Home to Stay (The Long Road Home #2) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,51

wondering if he’d be able to sleep next to her without pulling her into his arms.

A few minutes later, she snuggled closer to him, and with her cheek resting against his shoulder, he fell asleep.

15

Lucy blinked open her eyes, the sunlight much brighter in her bedroom than normal. Her pillow was much firmer than usual and something heavy rested over her waist and leg. Squeezing her eyes shut before opening them again in an effort to see clearer, all that met her gaze was the smooth skin, flat nipples, and defined abs that were presented before her. Sucking in a hasty breath, she lifted her head slightly and peered down.

With John’s dark hair sticking up slightly on top and his face relaxed in slumber, he was just as gorgeous as the first time she’d looked at his picture but now had a boyish quality she’d never seen. The truth was she’d fallen for a man she only knew through letters and a photograph, willing to admit that was premature and somewhat based on fantasies. But the more she got to know him, the more she realized her initial assessment was right… he was a good man through and through.

His eyes shot open, and a squeak slipped through her lips as she startled.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, his hand reaching out for hers. “Force of habit. I wake quickly, especially if I sense I’m not in a familiar place.”

“I woke a few minutes ago and couldn’t figure out why my pillow felt so hard. I’m afraid I was laying on your shoulder.”

He moved his leg and blushed. “It seems I had you trapped down. Guess I wasn’t so good at staying on my side.”

“Me either,” she laughed.

His hand lifted slowly, gently tucking wayward strands of hair behind her ear. “I want to kiss you good morning. Is that okay?”

Her lips curved, and she nodded. “Yeah,” she said, leaning closer as his hand slid to the back of her head.

Their legs remained tangled and now their chests were pressed together as he gently pulled her toward him, their mouths sealing. Steel and silk. Soft and strong. Light nibbles that became tongues dancing. She sighed into his mouth, and he groaned, his fingers flexing, tugging her hair. He tore his lips from her mouth and kissed along her cheek, nibbling on her earlobe. She slid one hand into his hair, her trimmed nails scratching along his scalp.

Trailing kisses down her neck, he sucked lightly at the pulse point, and she shivered. The whoosh that moved through her body from her lips to her sex had her shifting her hips forward, his erection tucked against her tummy.

His hand slid down, his fingers gripping her hip. Lifting his head from her neck, his gaze penetrated the lust fog she was lost in. “I want you, Lucy, but not today.”

Her chest heaved as her breath left her quickly, but he didn’t give her a chance to protest or convince him they needed to get naked.

“Honestly, babe, I want you. I want you naked and under me. And this is killing me to pull back, but there’s no way I’m going to take advantage of what’s happening. Yesterday was a shit-kicker for you. Plus, you’ve only had a couple of hours of sleep, and you’re still dealing and reeling from all that happened.”

She sucked in her still-tingling lips, her hand resting lightly on his cheek. His gaze was warm, his eyes searching. Her head nodded slowly, and she smiled. “You really are a good man, John Roster.”

A chuckle erupted from deep inside his chest, the rumble moving against her body. She thought it might be one of her favorite sounds—right after the groan he made when his tongue invaded her mouth.

“As much as I’d love to stay in bed with you, I know eventually I’d stop being a good man when the temptation overtook my best intentions. So, we’re gonna get up, get dressed, have something to eat, and plan our date.”

She blinked, her chin jerking back. “Our date?”

“Hell, yeah, our date. I fucked up when I walked away from you before, and I’m not going to make that mistake again. But we’ve had a second chance, even if that came from a bad place for you. So, I’m going to start over, and we’re going to have a date.”

“A date,” she repeated, her smile widening as the belly whoosh moved through her again. “I’d like that.”

His smile lit her room, and she pushed against his shoulder to raise