Taste (Take It Off #9)(16)
Author: Cambria Hebert

No, I didn’t need him to do it, but sometimes I got tired of being the strong one all the time.

Still, I wasn’t his responsibility and neither was Jack. So I grabbed up my coconut body wash and used my little white pouf to scrub myself down. When that was done, I took the time to shampoo and condition my hair, knowing I might not have this chance tomorrow night.

I had to force myself to turn off the water, to end the little steamy world I’d just created. Beyond this shower curtain, outside this bathroom, the real world was waiting, and quite frankly, the real world sucked ass.

Before dressing, I hurried to slather on some body lotion and gingerly apply some Neosporin to the cut on my forehead. It was turning an ugly yellow shade around the edges, so I figured it was beginning to heal. I wasn’t about to take the time to blow out my long blond hair, so I smoothed some product in it and braided it in two braids that hung over my shoulders.

Once that was done, I pulled on a pair of black cotton sleep shorts and black tank top with a built-in bra. Over the tank, I added a fitted gray T-shirt, took a deep breath, and left the bathroom.

I checked in on Jack (he was fine) and then went into my room. Spencer was sitting on the edge of the bed with his cell phone in his hand.

“I didn’t mean to keep you,” I said, realizing he probably had better things to do than be here.

He tossed down the phone and stood. “You didn’t.” His eyes roamed down my body, lingering on my legs. I found myself hoping he liked what he saw.

Spence pushed off the bed and came closer. His muscles moved and shifted as he walked. He looked so powerful, almost like a predator. “You look exhausted.”

“Yeah, well, it’s hard to relax when people are threatening my son.”

“We’re going to catch these guys, Elle,” Spencer swore.

“Thanks for staying while I took a shower. And for checking in,” I said, not acknowledging what he said. I wanted to believe him; I truly did. But I felt like getting my hopes up would be allowing myself a false sense of safety when what I really needed was to be on guard.

Spencer stepped closer, angling his body so it aligned with mine. I could feel the heat radiating off his body, and I was tempted to lean into him. “I’m not leaving.”

My eyes were fixed on the width of his chest, and when he spoke, I looked up. “You aren’t?”

He shook his head. “You need sleep. You’re never going to get it being here by yourself.”

“There’s someone watching the house.” I reminded him.

“Does that make you feel safe?” he asked, his body still so incredibly close to mine.

“No.” I admitted, feeling let down and weary. Being scared was exhausting.

“Do I make you feel safe?” Spencer’s voice was low, calm, and steady.

Everything about him made me feel safe. It was dangerous. Feeling safe with a man meant letting down my guard. I already decided I needed to keep my guard up.

On all fronts.

“Elle?” My name rumbled out of his chest like a volcano erupting with hot lava. He tipped up my chin. “Do I?”

“Yes,” I whispered. I couldn’t lie. It was impossible. His eyes were like my kryptonite, like my own personal brand of truth serum.

Slowly, he bent, closing the space between us and capturing my mouth in a sizzling kiss. The second we made contact, my bones turned to mush. His lips moved over mine with tenderness, like he was asking permission for the kiss he was already taking. His gentle strokes endeared me to him, making emotion swell up within me like some kind of electrical surge in an outlet. My chest felt tight as we continued to kiss. His lips were like pillows, like the perfect place to fall.

I made a little sound in the back of my throat, and he stilled, not lifting his mouth from mine, not breaking our contact even a little. I felt rather than saw his hands flex at his sides like he was demonstrating some kind of epic control.

“Is this okay?” he murmured against me. His lips caressed mine with every word he spoke.

“Yes.” I arched just a little bit closer, my body giving him an even louder response.

Spencer wound his arms around me, tugged me up against him. His body was hard, and he wrapped himself around me. He was like a fur coat on a snowy day. An umbrella in a rainstorm. He blocked out everything except the brush of his lips and the feel of his incredible body against mine.

His tongue slid out and slipped over my lips, coaxing them open. I opened, inviting him in so my tongue could stroke against his. My knees started to tremble, desire pouring through my limbs like it never had before.

I forgot what it was like to be in someone’s arms.

But as the memory came rushing back, I realized something.

It had never felt like this.

I’d never in my life felt such warring emotion. He assaulted me and protected me at the same time.

The fierce desire that wound its way through my body threatened to take me down, threatened to consume me. It was scary how just a kiss could make me feel so vulnerable.

Yet.

Yet at the same time, he made it feel okay. Okay that I was exposed to him, like he was a shield and anything that came at me would be deflected by him.

His mouth was totally gentle as it completely consumed me.

Heat suffused my insides and drowned out my thoughts. My body pushed against him, wanting even more, and he was only too happy to give it to me.

His hands traveled down to cup my butt and squeeze. Spence tilted his pelvis in to me and the steely rod between his legs could not be ignored. My God, he was hard. Rigid and unbending. What would it feel like to have that kind of strength between my legs?

Spencer’s hands did not stay still; they slid upward, under the hem of my tank and T-shirt, and dragged over the skin of my lower back.

Abruptly, he pulled back, staring down at me with eyes that glowed with embers of need and stared at me with sort of an awed expression on his face.

Then, barely three seconds later, he kissed me again.

Reeling, I held on, letting the onslaught of emotions take over as his large palms moved up and around to cup my bare breasts. I gasped and he kissed me deeper, sweeping his tongue into the depths of my mouth and rubbing his thumbs over my erect nipples, causing a zing of pleasure to shoot down my body and into my core.

He ripped his mouth off mine again, and my head fell forward to rest against his chest. I gulped in great mouthfuls of air as he continued to play with my breasts.

My vagina ached. It was almost painful how much I wanted him.

The massaging movement of his hands grew gentler and then he was slipping around to my back and easing himself away so we no longer touched.