Don't Look (Pike, Wisconsin #1) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,74

eager lack of skill wiggled it over his head. She tossed it aside, studying the expanse of his chest lightly dusted with golden hair. It was just as perfect as she’d expected. As if it’d been chiseled by an artist.

Not even trying to resist temptation, she reached to trace the angles and planes of his torso. He sucked in a sharp breath, gazing down at her with raw eyes.

“This is just a start.”

Lynne’s mouth went dry. “A start to what?”

A wickedly charming smile curved his lips. “If I say ‘heaven’ would that be too corny?”

It was corny. Just like the butterflies in the pit of her stomach were corny. And the way her heart pounded so hard it was hard to breathe. And the sensation her bones were melting as a delicious heat poured through her.

“I’m beginning to think I like corny.”

His smile widened as he bent down to hook his arm behind the back of her knees. His other arm braced her shoulders as he swept her off her feet and headed across the living room.

King lifted his head to watch them leave with a sleepy contentment.

Chapter 18

Kir carried Lynne to her room with a sense of . . . He wasn’t sure exactly what he was feeling. Hunger. Anticipation. And absolute amazement at just how right it was to hold this woman in his arms.

After lowering her to the bed with the same care he would give to his most prized possession, Kir perched on the edge of the mattress. It was dark in the room and he reached to flip on the lamp on the nightstand. A soft pool of light spread over her face, revealing the vulnerable need in the depths of her eyes.

His heart skipped with a fierce determination.

This woman was so strong on the outside, but she’d been hurt and betrayed by Nash. He wanted her to be one hundred percent certain she could trust him.

“This was the last thing I expected when I returned to Pike,” he told her, slipping off her boots.

A shaky smile curved her lips. “Yeah, it wasn’t what I was expecting either.”

Still holding her gaze, he reached for the waistband of her pants. With a practiced ease he had them unzipped and gently tugged down her legs. “When I saw you at the funeral, I felt relieved,” he said, allowing his fingers to stroke over the bare skin of her thighs. Not surprisingly, they were tight with muscles. Her work as a vet meant she was in peak physical condition. It was sexy as hell. His cock reacted with immediate appreciation.

She shivered, her lips parting with an unconscious invitation. “Why relieved?”

His fingers skimmed over her hips, tracing the low line of her satin panties. “You reminded me that even though my dad was gone I wasn’t alone.” He hooked his thumbs under the elastic and slid the underwear down so he could toss them aside. A growl of appreciation rumbled in his chest as he absorbed the sight of her ivory body contrasted against the dark cover beneath her. He liked the sensation of unveiling her beauty, piece by piece. Or rather, garment by garment. Like constructing a sensual puzzle. “That’s why I was so anxious to see you again.”

Her breath hissed between her teeth. “So you wouldn’t be alone?”

Nodding, he lowered his head to press a soft kiss to her lips. At the same time, he grabbed the bottom of her sweater. “And to discover if the spark that ignited inside me was real or a figment of my grief.”

“What did you decide?”

He peeled the sweater over her head, his body clenching with a fierce hunger as he caught sight of the frilly bra. She was so sensible, so ruthlessly down-to-earth. The sight of that naughty bit of lace was a thrilling surprise. As if she’d revealed a hidden part of her . . . a part she never shared with anyone.

One he desperately hoped she would never again share with anyone but him.

The dangerous thought floated through the back of his mind as he unhooked the bra and allowed it to float away. Then, with oddly shaky hands, he yanked off the remainder of his clothes. He was trying to take this slow. He wanted to savor every second of his time with this woman. But his body was hard and aching with a pounding need to possess her.

“You tell me if the spark is real or not,” he rasped, pulling a condom out of his wallet