I should be scared, and maybe somewhere underneath the lust that’s clawing through my system right now, I am. I do feel on the verge of a panic attack, but that’s because I think I made the wrong decision. Stone is acting like a caveman, but then he thinks we’ve spent months and months pouring our hearts out together online and on paper. If I put myself in his position, I can understand his urgency.

But I wasn’t the one he talked to.

I’ve read through the letters, but not the online conversations or texts. Tally assured me there wasn’t that many because his connection here in Alaska wasn’t secure, but the fact that there were some scares me.

What don’t I know?

What did I—Tally—say?

What did she promise?

Those are the questions that are swarming through my mind at the speed of light and causing me to panic. His big hand wraps firmly around my thighs as we walk back to his room. His heated touch seems to burn me. I can’t stop myself from watching the way his ass juts against the white cotton towel. It bubbles out, a firm mass that makes me weak. Stone has a really nice ass. I watch the muscles flex, unable to look away, and too caught up in the movement to protest further—like I really should.

When we get to the bedroom he lays me down on his bed and I scramble up against the headboard. He grins down at me.

“I won’t bite you, Carly.”

“I… I didn’t think you would,” I mutter, refusing to blush.

“Unless you ask me,” he grins.

“I won’t,” I huff and he laughs. “You’re being… scary,” I tell him and that cocky look he’s wearing seems to disappear quickly.

“Are you scared?”

“Well—”

“Be honest with me, Carly.”

I think over everything. I have to admit it. I’m not scared. What we shared in the bathroom was intense, but it could have gone down many ways and it didn’t. It was hot, but Stone didn’t force anything on me. He went a little crazy on his door, but he’s handled me with care—even while packing me around like a sack of potatoes.

“It depends on what you have planned,” I tell him, hedging.

“You came here to marry me, didn’t you, Carly?” he asks after studying me, and I can’t make myself meet his eyes.

“Kind of.”

“Kind of?” he asks, and this time I can hear anger in his voice. I had thought about telling him the complete truth. With his reply, I decide that might not be my wisest course of action. If he kicks me out, I have nowhere to go. Plus… as insane as it is to even think it—I like being around him. I don’t really want to leave.

“I thought maybe we’d get to know each other and see if we were… compatible.”

“Get to know each other?”

“Exactly.”

“We’ve been doing that for months.”

“But not in person. I don’t think I can just… jump into bed with someone I haven’t spent real time with.”

“We’ve spent real—”

“I mean in person,” I interrupt him.

He studies me with a hard stare and I resist the urge to squirm underneath it.

“Fine.”

“Fine?” I ask, feeling relieved. I start inching my way down from the head of the bed, intending to return to my room—or his guestroom, I suppose.

“Fine,” he repeats. “Get under the cover.”

“You want me to sleep in here?”

“Yes,” he says, walking back toward the bathroom. I guess he’s going to pack his toiletries and take the guestroom. That’s really nice of him, but not necessary.

“You don’t have to give me your room. I like the guestroom; it was very comfortable,” I tell him.

“You’ll be sleeping in my bed,” he grumbles, not turning around.

“Uh, okay then. Thank you?” I tell him and it sounds like a question, because I’m not sure I should be thanking him. It kind of felt like an order.

“Get under the cover. I’ve had a long day and if we’re not finishing what we started in the shower, then I need to get some sleep,” he says, his voice rumbling, as he comes back in. I get under the cover and he frowns. “Do you always sleep in so many clothes?”

“Well, yes. They’re pajamas. You’re supposed to sleep in them.”

“That will have to change.” He frowns and I have no idea what he means—mostly I’m afraid to ask.

His hand goes to the towel on his hip and he untucks it. It falls to the ground and reveals him completely—in all his glory.

Oh. My. God.

“What are you doing?” I squeak.

“Going to bed,” he answers, sliding under the cover. I scramble back to the middle of the large king-sized bed.

“But I just explained why we shouldn’t have sex!”

“And we’re not. We’re sleeping together. You think we need real time together and so we’ll get it. The best way to start that is to spend our nights sleeping in the same bed.”

“But… you’re naked!”

“I sleep that way.”

“Stone, I can’t—”

“Carly, you have my word I won’t force myself on you. We’ll just sleep tonight.”

“We will?”

“I won’t fuck you until you ask me to. You’re safe here, but you are going to sleep with me.”

I blush at his frank reply. I’m not used to a man speaking so… Well, I’m just not used to it. The fact that I feel all my girly parts heat and shiver at his words is a little unsettling.

“You promise?”

“I promise. Now roll over on your side so I can at least hold you,” he sighs, turning out the bedside light and flooding the room with darkness.

“I usually sleep on my stomach,” I tell him, hesitantly.

“Then climb on top of me. I don’t care, but I am holding you, Carly. I’ve thought of nothing else for months and that’s one thing that’s non-negotiable.”

I shiver, imaging sleeping on top of a very naked Stone—a very naked and aroused Stone.

“Uh, I think I’ll just roll over,” I tell him, giving him my back.

“I figured,” he answers and then he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me back into his body. His cock is pushing against my ass and when I try to wiggle away, he pulls me tighter. “Go to sleep.” I try again to get away—to no avail. “You keep moving that ass of yours against me like that, Carly, and I’m going to think you want more than just sleep.”

I go instantly still. He laughs softly and I can feel it vibrate in his body. His body heat begins to warm me and with his arm tight around me, I definitely feel safe.

“Goodnight, Stone,” I whisper after a bit, deciding to stop worrying. I came all this way, I have to give it a chance. And honestly, I’ve never felt safer than right now—in Stone’s arms.

“Goodnight, baby,” he says and kisses the top of my head.

I smile and drift off to sleep. Baby. Yeah. I like that a lot.