First and Only (Callaghan Brothers #2)

Ian studied her carefully. He’d been watching her sleep, intrigued by her dreams. At first it was erotic as hell – she was tossing under the sheet, uttering those soft little sighs and moans he now associated with very specific areas of her body. But then something changed. Her whispered cries grew anguished, her expression pained, her hands clawing in some nightmarish struggle as she murmured his name.

He was on the verge of waking her, the need to protect her – even in her dreams – strong in him. But she’d awoken on her own, and the look in her eyes when she spotted him tore at his heart. Whatever she’d been dreaming, it had shaken her. Hoping she might confide in him, or at the very least take some comfort from him, he waited silently.

“Well?” she demanded. “Do you?”

She was not going to share her dream with him. He wouldn’t push. This time. If it happened again, all bets were off.

“I’m afraid that’s classified information,” he said, opting for an attempt to lighten the mood. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

For one very brief moment, he thought he saw her lips quirk, but it was gone before it had a chance to take hold. “Ian, why are you here?”

“I was worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I’m a big girl.”

“You didn’t have a problem with Kieran looking out for you.”

“Kieran is my friend.”

“Maybe I want to be your friend too, Lexi.”

Lexi snorted, padding to the bathroom and closing the door behind her. With each step she seemed to recover a little, and Ian forced himself not to stalk across the room and pull her into his arms. He would refrain for as long as he could, allowing her to regain her footing. He was still learning about her, and he had a feeling there was a lot to learn. It would be worth it, though. That, he knew.

In the meantime, he appreciated the view greatly, the curve of her lovely behind hidden beneath the hem of her plain white cotton V-neck T, the one that nearly went down to her knees.

With a start, he realized the shirt looked familiar. It was his. He must have left it here that first night in his mad scramble to get to the viewing. The corners of his mouth curved upward. She was wearing his shirt?

Ian felt like thumping his chest. Then again, something about Lexi called to the primal male in him more than most. Around her he felt more protective, more possessive, more aggressive than usual.

His eyes remained riveted on the bathroom door. Had she always been this damn enchanting? Her sleep-tussled hair. The sexy, drowsy look. That lush, curvy body that had him hardening painfully, making his mouth water, and his hands itch to touch her. Oh yeah. He wouldn’t mind waking up next to that. Which, frankly, scared the hell out of him. But he was trained to ignore fear and go in anyway.

Ian heard the toilet flush and the shower go on. Torturous vixen. She was doing it just to drive him crazy with the thought of her under the hot spray, naked and wet. He clenched and unclenched his fists, promising himself he would behave. Frankly, he was surprised she hadn’t kicked his ass out right away. He was grateful for it, but surprised. Most women would have been much less receptive and a lot more hostile, given the circumstances.

He sighed. Lexi might be out of his sight, but her intoxicating scent still filled the room. It made him restless. He needed a distraction until she tired of punishing him.

Ian looked around, the corners of his mouth twitching. He’d just have to find something else to occupy his time. A little recon, perhaps.

“So who’s Aidan?” he asked innocently when she emerged from the bathroom a full thirty minutes later. He was propped up on her bed, legs extended in front, her notebook laptop open on his lap, which was a good way to hide what had become a natural state for him in her presence.

Steam billowed out into the room. Her hair was wrapped atop her head turban-style; another towel was wrapped around her body, hiding the more delicious parts. That was probably a good thing. If they were as flushed and pink as the skin she was showing, he would be hard pressed not to lick and kiss every inch before it cooled.

The expression on her face was unreadable when she realized he was still there. Obviously she knew nothing about the infinite patience of SEALs and how long they would wait to accomplish an objective.

“What do you think you’re doing?“ she asked, crossing the room and snapping the laptop lid closed. The aroma of freshly washed, warm, moist Lexi hit him full on. God help him.

“Checking your email.” Ian was unrepentant, speaking in a tone that gave the impression he had every right to go through her personal things.