Page 46 of Love, Always and Forever
A knock at the door had Panda yapping and dancing around Amy’s feet, making it hard to cross the living room without tripping over the little guy. She solved the problem by scooping him up in her arms.
“Settle down, you little rascal. It’s too early for you to be making such a racket.” Or for unexpected guests. The sun was barely up, and the only reason she was awake was that Panda had needed to make a trip outside.
One look at the man standing on her front porch had her depositing Panda back on the floor to free up her arms. Mikhail’s eyes were dull, his mouth set in a grim line. She had no idea what had happened, but she’d never seen anyone in more need of a hug than he was at that moment.
That the man didn’t protest when she dragged him inside to wrap him in her arms was only added proof that all was not well in his world. His arms immediately snapped tight around her as he buried his face against her shoulder.
She didn’t press for an explanation, figuring he’d talk when he was ready. His shoulder muscles, which had started off rigid and unyielding, gradually softened as she slowly stroked her hand up and down his back over and over again. If his grip on her had tightened any more, breathing could have become problematic. Still, she didn’t protest. Right now, Mikhail’s need for comfort outweighed her need for air.
Finally, he relaxed his death grip but continued to hold on to her. It took Panda whining for attention to end the moment. Mikhail dropped his arms down to his sides, his expression and coloring only marginally less ashen than it had been.
“Sorry about that.” He ran his fingers through his still-damp hair. “Look, I just got off work and came over to see if you’d like to go out to breakfast with me. My treat.”
She really needed to spend the morning working, but there was no way she’d turn down such a simple request. If he needed her company, she could always work through the evening if necessary. “I’d love to go. Let me grab my purse, so I can drive.”
Because he looked as if a feather would knock him over right now.
Mikhail gently brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face. “I’m glad you’re willing to go, and I am really hungry.”
“But?”
Then the first vestiges of a smile softened the stark lines on his face. “But you might want to think about changing out of your pajamas first. Personally, I like the rumpled, just-rolled-out-of-the-sack look, and the bulldog T-shirt and flannel boxers are pretty damn cute. However, I’m guessing some of the other customers might stare.”
It took her sleep-fogged brain another second to catch up with what he meant. Then her face flamed hot. “Right. Clothes, not pajamas. Give me a few minutes to get dressed.”
As she backed away, intending to retreat to her bedroom, Mikhail followed her step for step. What was he doing?
“Misha?”
“There’s one more thing before you do all of that.”
He gently pushed her back two steps, effectively trapping her between the entryway wall and two hundred thirty pounds of hard-bodied male. Once again he buried his face in her hair, but this time he nuzzled his way along the line of her neck, sending little riffles of heat coursing through her body. She moaned or maybe he did.
He kissed his way along her jawline, his big hands settling on her ass, pulling her right up against the rigid proof that she wasn’t the only one hungry for something besides breakfast. He brushed his lips across hers and whispered, “I lied a minute ago.”
She blinked up at him, trying to make sense of his words when all she really wanted was to concentrate on the feel of his powerful chest pressing against her aching breasts, only the thickness of their two T-shirts separating them. “You did?”
“The T-shirt and boxers aren’t cute.”
Two words seemed to be the limit of her ability to talk right now. “They aren’t?”
“No, they aren’t.” His hands swirled up the length of her back and then down to slide under the hem of her shirt, just far enough to give them both a taste of skin-to-skin contact. “What they are, Amy, is sexy is hell.”
Feeling daring herself, she tugged his shirt up and savored the warmth of his skin with her fingertips. He murmured encouragement as he deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing in and out of her mouth, coaxing her to join in the play. Each stroke only concentrated the throbbing ache between her legs and the heaviness settling in her breasts.
Another few seconds of his teasing temptation and she was going to drag him down the floor right where they were and have her wicked, wicked way with him. When she tried to pull his shirt off, he caught her hands in his, bringing the exploration to a screeching and completely unwelcome halt.
Both of them were breathing hard, as if they’d been running a 5K instead of indulging in an early morning make-out session. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed that he’d found the strength to stop. Still holding her hands captive, he rested his forehead against hers.
“Damn, woman, I swear you should come with a warning label. That went from zero to a zillion way too fast.”
“And you didn’t like that?”
She wished she’d kept quiet; she wasn’t sure if she could stand it if he said yes. Regardless, his laughter wasn’t exactly the response she expected. “No, I should think it obvious that I liked it too much. I swear the only reason I came over here this morning was to spend some time with you to help get my head back on straight.”
A shadow of his earlier grim demeanor was back, instantly converting her hunger for him to concern. “What happened?”
He stepped back, putting a different kind of distance between them than just the few feet of hardwood floor that now separated them.
