her breath was as ragged as his.
“Would you think it too forward of me if I asked if I could stay the night?”
He smiled and shook his head. “No, but you need to understand that tonight, we’ll just sleep.”
Her brow scrunched, and she looked adorably confused. “Just sleep?”
At the sound of her incredulity, he chuckled while wondering how strong his resolve would be if she begged. “Yeah. I want to be with you, and I want everything you want to give me, but not tonight. You had an emotional evening, first with your family and then with me. You opened yourself up in ways you haven’t done in a really long time, and there’s no way you can do that without being emotionally raw. I don’t want to take advantage of that.” She opened her mouth, then closed it quickly, her brows still furrowed. He took advantage of her silence and continued. “You need rest and a chance to make sure that everything you’ve talked about and settled in your mind is truly moving you forward. There’s one thing I don’t want for us, and that’s regrets.”
She leaned forward, pressing her lips against his in a light kiss before settling back and nodding. “You’re right. I mean, I know what I want, and what I want is you. But you’re right that this has been an exhausting day. I’m glad you’re not kicking me out, though.”
His hands slid down her ass, his fingers squeezing. “I’m not about to kick you out, babe. To be honest, just the idea of falling asleep with you in my arms sounds perfect.” Her smile started slow, then spread wider, and he couldn’t remember a more beautiful sight. “You ready?”
“Absolutely.” She slid off his lap, and as he stood, linked fingers with him again. He flipped off the lights, then led her down the hall to his bedroom. Once inside, he moved to his chest of drawers and pulled out a clean, white T-shirt. Looking over his shoulder, he caught her glancing toward the king-sized bed, her teeth nibbling on her bottom lip. He felt that straight to his cock. Swallowing deeply, he tamped down the urge to toss her onto the bed. Instead, he held out the shirt. “You can do whatever you need to do in the bathroom first. I’m going to need a shower after just getting off work. There’s an extra toothbrush in the top drawer. I always get them at the dentist, put them in the drawer, then forget about them.”
She took the shirt and smiled, then hurried into the bathroom and closed the door. After just a few minutes, she stepped out, and his breath left his lungs in a rush. Erin McBride in my bedroom, wearing nothing but panties and my T-shirt. That thought sent the blood south again. Tamping down those urges, he mumbled for her to make herself comfortable while he took a shower.
Letting the hot water pound out the kinks and wash away the night from the pub, he quickly finished, brushed his teeth, and flipped off the light. Stepping into his bedroom lit only by the lamp on his side of the bed, his breath now halted. She smiled again as she stared at him, her dark hair spread out over the pillow. Her face was lit by soft lights and shadows. Erin McBride in my bed. Never thought I’d be a lucky enough man to have that honor.
Sliding underneath the covers, he flipped off the light, plunging them into darkness until his eyes adjusted to the faint light coming through the blinds.
“I’m not sure what to do.”
Her whispered confession resonated with him because he felt the same way. “Come here.” His gentle order was accompanied by his open arms. She scooted closer, her gaze never leaving his until her head moved forward and her cheek rested on his chest. He wrapped her into his embrace, their legs tangled, and he felt as well as heard her sigh. Giving a little squeeze, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Right here with you, I’m perfect.”
He was sure she was exhausted from her night’s revelations, and soon, her breathing deepened, giving evidence she’d found sleep. Closing his eyes with her tucked close to his heart, he whispered into the dark. “Yeah, you are.”
11
Erin slowly blinked her eyes open, and it took only a few seconds for her to realize the pillow underneath her head was not her own but Torin’s arm. The warmth she felt was not