Page 36 of Mine to Hold
“I can’t imagine one human coming out of this body, much less seven. Your mom’s a saint.”
“Not really.” He looped his arm around her waist. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
She jerked her head. “Seriously? I can’t imagine what could possibly happen to me in twenty paces.”
“You could fall in the pool and I can’t let that happen.”
She patted his chest. “You can watch me and make sure I get in safely.”
In that moment, he realized how much he didn’t want the night to end. He didn’t care how exhausted his body was or how desperately he needed sleep. He wanted more time with Rumor.It had been soured with Edwina’s presence and all this talk about his past love life.
Curling his fingers around her wrist, he pulled her tight.
She tilted her head and gazed into his eyes with a mischievous look. “What are you doing?”
“Kissing you goodnight,” he whispered right before landing his lips on her mouth. He kept it soft. Delicate. Teasing her before deepening the kiss, swirling his tongue around hers in an exotic dance. He couldn’t get enough, but he didn’t want to take too much. Or come on too strong.
Rumor was special.
Even with the dark cloud that hung over her like a storm at sea waiting to unleash. She had a past. Everyone did. Whatever she hid behind those sweet eyes, he was sure it couldn’t be some terrible secret.
But the reality was, it could be.
He broke off the kiss. “Walk home safely.”
“Should I text you when I get there?”
“Good idea.” He smiled.
She shook her head, stepping through the sliding glass doors. “See you tomorrow afternoon.” She waved her hand over her head.
Leaning against the doorjamb, he watched her hips sway back and forth. A woman who moved every year? Either she was running from something.
Or hiding from it.
His hackles should be standing at attention.
“Lock the doors,” he called.
“Do I need to be concerned about you sneaking in during the middle of the night?”
“Trust me. If I wasn’t so in need of a good eight hours, I might not be behaving so gentlemanly right now.”
She pulled open the door. “Something tells me that’s the only way you know how to behave.” She disappeared into the pool house. “But I hope you’ll shave by tomorrow, because that stuff on your face isn’t doing you any favors.”
He sighed, locking the slider. The moment his head hit the pillow, he’d be sound asleep.
Dreaming of his sexy tenant.
7
For the next hour, Rumor tossed and turned on that damn comfortable Murphy bed. She tried watching one of her favorite television shows, but it did nothing to soothe her soul.
Or rid her thoughts of Emmerson and his lips.
Next, she tried a book.
But she’d read a line or two and couldn’t remember what she’d read.
