from an extra blanket on her bed to chase away the night chill but was coming from his body as his front curved around her back, his thigh between hers, and the unmistakable feel of his erection pressed against her ass. Moving gently, she turned and stared as the sunlight beaming through the blinds cast striped shadows across the bed, and she watched him sleep.
He was about the same age as Sean but was blessed with genes that made him appear younger than he was, something that probably most of the women in the pub loved. Up close, she noticed tiny lines emanating from the sides of his eyes. She lifted her hand to smooth her finger along the lines, then stopped just before she touched his face, not wanting to wake him. Instead, she allowed her gaze to travel down his naked chest, appreciating his lean and taut muscles. Continuing her perusal over his arms, the one closest to her was covered in tattoos and she longed to trace and discover all the meanings of them. His arms, like the rest of him, were thick with muscles honed from carrying heavy cases in the pub. And with their running together, she’d had ample opportunity to see his tight leg muscles leading upward to an ass that she couldn’t wait to get her hands on.
Her gaze had again roved over the tattoos on his arm when she glanced up and blinked, finding his eyes now open and a smile gracing his face.
“Good morning,” he said, the two words rumbling from deep in his chest.
Blushing, she grinned in return. “Good morning to you. And yes, you caught me staring.”
“Babe, there’s not a man alive that would object to you staring at them. Especially first thing in the morning after you’d spent the night in their bed.”
They lay silent for a moment, and he brushed her hair back from her face, his fingers tangling in the tresses and leaving tingles racing across her scalp. “How’d you sleep?” he asked.
“I know it was almost two in the morning when we went to sleep, but I slept more soundly than I have in longer than I can remember.”
His grin widened and he bent, kissing her lightly. She had understood his desire to not have sex last night and was even touched at how much consideration he had for her. But now, fully rested, thinking clearly, and in the light of day, she wanted this man and prayed he wanted the same thing.
She shifted and rolled on top of him, keeping their lips together. While moving her hips slightly, she felt his erection thickening even more against her stomach.
His hands landed on her upper arms in a slight grip, and she groaned, afraid he was going to push her away. He did, but only the barest inch so that he could see her eyes.
“Erin? Are you sure? Please, I’ve got to tell you, I want this, but I need to know what you need. What you want.”
She pressed her finger against his lips and whispered, “Torin, you’re not just the next guy. You’re not my great experiment to see if I can remember how to have sex. You’re not the next link in some imaginary chain of me moving forward. You are what I want. I’m almost thirty years old and have only had a few partners, and all were men that meant something to me. I’m not about to change that now. I want you because of everything you are to me. Friend, running partner, confidant, and I hope much more.”
She watched him carefully, unable to read the emotions flashing through his eyes. His lips began to curve, and he dipped his chin. “Well, all right then. It sounds like we want the same thing because this sure as hell isn’t going to be a one-time fuck.”
“Thank goodness!”
Their lips melded together again, and this time the floodgates opened on her emotions, knowing this was the start of something beautiful. His arms stayed banded around her, and with her lying on top of him, it dawned on her that he was giving over control. While she appreciated the gesture, she wished he didn’t feel the necessity. It had been a long time since she’d been with John, and while his death had rocked her to her very core, she was longing to feel something more normal than the overwhelming grief that she had slogged through for so many months.
Torin lifted his hips, his erection pressing