really feeling the slight pain, but it was enough for Walker to move. He immediately brought his hand up to the back of her head and turned them so they were walking—more like stumbling—down the hall toward his bedroom.
The second they entered, Gillian inhaled deeply, smelling Walker’s unique scent, and she knew her nipples had just gotten harder. She’d fantasized about being in here with him.
At the edge of his bed, he stopped her and reached around for her bra clasp. Within seconds, it was undone and falling to the floor. He didn’t stop there; he undid the button of her jeans and lowered her zipper. Then he put his hands against her sides and pushed both her panties and jeans down at the same time.
“Step out,” he whispered when they fell to her ankles.
Gillian managed to toe off her sandals and kick off her clothes without falling on her face. But then she realized that she was completely naked, and Walker still had on all his clothes. It was uncomfortable, but also kind of hot.
He stood a foot in front of her, completely immobile. His eyes ran down her body, from her head to her toes, then back up again. His chest was heaving with his breaths, as if he’d just run five miles.
Forcing herself to stand still, Gillian waited for him to say or do something. When he didn’t move, she began to feel self-conscious.
“Walker?” she whispered. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said with a croak. “Not a damn thing. You’re beautiful. Way too pretty for the likes of me.”
Gillian rolled her eyes. “Please,” she said. “If anything, the opposite is true.”
He put a finger over her lips and his gaze met hers. “Don’t put yourself down,” he ordered. “I won’t tolerate anyone saying anything unfavorable about you, and that goes for yourself as well.” His finger dropped from her lips, but didn’t break contact with her body. He drew it over her chin, down her collarbone to her left breast. He swirled the digit around her hard nipple then down her side, where she squirmed away from him a bit when it tickled.
His lips quirked up, but he didn’t stop. His finger traced her hip bone, then he brushed the curls between her legs. Gillian locked her knees but couldn’t stop herself from inhaling sharply as he brushed against her clit. She wasn’t sure if he’d done it on purpose or not, but when his smile grew and he did it again, she realized he knew exactly what he was doing.
Gillian reached for him and frowned when her hands touched his T-shirt instead of his skin. “If I’m naked, you should be too,” she complained.
His finger continued its teasing, and he used his other hand to reach behind his head to remove his shirt. One quick movement and the cloth was on the floor at their feet, forgotten.
Gillian was having a hard time concentrating as Walker’s finger had dipped lower between her folds, but she couldn’t help sighing at the sight of his chest. He was ripped, and had both the six pack and those sexy-as-hell V-muscles she’d fantasized about—but it was the large bruise on his side that caught her attention. It was in the ugly green and yellow stage, but it was obvious something had hit him hard.
Without words, she ran her thumb over it gently.
“I’m okay,” he said quietly.
Gillian nodded.
“Look at me,” Walker ordered.
But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the mark on his side. She kept trying to imagine what in the world could’ve happened to bruise him so badly, but couldn’t come up with anything.
One hand gripped her hip, and the other went under her chin to force her gaze away from his side.
“I’m okay,” he said firmly.
Inhaling deeply through her nose, Gillian nodded. This was what he was talking about earlier. “Okay. You’re good,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m happy. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to inspect every inch of you to see where else you’re hurt. To kiss every bruise. Every scrape to make it better.”
He smiled. “I’m okay with that,” he told her. “In fact, I think we should make it tradition. Whenever I come back from deployment, my own nurse has to do a very personal inspection of my body from head to toe.”
“Deal,” Gillian agreed immediately. “But I can’t do that if you’re wearing clothes. Strip, Army Boy.”
Walker barked out a laugh and Gillian smiled. This was what had been missing from her