Fire Brand by Diana Palmer

Author:Diana Palmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2016-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

GABY CURLED UP next to Bowie with her head pillowed on his bare shoulder, and noticed with secret delight that he was outside the covers with a serape pulled over him in the air-conditioned room.

“Won’t you be cold?”

“With you next to me?” he asked, smiling. “I hope you don’t snore.”

“I hope you don’t, too,” she mused. She watched him turn to snap off the lamp by the bed. He was so handsome, and the feel and smell of him made her giddy, like lying beside him in bed. She’d never have dreamed anything could be as sweet. Even on the heels of the nightmare, she couldn’t be afraid of Bowie. That should have struck her as unusual, but she was too shaken to think.

“Comfortable?” he asked, his voice subdued, deep, and a little tired.

“Very. Are you?”

“I’ll do.”

She sighed, searching for someplace to put her free hand. Finally, she settled for curling it up on his shoulder. He laughed.

“You can put it on my chest if you want to,” he said in a whisper. “As long as you don’t start rubbing your hands over it and smothering me in open-mouthed kisses, it won’t bother me.”

“Bowie!” she gasped, stiffening.

“I thought it might reassure you,” he said with evident amusement. “You don’t have to be that careful, honey. I’m so tired. I’ve been halfway across the country, and I didn’t get much sleep last night. You’re perfectly safe—tonight, at least.”

“Okay. I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” she said, letting her hand slowly go to the serape over his chest and flatten there, very still.

His big hand pressed over hers. “You won’t have any more nightmares tonight,” he said quietly. “I’ll hold you while you sleep. Close your eyes, adorada.”

“What did you call me?” she asked drowsily.

“Never mind. Go to sleep.”

She drifted off with the soft Spanish word echoing in her tired, worn brain. Adored one—wasn’t that what it meant? She smiled against his shoulder, savoring his unfamiliar tenderness. She’d always thought that he had that capacity, but she’d never really seen him use it, except with children or young animals. Now she knew that he could feel it with her, and it was reassuring. If only she could count on it at that most basic of moments—when he was aroused. But men seemed to be uncontrollable at that stage, and it was the one time when she was the most afraid of strength and violence.

She slept finally, lulled by the deep thunder of Bowie’s heartbeat and the slow sound of his breathing. Something woke her at dawn—a soft rasp, followed by running feet and voices. Like insects, she thought drowsily, humming...

“Oh, hell!”

She heard the deep, sleepy curse and opened her eyes. The ceiling was there. She looked down and felt her body go very still. Bowie’s arm was around her—she could feel its warm strength—and one of his long legs seemed to be thrown over both of hers. They were curled together, under the covers, both of them. Bowie’s head was raised, and he was glowering at someone.

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