Chapter Seven
“HE’S NOT MY—” Sarah stopped cold at the sight of Bones crouched by the front door with Bradley’s arms around his neck and Lila toddling toward him babbling, “Bababa.”
Lila had taken only a few steps since the wedding, but she was cruising like she’d been practicing for this moment all week.
“Mom porn at its best,” Gemma whispered.
Bones caught Lila as she tumbled into him, and his hearty laugh made Sarah warm and fuzzy inside. He looked over, and his expression went from amused to dark and desirous.
For me.
So much for warm and fuzzy. She was suddenly hot and bothered, and by the grin spreading across his lips, he sensed it. Deep breaths, she told herself. Say hello. There was a disconnect between her brain and her body, because she just stood there, taking in his deliciousness and remembering the way he’d swept her into his arms and kissed her breathless.
“Hi, beautiful,” he said, rising to his feet with a child in each arm. His leather jacket hugged his broad shoulders, and beneath, a dark dress shirt revealed a hint of ink on his chest.
Why did that make her pulse quicken?
“Doesn’t your mama look pretty, B-boy?” Bones asked, eyes locked on Sarah.
Bradley nodded. “She always looks pretty.”
Surely her heart couldn’t take much more of this sweetness.
“Okay, you two oglers.” Dixie reached for Lila, giving Scott a get on the ball look.
“Oh, right.” Scott took Bradley from Bones, freeing him to pick up a bouquet of red roses Sarah hadn’t noticed on the table by the door.
Ohgodohgodohgod. She could tell by Gemma and Dixie’s stifled giggles that she was doing an awful job of hiding her elation. She’d never been given flowers before, and she’d wondered what it would feel like to mean enough to a man that he would do something so thoughtful. As Bones stepped closer, she wanted to memorize everything about this moment. The way her chest tingled and happiness bubbled up inside her made her even more nervous.
“Hi, darlin’.” He put a hand on Sarah’s hip and pressed a kiss to her cheek, lingering for a beat longer than she’d expected, just as he had earlier.
Even if they never stepped foot out the door, these few minutes were right up there as some of the best of her life, right alongside the first time she’d held her babies and the first time she’d seen them walk and heard them say Mama.
“These are for you,” he said as he handed her the bouquet.
“They’re gorgeous. Thank you.”
“Want me to put them in a vase for you?” Gemma asked.
“Sure, thanks.” She stood stock-still as Gemma took the flowers, and Bones’s smile grew wider. She realized she hadn’t moved since she’d seen him by the door. Forcing her brain to function, she said, “Let me just kiss the kids, and then we can go.”
Sarah crouched beside Bradley, who was busy playing with Dixie, and said, “I’m going to go out for a little while. Be good for Uncle Scott, Dixie, and Gemma, okay?” He nodded, barely paying her any attention. She gave him a kiss goodbye, feeling a little less guilty about leaving. She tickled Lila’s belly, earning sweet little-girl giggles, and then she kissed her and said, “I love you, sweet girl.” Looking at Scott, she said, “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“I have reinforcements. Go,” he urged. “And don’t give us a second thought. It’s just like when you go to work, except they’ll be tucked in and fast asleep when you get home, so don’t hurry back.”
“Thank you, all of you.” She put her phone in her purse, and when she reached for her coat, Bones took it and held it up for her to put on.
“Thanks, you guys,” Bones said. “Call us if you need to for anything at all, and we’ll come right back.”
She knew she couldn’t return without him, but still, hearing him say we’ll come right back made her warm and fuzzy again.
When the door closed behind them, with the brisk evening air on her face and Bones’s hand on her back, the thrill of their first date hit Sarah anew. His arm drifted up and around her shoulder, holding her closer.
“Thanks for agreeing to go out with me. You look amazing.”
She stifled her knee-jerk reaction to deny his compliment and said, “Thanks. So do you.”
He unlocked the door of his sleek black sports car, and she slid onto the leather seat. “Oh, this is nice. What is it?”
“Nothing special. Just a car.”
He closed her door, and she watched him walk around to the driver’s side. As he climbed in, she admired the sleek interior and noticed a Porsche insignia and Panamera on the center console.
Holy fudge. She didn’t know there were Porsches with four doors.
Gemma was wrong. There were definitely leagues, and she was so far out of hers she’d need a crane to haul her pregnant heinie back to it.
As he drove out of her development she asked, “Where are we going?”
“I thought we’d have dinner, get to know each other a little better.”
She waited for him to say more, like where they were going, and when he didn’t offer any clues, she got even more nervous. Needing to fill the silence, she said, “How was your day at work?”
He slid her a slightly confused, and very hot, grin. “I don’t think anyone’s asked me that for years.”
“Really? Your job is so demanding. I imagine it’s hugely emotional. If nobody asks, how do you get out from under it?”
He focused on the road as he drove through town, his brows knitting. “I deal, you know.”
“I don’t know, but I’d like to,” she said honestly. “I don’t know anything about being a doctor, but I’ve always been intrigued at how doctors can see patient after patient and keep them straight. I know you have charts, but at least with the doctors at the women’s clinic, they’re in and out so quickly, I think we all must blur together. But I guess it doesn’t much matter, because there’s no guarantee we’ll see the same doctor each time anyway. It’s a little uncomfortable. Do your patients see just you, or do they see other doctors in your practice?”
“Depending on their situation, they might see a team of doctors, but if I’m overseeing treatments, I see them at every appointment.” Tension tightened his features. “You don’t have a private obstetrician?”
“No.”
He was quiet for a moment before saying, “I have a good buddy who’s an ob-gyn, Damon Rhys, and if you prefer a woman, his partner, Stephanie Blair, also has a great reputation.”
She knew private doctors were more expensive than the clinic, but she appreciated his offer, so she said, “Thanks. I’ll have to see if they take my insurance. What’s the name of the practice?” He gave her the name as they neared Whiskey Bro’s and said, “When we park, I’ll text you his number.”
“Are we going to Whiskey Bro’s?” Finlay handled the food for the bar, and Sarah knew she wouldn’t have to worry about allergens.
“I thought we’d have a few drinks before…Oh wait…” He made a teasing tsk sound. “You can’t drink. Damn.” He shook his head as they drove past the bar, feigning disappointment. “First I have to bring four wheels instead of two, and now I have to skip my nightly brews?”
She knew he was teasing, but before she could come up with a sassy retort, he reached across the console, taking her hand in his. Then he lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss there, making her heart sing.
When he turned off the main road onto a narrow lane near Bullet and Finlay’s street, he pulled over to the shoulder and put the car in park, giving her his full attention.
“I don’t know what type of guys you’re used to going out with, but I’m relatively intelligent. I know what it means to be pregnant and to worry about food allergies. And I know that even if you’re not worried right now, in about half an hour, regardless of whether you’re having a good time or not—and trust me, you will be—you’ll probably start worrying about your kids.”
Feeling suddenly shy because of her transparency, she lowered her gaze.
He lifted her chin and said, “You’re safe with me, darlin’. And if you want to call and check on your kids, or sit in your backyard for our date so you don’t feel so far from them, that’s okay with me. I just want to spend time with you.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. Apparently he didn’t need a response, because he turned his attention back to the narrow lane before them, and they drove in comfortable silence for a long while. Eventually they came to three forks in the road. Bones turned down the one farthest to the right, and a few minutes later the woods gave way to a beautiful view of a small marina.
“Where are we?” she asked as he parked.
“Harborview Marina. It serves the houses in my development. It’s empty this time of year. Almost everyone’s got their boats put away for the winter.”
He climbed out of the car and came around to help her out. She took in the moon reflecting on the inky water and the boats rocking gently in the marina. Bones tucked her beneath his arm again. She wasn’t sure why he’d gone from a hand on her back to holding her closer, but as they walked toward the docks, a breeze swept over them, and she was thankful for his warmth.
“You said you were from Florida. Did you spend much time on the water?” he asked as they stepped onto a dock and he guided her toward the last boat.
“Not really. Life was a bit crazy back then.” She saw concern rising in his eyes and tried to dissuade him from asking more questions. “You know how it is when you live by the water. You take it for granted.”
“That’s a shame. The water brings me a sense of peace. Give me one second.” He climbed onto the luxurious boat, which had a massive indoor area with several large windows across the front and more on the sides. There was a deck on top of that area with an awning above. The back of the boat had lots of comfortable-looking cushioned benches. She was pretty sure this would be considered a yacht. It was beautiful, like something out of a travel magazine.
He lowered a ramp to the dock, and then he walked with her onto the boat with one arm around her back.
“Is this yours?” she asked.
“It is. Sarah, meet Edison. Eddy,” he said to the boat, “be good to my girl.”
“Are we going sailing?” she asked nervously. “I’ve never been, and I don’t know if I’ll get seasick.”
“Don’t worry, darlin’. We aren’t taking the boat out. I didn’t think you’d want to be that far from the kids in case they needed you.”
She followed him to the seating area, and he lifted one of the cushions, revealing a secret compartment. He withdrew several blankets and said, “I’m sorry, but I need just a few minutes to get us set up. Do you want to sit down and relax? Can I get you some lemonade? Iced tea? Hot tea?”
“Hot tea on a boat? That sounds elegant.”
“Hot tea it is.”
She sat down, and he draped a blanket over her legs. “I’m not too cold, but thank you. You sure you don’t want some help?”
“No. I’ve got it. You sit there and relax.”
He disappeared into the cabin, and a few seconds later strings of tiny amber lights bloomed to life along the boat railings and up the mast, making the evening even more romantic. Country music began playing softly from speakers near the entrance to the cabin, and then Bones appeared with an old-fashioned-looking lantern, which he lit and set on the table. He disappeared into the cabin again, returning a minute later with a tall, silver contraption. He fussed with it, and a moment later it glowed orange, and she realized it was a space heater. He’d thought of everything. He ducked inside again, longer this time, and when he returned he set the table for two and then popped back into the cabin for another minute and brought her a mug of tea and a plate of sliced lemon, honey, and packets of sugar and sugar substitute.
“You have quite a system,” she said, wondering if he did this for all his dates.
“I wish I had a system,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’ve never cooked dinner for anyone before. It’s usually just me and the sea, or family, of course. I bought the space heater today, and Scott helped me set up the lights. I’m winging it, Sarah, and I’m sure it looks that way. I wanted everything to be perfect for you.” He held up one finger and said, “I only need another minute or two. I guess if I were smarter, I’d have had the meal catered, so I wasn’t running back and forth, but I didn’t want to chance it with your allergies.”
Back into the cabin he went, leaving her slack-jawed. He’d cooked for her and bought a space heater just for tonight? All her basal instincts wanted to pick apart his thoughtfulness and figure out what he expected in return. But when he came out of the cabin carrying a silver tray with three dishes on it and his eyes found hers, she saw in them everything she needed to know. He wasn’t looking at her like he wanted to take anything from her. No, she sensed just the opposite, that he wanted to give. To spend time together, just as he’d said.
He set the food on the table and sat down beside her. “I hope this is okay. Creamy Tuscan chicken with sundried tomatoes and cilantro and lime sweet potatoes. I got the recipes from Finlay before they left on their honeymoon. She assured me that it was gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, tree nut and peanut free.”
She felt herself tearing up.
“Oh no, I blew it, didn’t I? Are you allergic to something here? Do you have allergies other than to food? I should have asked. I can put this away and we can go to a restaurant.” He pushed to his feet, but she touched his arm and shook her head, bringing him back down beside her.
“No, you didn’t blow it, Bones. It’s beyond perfect.” Pregnancy hormones always made her more emotional, but she had a feeling even without them she’d be teary eyed. “I’m sorry. Other than when Finlay brought meals right after the accident, nobody has ever cooked for me, much less done anything like this.” Even her parents hadn’t gone to any lengths to feed her things she’d enjoy. She’d go weeks eating only jam sandwiches on gluten-free bread and taco meat without shells.
“That’s a shame, because a woman like you deserves to be treated special.”
SARAH TRIED SO hard to mask her feelings, she actually drew more awareness to the depths of which he’d touched her. As much as Bones hated to see and acknowledge it, there was also something much darker lingering in those gorgeous eyes. Unhappiness perhaps. Bones had always had a sixth sense about despair in others. It helped him in the medical field and in the dating world, telling him which women were potential trouble before he got involved. But with Sarah, it felt different. His feelings for her over the past couple of months had grown too deep to heed the red flags she’d tried to warn him about.
“I think you have a second calling as a chef if this whole doctor gig doesn’t work out for you,” she said as they ate. “This is delicious.”
“Oh yeah? I’ll let them know at the women’s shelter where I volunteer. I bet they could use another cook.”
“I didn’t know there was a women’s shelter here.” She took a bite of the sweet potatoes and closed her eyes. “Mm. I love sweet potatoes.”
He stabbed a piece of sweet potato from his plate and held it up for her. Her adorably shy smile tweaked his heart as she leaned in to eat it.
“The shelter is in Parkvale, about thirty minutes outside of town, and run by Eva Yeun, the wife of a Dark Knight. It’s in a pretty rough area, but they provide housing and counseling for women and children who have suffered abuse or are in danger of being abused. I volunteer when I can, usually once or twice a month, to examine the residents and children, but oftentimes they need someone to listen more than they need medical attention.”
Sarah gripped her fork tighter and shifted uncomfortably, putting a little more space between them. “They don’t mind a man doing the exams?”
“Finding volunteers can be difficult, which is why an oncologist is doing general exams and not a family practice doctor. I can’t say that all of the women are open to being examined, but I do what I can.”
She nodded, fidgeting with a seam on her jeans. “You sort of avoided my question earlier about what your days are like as a physician. I get it if you don’t want to talk about it…”
The quick subject change, and her discomfort, did not go unnoticed, but Bones didn’t push. “It’s not that I don’t like talking about my day. Nobody ever asks. I’m glad you did, but I guess I’ve learned to compartmentalize my work, the Dark Knights business, and everything else in my life. My family says I’m the king of distancing myself from people and situations, and they’re probably right.” He’d learned how to do it after losing a childhood friend who had been the impetus for his going to medical school. A familiar pang of longing washed through him. “I’ve done it for a very long time, but I don’t seem to have the same inclination when it comes to you.”
A sweet smile appeared for only a moment before turning serious again, and she said, “I know all about distancing yourself from people and situations, and I’m honestly interested in hearing about your day. I want to get to know you better. The real you, not just the person you want everyone to see. I mean, I really like who you are, but we spend so many hours being something—a doctor, a hairdresser, a mom, a bartender, whatever—it shapes us into who we are in other parts of our lives. But oncology is such a scary field. Even the word cancer makes the pit of my stomach hurt, and you deal with it every day. I guess what I’m saying is, if you want to talk, I’m a pretty good listener.”
Bones had gone out with a lot of women over the years, and never once had any taken such an interest in those aspects. He loved that Sarah wanted to know more about him and about the more important parts of his life, but he wondered again about her background. What or who had shaped her to be such an amazing mother and empathetic person, when from what he’d gathered, her parents hadn’t been either?
He knew she’d clam up if he asked, so he said, “I’d like to share what it’s like with you. The truth is, as sad as cancer is in general, my days revolve around hope. When a person receives a cancer diagnosis, they suddenly go from living their life to fighting for it. Nobody is prepared for it. It’s not something we teach our children, like being wary of strangers or how to interview for a job. It’s like being dropped onto an iceberg, where the landscape they’ve always navigated is suddenly foreign. Even patients with strong support systems can feel like they’re battling the disease alone. In addition to doing everything I can medically for my patients, I try to give them what they need sometimes more than medication. I listen, and I don’t overbook my schedule for that reason. I never know if a couple will have an hour’s worth of questions, a single parent will need to talk about his or her children, or an elderly patient will wax nostalgic and simply need to tell a story. I give them the best care I can and the most time I am able.”
“That’s why you offered to refer me to Dr. Rhys. Because you care so deeply, you think every doctor should.”
He knew most did, but he also knew many who slighted their patients, jamming in as many as they could to make more money. “You’re having a baby. Your doctor is not just looking at your most private area, which I would imagine is uncomfortable enough, but they’re caring for your most precious gift. I guess I feel like your emotional state is just as important as your physical. Connecting with a doctor during multiple visits allows him to assess that on a more personal level, picking up on nuances a doctor who doesn’t know you might miss.”
“I see what you mean. Being a doctor is so different from what your other family members do. Did you always know you wanted to be one?”
“Not always,” he said honestly. “To understand me, you have to understand all the pieces of my life. I’m not sure how much you know about the Dark Knights beyond the fact that we’re a club, not a gang, and we help people in need and protect the community.”
“I’ve seen that firsthand,” she said with a smile. “I don’t know if any of us would be alive if not for Bullet’s bravery. He literally ran into a burning car and saved all of us and then stayed with me at the hospital. That’s…well, you know how unbelievable that is. I would be knee deep in debt if not for you guys. I’ve never met anyone like you or your family and friends. It’s so far from my life, it feels like a dream.”
“Well, that’s how we were raised in and out of the club. My great-grandfather founded the Dark Knights as well as our family businesses. He was a hard-ass biker, and he brought his sons up to be as well. That’s why Biggs, my father, takes total responsibility for everyone around him, including the residents of this town. He raised us the same way. From a young age we were taught to help and protect—everyone.”
“So that’s why you became a doctor? You wanted to help and protect? That makes sense.”
“It makes sense, but it wasn’t the reason I became a doctor.” He’d never told a soul about Thomas, but he wanted to tell Sarah the truth, and if he ever expected to find out about the shadows behind her eyes, he had to expose his own. “When I was in seventh grade, a boy named Thomas moved to town. He was wicked smart. The kind of smart that blows your mind, but he was this skinny, meek kid who wore glasses and kept to himself. The only way you knew he was smart was by listening to his answers in class. He never acted like he was better than anyone else. One day after school, I saw a kid giving him a hard time, and I stood up for Thomas. The bully was a real jerk, and I ended up giving him a black eye. He was just a punk who skipped school more than he showed up. But I hung around Thomas after that, knowing that guy would try to find a time when Thomas was alone just to show he was the top dog. Well, Thomas was afraid of me at first, trying to avoid me, because I had fought the other kid. But I was relentless,” he said, remembering those early days vividly and fondly. “I can still see Thomas looking over his shoulder as he walked home from school, telling me I didn’t have to watch out for him.”
“Aw, the poor kid was probably embarrassed.”
“Better to be embarrassed than to have a broken nose. Eventually, he gave up telling me to go away and we became friends. Really good friends. We’d go down to the docks at the big marina where his dad used to keep his boat, and we’d hang out for hours. The summer before ninth grade, Thomas got sick.” He swallowed against the emotions clogging his throat and said, “At first they thought it was just a virus. He had headaches and was tired a lot. But then he developed other symptoms, numbness in his legs, blurred vision.”
Sarah put her hand over his. “He had cancer?”
Bones nodded. “Brain tumor. They found it too late. I spent as much time as I could with him, whether he was in the hospital getting treatments or at home. I saw the way he looked at those doctors, hoping for a miracle. He never got his miracle. After he died, I wanted to give him miracles. I wanted to give every kid, every parent, every damn person touched by cancer miracles.”
Tension spiked across his shoulders with the memories, and he looked away to avoid letting Sarah see his pain. “I used to call him Edison because he was so smart. You know, like Thomas Edison? He called me bonehead, because the guy I decked was twice my size and he thought I was stupid for going after him. After he died, I felt like school was moving too slowly. I wanted to get on with things, go to medical school, and make a difference. That’s why I graduated at sixteen. When I told my dad I wanted to go to medical school, I also told him I’d chosen my biker name. Bones.”
“Because of what Thomas called you?” Sarah tried to blink away her tears, but her heart was too big, and they tumbled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry you lost your friend. That must have been horrible. But I bet he’s smiling down on you as you give other people miracles.”
He touched her cheek, brushing her tears away with his thumb. Her eyes darkened, but there was trepidation there, too. “Do I scare you, Sarah?”
She shook her head. “The way I feel about you scares me.”
That made him smile. He slid his hand to the nape of her neck, drawing her closer.
“Why?”
“Because I have kids, and I can’t afford to put them at risk by making a mistake.”
He touched his forehead to hers, breathing her in. “Why would we be a mistake?”
“Because I’m usually really good at distancing myself from others, but being with you…”
She shook her head, and he drew back, searching for some hint of what was going on in her mind. “Are you afraid I’ll hurt them in some way?”
She shook her head again.
“That I’ll hurt you?”
She was quiet for a long moment before saying, “Not purposefully.”
“Oh, my sweet Sarah,” he whispered, pain slicing through him. “What have you been through that’s made you so scared?”
Fresh tears slid down her cheeks. “If you knew all my secrets, you wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”
“You’re wrong, Sarah. Give me a chance and you’ll see the truth.”
She swiped at her tears and turned away. “I’m sorry. Here you’ve given me the best night of my life, and I’ve turned into a sniveling mess.”
He drew her into his arms, gazing deeply into her eyes, and he touched his lips to her damp cheeks, tasting her salty tears. “You’re not a mess. We all have pasts. I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”
“Yeah, right. The guy who was raised to help and protect? What have you done? Jaywalked?”
“Yes. But other things, too. I stole a car once.”
“I can’t even imagine that,” she said with a smile that faded so fast it made him ache. “We’re from two different worlds.”
“Are we? Because I grew up with nothing but family. We didn’t have much money. My parents were leather-wearing, motorcycle-driving badasses who got sideways looks when we traveled outside of Peaceful Harbor. I grew up with rough men coming over to our house at all hours, my father leaving with them to go pound the shit out of some guy who had raped a woman and drag his ass to the police, or to stand watch over some poor abused woman’s house to keep her safe. As a boy, there was always scary stuff going on, things I wasn’t supposed to notice or talk about.”
“That does sound scary.”
“That kind of thing has a huge impact on a kid,” he said. “Part of me wanted to be just like my father, and another part feared it because although Biggs has physical deficits from his stroke, he’s still the kind of man who’ll toss his cane aside and step in front of a moving train to save someone else. As a kid I wasn’t sure I could pull off being that fearless, and following in Bullet’s footsteps? The man’s a beast. Living up to the expectations of a man who would stop at nothing to protect a stranger makes you dig deeper than you ever knew was possible. I’d put my life on the line for most anyone, but getting to that point? For a kid whose mind went through a methodical process before making even the littlest decisions, it took more than a leap of faith to wrap my head around what it really meant to be a Whiskey.”
“I can’t even imagine. Your father would really go after bad guys to save strangers?”
“We all would. I’m not the squeaky-clean guy you think I am, but I’m not a deviant who would ever hurt you or your children. You don’t have to trust me right now, Sarah, but I’ve never told a soul about Thomas until tonight. My family knows, and those who have lived here long enough to remember him know we were friends. But his family has long since moved away. I trust you, and I want to open up to you. I hope one day you’ll do the same.”
She inhaled a ragged breath, lowering her gaze to her belly. “Part of me wants just this one night without revealing my past. One night with you looking at me like no one ever has before, so I can pretend to be a normal single woman for just a short time.”
He knew he’d never stop looking at her like that, no matter what she shared with him. “One night will never be enough.”
He cradled her beautiful face in his hands, their connection drawing him closer. Her eyes were so dark and alluring, he was powerless to resist lowering his lips to hers. Her lips were soft and sweet, and she opened for him a little tentatively at first, but as he took the kiss deeper, she gave in to their passion, meeting every stroke of his tongue with an eager one of her own. He threaded his fingers into her hair, and holy hell, he’d been wanting to do that for so long, his entire body pressed forward, craving more.
“Fuck, Sarah,” he ground out against her lips. “Please don’t be afraid of me.”
He reclaimed her mouth, sliding his tongue over hers, along her teeth and the roof of her mouth, everywhere he could reach. He wanted to possess every inch of her, to wrap her in his arms and show her he’d protect her. The kiss went on and on, with no beginning and he sure as hell didn’t want it to end. But he needed more of her. He kissed the edge of her mouth and down her neck. She turned, giving him better access, and man he loved that.
“That’s it, darlin’. Show me what you like.”
“You,” she panted out. “I like you.”
He sealed his mouth over her neck in a series of slow, openmouthed kisses, cradling her face with one hand, feeling her sexy little whimpers, pleas, and gasps. Each one made his body thrum with heat. As he kissed and nibbled his way up to her ear, she turned her face, bringing his thumb against her lips. She dragged her tongue up the length of it, and he swore he felt it on his cock. A growling sound escaped before he could stop it, and she shuddered in his arms.
“I have wanted to kiss you like this for weeks.” He licked the shell of her ear and whispered, “I love your sexy mouth.”
She slicked her tongue along his thumb again, and he couldn’t resist pushing it between her lips. She closed her mouth around it, shocking the hell out of him and spurring him on to feast on her neck. Her tongue swirled around his thumb, and then she sucked hard, drawing a groan right out of him. He curled two fingers into the collars of her shirts, tugging them to the side, and lowered his mouth to her bare shoulder. Her skin was warm and smelled like lilacs. So fucking good he wanted to disappear into her. When she arched forward, he dipped lower, kissing the swell of her breasts. His hand moved along her thigh, beneath her shirt and up her side, feeling the roundness of her belly and the underside of her breast. He caressed her breast, and her nipple rose to a tempting peak against his palm.
She gasped a tiny, stilted breath.
The difference between hunger and hesitation hit him like a truck.
He slid a hand to the nape of her neck, gazing deeply into her eyes. Her silent warnings came through loud and clear—Be careful with me. I want this, but I’m scared. Taking her fears to heart, he put his mouth beside her ear and said, “Don’t worry, darlin’. I’m in no rush.”
“But I want to kiss you,” she pleaded, desire and hesitation still battling in her eyes.
He pressed his hand to her cheek, kissing her lightly, giving her a chance to back off, but she intensified their kisses. She was so eager, and so vulnerable, everything she did made him fall harder for her. He drew back again, needing to take a pulse on where her head was, and brushed his thumb over her lips. She inhaled another sexy gasp, this one void of any hesitation. He followed the same path with his tongue, and she pressed forward, meeting his mouth hungrily as he took her in another penetrating kiss. Her mouth was hot and sweet, and her body was sensual and sexy. Heavenly. She writhed against him, belly and breasts to chest and abs. He clutched her ass, hauling her closer without breaking their connection.
He’d fantasized about kissing her for so long, thought about how her hands would feel on his body, her mouth on his flesh. But nothing had prepared him for the sweetness that was Sarah Beckley. She kissed the same way she protected her children, vehement and loving at once, and it was the sexiest make-out session he’d ever experienced.
She wanted one night without questions, one night to feel normal. She was so far beyond normal, there wasn’t a woman alive who could measure up to her, and Bones vowed to make her not only see it, but believe it.