He wrapped his arms tighter around his woman and turned on his side as his cock finally relaxed enough to slip free. He rolled her tight against him and locked his arm around her, holding her to him. One thigh slid between hers and he pushed against her buttocks, burrowing between those soft firm globes, so his worn cock had a soft, warm resting place.

“Good night, baby,” he said softly. “No more bad dreams.”

12

CATARINA busied herself making breakfast. As a rule when she was in the kitchen, she could lose herself there. The kitchen had been her favorite place, her refuge. Rafe often wandered in when she was putting a meal together or baking something for later.

Eli liked to sit in the kitchen and drink his coffee. His presence took up the entire room, despite it being spacious. He also seemed to suck all the air out of it as well. He didn’t seem to know it, calmly gazing out the wide panel of windows to the outside where the view was gorgeous.

She snuck another peek at him. He was too good-looking for her peace of mind, in a purely masculine way. There were no boyish features whatsoever on Eli. He was all man, every angle cut strong, the lines in his face carved deep. His jaw was strong, his nose straight, and his shoulders were wide enough to fill a doorway.

He made her feel small and very feminine. Right at this moment, she was suddenly feeling very shy. That had something to do with the way he looked at her. He was different this morning. Whenever his gaze rested on her, he was focused, just as before, looking as if he could see right through her to her soul, but it was more. It was the way he focused on her.

She moistened her lips and tried not to startle when he moved. The scrape of his chair had her gaze jumping to his. He’d gone from sitting behind the table to crowding her all the way around the counter, his much larger body pinning her against the sink.

“What are you doing, Eli?” She hated that she sounded so breathless. Like a girl instead of a woman. He was always so sure of himself, and she felt very unsure. Her heart got all fluttery—she was still so scared of him ripping it out and destroying her she actually felt fragile.

“Kitten.” He said it softly. Just that. His hand came up to frame her face, his thumb sliding gently over her smooth skin. “You haven’t looked at me once this morning. Not one single time.”