Page 27 of Midnight Secrets

They stared at each other. He was studying every feature, his gaze going from her eyes to her mouth, where his gaze lingered. Then he lifted his gaze to look into her eyes again.

“I saw something,” she said miserably. “I did.”

Joe blinked. “I know you did,” he said. “Did you think I didn’t believe you?”

She nodded, never taking her eyes from his.

Joe bent his head, his nose nudging a lock of hair away from her temple. He bent down to speak directly into her ear, voice low and deep. “I believe you. I’ll always believe you.”

The words made hot tears spring to her eyes and she had to blink them away. How could he say that when she hardly believed herself?

It wasn’t just his words that were having a big effect. His body was, too. Being so close to all that strength and power and heat.

She had a big effect on him, too. Bigbigeffect. When she shifted in his lap her thigh came up against an erection. Not a half-assed one, either. Full-blown, hard as steel. Like sitting next to a section of pipe. With a large diameter.

For a second she’d wondered what it was, then a flash of heat ran through her like a hot wind.

This was a surprise. She’d have thought that her crazy behavior would be a turnoff for him. Who wanted a hysterical woman? Joe was handsome, built, had a good job waiting for him. Stable, handsome, built bachelors didn’t grow on trees. He probably had his pick of women, what would he want with her?

His body didn’t seem to care that she’d just sent him on a wild-goose chase because what she felt against her hip was arousal. Big-time arousal.

Joe didn’t seem disturbed in any way. He wasn’t thrusting it at her, he wasn’t denying it. But it had the effect of clearing her mind. When she met his eyes she could tell he knew she was past her panic and fully in the moment.

He was still holding the back of her head in a strong grip and their faces were inches apart, noses nearly touching.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

She nodded her head jerkily.

“Can you tell me exactly what you saw?”

She nodded again. Sighed. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“No.” Joe’s voice was firm. “I’m not.”

Okay.

“I was, um, planning tomorrow night’s menu. Having fun with it. You know Felicity and Lauren are coming over tomorrow night while you guys play poker?”

A corner of his mouth lifted. “No, I didn’t. Sounds great. Then you come over to my house with dessert, right?”

“Something like that. Maybe. Though it appears you take everyone’s money.”

Joe nodded. “They keep coming back for more of it, though. I’m really glad you’ll be spending time with Felicity and Lauren. They’re great.”

“Well, I liked Felicity and she likes Lauren so it looks good. Anyway, I went into the bedroom to change into my nightgown and go to bed.”

Joe looked down at her nightgown, fingered the material. “It’s a really pretty nightgown, too.” When he looked back up at her there was heat in his dark eyes. Exactly what she’d hoped for when putting it on. The skin over his cheekbones tightened and the steel tube next to her hip came alive and surged.

She blushed. Crazy. Sex had never been a big problem for her, but by the same token had never been really that big a deal, either. She realized now that she hadn’t truly desired her former lovers because she hadn’t felt anything for them like what she was feeling now.

ShedesiredJoe. A lot. Heat filled her down to her fingertips. Her womb contracted when she felt his penis move, exactly as if he had been inside her instead of her sitting on his lap separated by layers of clothing.

His jaw muscles clenched. They both knew what was happening.

“Go on,” he said. “I need to know what you saw.”

She’d been studying his face, all the minute changes in it as he went from fierce protector to man. Absolutely fascinating. He seemed to be more self-disciplined than she was, though, because it took her a second to realize what he said.

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