that way, and this day is going to get a helluva lot more interesting.”

She jumped at the sleep-gruff voice near her ear, and her gaze snapped up to his face, where she found a sleepy smirk on his lips. “Jesus!”

“Nope, just me, babe.”

Playfully slapping his impressive chest, she said, “Well, if your body wasn’t so impressive, I wouldn’t look.”

He chuckled and rolled toward her until she was underneath all his goodness. She could breathe easily with his weight held up by his forearms planted on either side of her shoulders. But before she could speak again, his head slanted, and he took her mouth in a searing kiss.

If Cora thought their previously shared kisses were something to write home about, this kiss quickly became something that should be shouted from the rooftops. His lips were a combination of soft and firm, offering just enough pressure that she readily opened her mouth to him, willing to give anything he wanted to take.

As his tongue glided over hers, she recognized the man had skills. He didn’t just plunder her mouth as though trying to mimic sex with his tongue, but he drew out the wild passion that sent fissions of electricity leaping along every nerve in her body.

Hyperaware and hypersensitive, she felt the tingles in her core. His hips had settled between her thighs, and she rapidly opened her legs to him. With him dressed only in boxers and her in satin panties and a T-shirt that was bunched around her waist, the hard length of his erection against her sex was easily discerned.

The thin layers of clothing between them felt binding, and she squirmed, wanting to feel more of everything he had to offer.

His forearms were propped on either side of her, freeing his hands to cup her jaws. He held her closely but not so tight that she felt trapped. Instead, she felt an equal partner as her hands explored and her tongue tangled with his.

She knew he wasn’t interested in just one night, but it had been a while since she’d worked on cultivating a relationship with anyone. He made her feel alive and vibrant, and she would have willingly given him just one night. But as their movements became more intense, she wanted more than one night with this man. Right now, she would sell all her possessions to keep feeling this way.

Before she could think further, he slowly lifted his head, and his tongue disappeared from her mouth. He nibbled soft kisses on her lips, then lifted his head enough to peer down. Looking into the face she had grown familiar with, she smiled. The longer hair on top of his head was now messy, some strands curling around his face, threatening to fall into his eyes. She had no idea what was going through his mind but didn’t mind waiting to find out.

He didn’t make her wait long. “You are so fucking beautiful, Cora.”

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