Page 35 of Healing Hope
Paul swallowed. Maybe he hadn’t thought this out very well. Today Jess wore a teal tank top with ragged jean shorts. He’d gotten used to her attire, but was very careful about his proximity to her. The woman was stunning, but he didn’t want her to feel compromised in any way. She was too valuable to him for a quick roll in the hay.
That need had been pressing on him, though. They’d been getting close before the Viktor incident had derailed everything.
Grinning wickedly, Jess motioned for him to sit up straight, then, with one of her legs on either side of his left knee, she leaned close. “Tilt your head down.”
Paul did as he was told, tipping his head so that she could reach the stitches better. It put her long, tanned legs directly in his line of sight. She’d painted her toenails a shade of aqua blue, lighter than her tank top, and there was a tiny silver toe ring on the second toe of her right foot. It was so damn sexy. The urge to run his hand down her sleek thigh was so strong, he had to clench his sore hand on the arm of the chair.
“This one is a little deeper,” she murmured. “Sorry if I hurt you.”
There was a tug in his skin. It did hurt a little, but not too bad. She shuffled forward a little and bumped his toes. Instinctively, he reached out to steady her, holding her hips. He glanced at the right hand to make sure he hadn’t gripped her too tight. His precision was a little iffy when he tried to move fast, but it seemed okay.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Paul took that as permission to continue holding her.
“One more,” she whispered.
There was another tug, but it was light. Setting the scissors down, she used one of the damp paper towels to blot at the skin. “It didn’t even really bleed… let me put some ointment on it.”
Her fingertip stroked gently down his forehead, and he closed his eyes. Just that tiny brush of skin was enough for him to close his eyes to relish the feeling. Rather than stepping away as he expected, she ran her fingers through his hair.
Paul was shocked. He looked at her, and she grinned. “I’ve been wanting to muss your hair for a while,” she admitted.
He flexed his hands on her hips, unable to help himself, and he gave her a grin. “Anytime you want to muss my hair, you go ahead.”
Her lips quirked to the side, and she ran her hands down his cheeks and across his jaw. Then she used her fingernails on the stubble, rasping her thumbs back and forth. One of her fingers brushed across his lips, and her gaze focused there. Then she leaned in…
“Are you gonna do the sex stuff?”
Paul jerked in the chair, but Jess moved away more slowly. Hope stood directly behind Jess, grinning devilishly. The little shit had sneaked up on them deliberately.
Jess turned to look at Hope. “Your dad and I are just getting to know each other better. It’s not very nice coming up behind us like that.”
Some of her enjoyment dimmed. “I’m sorry. I thought it was funny.”
“Why don’t you go in and get cleaned up before we go to the vet?”
“Okay.”
Paul watched Hope trudge into the house, Sophie hobbling along behind her. “The appointment isn’t for another hour,” he murmured.
Jess turned, giving him a coy smile. “I know, but I felt like we were leading up to a kiss, and she needed a distraction.”
With a pointed look, she leaned in to him again. Just before their lips touched, a mere hairsbreadth apart, she hesitated, as if checking to see if he would stop her. Paul had no intentions of stopping her. Instead, he cupped her head in his hand and sealed their mouths together.
He’d wanted to taste her for the past week. Yeah, she’d aggravated him at first, but the aggravation had changed to intrigue. And the intrigue had changed to need. Paul knew he had a limited amount of time with her. She had a prior engagement planned for two weeks from now — she’d already told him that — and he had yet to even look at the suggestions his assistant had given him for a full-time nanny.
All that worry fell away as he tasted her for the second time. As beautiful as she was, she’d probably had many lovers, but she kissed with a gentle curiosity. Back and forth her mouth moved. And he didn’t want to stop. Uncaring that Hope could surprise them again any moment, Paul took the time to savor her.
At any time, she could have pulled back, but she continued to explore and allowed herself to be explored.
For Paul, the kiss shook him to the core. It had been so long since he’d been with a woman. Especially a woman that… he didn’t allow himself to finish the thought. Jess wasn’t staying, he reminded himself.
There was no one to say that they couldn’t enjoy themselves while she was here, though. She’d proven that his amputation didn’t bother her, and the longer he was with her the more he enjoyed her. Jess was well-traveled and level-headed. And her easy, casual look had grown on him. Actually, it enticed him. That was part of the problem. Those gauzy, shifty dresses and the short shorts.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one that needed more. Spreading her sleek thighs, Jess settled across his lap, close to where he needed to be, but not quite. He’d gone hard as soon as she’d started kissing him, and her proximity was making it worse.
It made it easier to kiss the hell out of her, though, now that she was on his level. With his good hand, he pulled her hips closer to where he needed her to be, then ran his hand up her lean back to cup her head again. He tried not to abrade her skin with his beard, but he knew he was enthusiastic.