When she let out a soft little whimper, he pulled her even closer, his hands making slow passes over her back, honestly meaning only to calm her. But she made another sound, a moan of desire that went straight through him, and suddenly it wasn’t about comfort at all.

But so much more.

And then she shifted and one of his thighs slipped between hers, and things went straight to DEFCON 5. His fingers tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, which swallowed them up in an instant, combustible explosion of hunger and desire. There in the dark, they went at each other, their hands grappling for purchase, her heart pounding against his, assuring him she was in this every bit as much as he—until they broke apart for air to stare at each other.

She swallowed hard. “Scary.”

“Yeah.” Terrifying, actually.

She let out a huff of laughter. “Didn’t expect you to admit it.”

“What, that you’re scary as hell?”

She laughed again and tilted her head back against his arm as she touched his mouth. “Maybe it’s you that’s scary.”

“And maybe it’s this.”

She didn’t try to pretend not to know what this was. Instead, she tucked her face into the crook of his neck. The safe zone, he presumed. As if anything about their chemistry was safe.

“You’re quite the distraction,” she whispered.

“I’ve been called worse.”

He felt her smile against his skin. “So you’re not insulted?”

“Seems like a win-win to me,” he said.

“Mmmm.” But instead of taking things further, she exhaled slowly and sagged into him as if she felt boneless, claimed by apparent exhaustion. With her breath puffing softly against his throat, he let his own exhaustion claim him as well. His last conscious thought was that it’d been a long time since he’d held anyone. Not since Rowan, as he lay dying in Cam’s arms.

Chapter 5

“Next time put a sock on the door—leave me a sign!”

Mornings were always weird for Piper. One moment, she was deeply asleep, dreaming about a warm beach and her sexy, shirtless surfer— Hold up. Not a sexy surfer, but a guy in cargoes.

She opened her eyes and stared up close and personal at an Adam’s apple and a scruffy jaw. A scruffy jaw with a deep cat scratch.

Then she realized she was wrapped around the body that came with that jaw, like he was her own personal body pillow.

Oh, shit.

Everything came back to her from the night before: going over to check on Emmitt, finding out his son was none other than the new Hot Guy, who then rescued Winnie’s silly cat, and . . . the kissing. Good Lord, the kissing.

He’d then apparently kept her warm all night.