Part 37 (1/2)

No, Melissa nodded. She was nervous, that was all. And it was silly to be nervous now, now, when she was perfectly safe. when she was perfectly safe.

As calmly as if they slept in the same bed every night, Steven left Melissa to her hesitation and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. By the time he returned, she'd appropriated a T-s.h.i.+rt from a chest of drawers and pulled it on. She'd left Kim's clothes folded and resting on the seat of a chair.

Her eyes widened when she saw Steven-he was totally naked. Gloriously Gloriously naked. naked.

Melissa reddened as all sorts of things quickened inside her.

”I sleep like this,” he explained.

”Oh,” she said.

He got into bed on his side and, after a few more moments of silent debate, Melissa joined him. They lay far apart, staring up at the ceiling.

Then Steven stretched to flip the switch on his lamp, and both lights went out, leaving the room dark, except for a skim of moonlight that made the bedding glow white.

”Still okay?” Steven asked, after a long, long time.

”Still okay,” Melissa confirmed. ”You?”

”Better than okay,” he said. And he drew her into his arms, held her close against the hard warmth of his body. ”What would you say if I told you I think there's a very strong possibility that I love you?”

A terrible joy spread through Melissa before she had a chance to raise her usual defenses. Long moments had pa.s.sed when she was finally able to answer. ”I'd say,” she replied, snuggling close to him and soaring inside, ”that you're probably just shaken up by everything that happened tonight.”

”Suppose it's more?” Steven suggested, propping his chin on the top of her head. ”What then?”

Melissa started to cry. ”I'd say it was a good thing,” she told him.

A chuckle moved up through his chest, and his arms tightened around her. She couldn't remember when she'd last felt so safe.

”Which means?” Steven prompted.

Melissa sighed, sniffled. ”Which means,” she answered, ”that I'm 99 percent sure I feel the same way about you.”

”But you wish you didn't.”

”Don't you?”

Steven considered before countering, ”Not much use in that now, is there?”

”It is what it is,” Melissa responded.

”Think you could maybe work up a little more enthusiasm?” Steven teased, turning now, so his lips hovered just over hers.

She smiled, slipping her arms around his neck. ”Yes,” she said. ”But I'll need some encouragement.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

STEVEN DID NOT MAKE LOVE to Melissa during the night; he'd promised to hold her, and he kept his word. But when dawn broke, and the first pinkish light of a new day tickled her awake, everything in Melissa seemed to catch fire. to Melissa during the night; he'd promised to hold her, and he kept his word. But when dawn broke, and the first pinkish light of a new day tickled her awake, everything in Melissa seemed to catch fire.

It was a slow, smoldering burn, all the hotter for that.

Last night, she'd been in shock and vulnerable.

Some men would have taken advantage of her-but not Steven Creed.

She slipped out of bed, scurried into the bathroom and returned with an empty bladder and, thanks to a bottle of mouthwash she'd found in the medicine cabinet over the sink, fresh breath.

She stood looking down at Steven, willing him to open his eyes.

”I know you're awake,” she finally said.

A grin crooked the corner of his mouth and, just as he raised his eyelids, Melissa peeled off the T-s.h.i.+rt and tossed it aside.

Steven muttered an exclamation.

”Did you mean it?” Melissa asked, enjoying her brief moment of power. Once Steven got her under him, she knew full well, the balance would s.h.i.+ft; he would be in command.

Mostly.

”Did I mean what?” Steven hedged. He scooted upright, sat with his bare back against the headboard, the pillow fluffed behind him.

”When you said you thought there was a good possibility you might be in love with me,” Melissa said. ”Did you mean that?”

He grinned, and his whole face changed, seemed to light up, like the world beyond the bedroom windows. ”Actually,” he said, reaching out with lightning speed, clasping her hand, and pulling her down onto his lap, ”I understated the matter considerably.”

She blinked, still breathless from being yanked, however gently, off her feet. ”You mean-?”

”I'm sure of it now,” Steven said, his gaze holding hers, direct and unflinching. ”I love you, Melissa. I have from the first-it just took me a while to admit it to myself, that's all.”

”Are you just saying that because you want s.e.x?” Melissa challenged. She was sitting on his lap and therefore had proof positive that he wanted s.e.x.

He leaned forward, kissed her. The faker, he'd just been pretending to be asleep. He smelled tantalizingly of toothpaste and soap, and his hair was faintly damp. He'd been up well before Melissa.

”I can't deny that I do want s.e.x,” he said with a smiling acknowledgment of his arousal. However, the fact remains, counselor, that I do. Love you, I mean.”

Melissa wanted it to be true, was so afraid it wasn't. ”How can you be so sure?”

He grinned again, stroked her hair with one strong, calloused hand. ”I'm sure,” he said, as the same hand moved down, skimming the bare flesh of her shoulder, setting it to tingling, and then curved around her breast. With the side of his thumb, Steven chafed her nipple. It tightened deliciously, ready for his mouth, and Melissa groaned.

Steven turned her, so that she was straddling him, and tasted her with just the tip of his tongue.

Fresh heat surged through her.

He suckled at her breast, gently at first, and then with a growing hunger.

Melissa whispered something senseless, let her head fall back, offering herself to him.