Courage (Heroes of Big Sky #1) - Kristen Proby Page 0,9
while.
“You’re so fucking sweet,” he whispers, and that’s all it takes for my lips to descend on his. His hands grip me tighter as I wrap my arms around his shoulders and sink into him. And that’s exactly what it feels like: a slow, delicious sinking into something so soft, warm, tender, and familiar that it tugs at my heart and turns me on all at the same time.
I move to push my hand through his messy blond hair, but my hand suddenly sings out in pain, making me gasp.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, gasping for breath himself.
“Ouch.” I frown as reality starts to settle in. “Damn hand.”
“What the hell is wrong with me?” He doesn’t nudge me off his lap, he simply lifts me, shifting until I’m cradled on his lap, my head resting on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” I grin and shift my gaze from my throbbing hand to Sam’s bright blue gaze. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for my whole life. And just like you said a little bit ago, it has nothing at all to do with the situation we presently find ourselves in. I just thought you weren’t interested.”
“I don’t want to hurt your feelings,” he admits with a sigh.
I raise a brow. “But?”
“It’s not that I’ve never been interested in you,” he begins and pauses to kiss my forehead. “But you were my baby sister’s best friend. Significantly younger than me. It would have been damn creepy if I’d been into you.”
“I’m not a baby now.”
“No. You’re a grown woman. And trust me, I’ve noticed. But I’m not going to scoop you up and haul you off to bed when you’re injured.”
“It’s only my hand,” I remind him. “It’s not my vagina.”
He snorts. “Well, I’m relieved to hear that, but you’re still uncomfortable. And the kids are here.”
“Yeah, I can’t argue that point.” I let myself lean on him, just for a minute. Sam’s always been tall and lean. He’s only started to pack on the muscles over the past couple of years. He trained hard for his place in the fire department.
The hot body is a bonus.
“Can I interest you in a date?” he asks, surprising me.
“What kind of date?”
“A real one.” He chuckles. “Noah offered to watch the kids. They’ll have fun at the sanctuary, and I can take you out for a meal that you don’t have to cook. With no one around that you have to cut up food for.”
“I mean, if you need help, I’ve become quite the food chopper recently.”
His lips twitch. “What do you say?”
“Sure.” I nod and lean on him again. “I’d like that. Thanks for asking me.”
“Thanks for saying yes.”
“Auntie Tash?”
I sigh and glance over to where Kelsey is standing by the hallway.
“Yes, baby?”
“I had a bad dream.” Her big blue eyes, so much like Sam’s, well with big crocodile tears, and I open my arms for her to come sit with us.
“Come on, sweetie. Come sit with us. It’s okay.”
“Did you have a bad dream, too?” she asks me once she’s settled on both of our laps.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because Uncle Sam is holding you like you had a bad dream.”
“Oh.” I smile and brush her soft blond hair off her cheek. “No. We were just talking, and I needed a cuddle. What was your bad dream about?”
She nuzzles closer to me and tucks her head under my chin, but she doesn’t answer me. I let her sit for a long moment and then kiss her sweet little head.
“Don’t want to talk about it?”
She shakes her head.
“Is it the same one you’ve been having?”
She nods.
“I’m sorry, honey. We can snuggle until you’re ready to go back to bed.”
“Can I sleep wif you?”
She turns those big eyes up to me. I know I’m being had. She’s laying it on thick.
But how can anyone ever say no to that face?
“You sleep better in your bed,” I remind her. “But I guess you can sleep in mine.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s go. I’ll tuck you in, and then I’m going to talk to Uncle Sam some more.”
She hops off my bed and happily jogs down the hall to my bedroom.
“Sorry,” I mutter as I slide off Sam’s lap. “You don’t have to stay. It’s getting late.”
“I can stay until after she’s in bed,” he offers. “I’ll tuck her in.”
He stands and kisses me on the forehead, then walks past me and down the hall.
I hear the murmur of his voice, although I can’t hear what he says as he tucks his