First and Only (Callaghan Brothers #2)

Ian wasn’t really asleep, but he found feigning slumber a great way to learn a lot about people who thought he was. They tended to let their guards down. Just like the tasty little thing next to him. The one whose light, delicate scent filled his lungs and invaded his body. The one who was surreptitiously studying him now under the protection of her hood and from behind those shades.

Within seconds of his innocuous deceit, she started breathing normally again. This told him several things. First, she tended to be rather shy and reserved. This held intense promise. Females that were shy and reserved on the outside often hid a deep passion within, and he was a great fan of passion.

Second, she was not the kind of woman who slept around, also a definite plus. Her reaction to him was not one of a woman experienced in dealing with highly sexual men such as himself, but more like the gentle girl next door. He had always leaned more toward the darker, the forbidden, so it was a bit of a surprise to find himself so intrigued by this woman, who exuded innocence.

That led right into his third impression, and that was that she was of limited sexual experience, if not a virgin. The way she tensed every time he “accidentally” brushed against her was proof in and of itself. That shouldn’t have aroused him as much as it did. Usually he avoided such virtuosity like the plague, preferring those with a little more experience to play with, but there was something unusual about this one. Something that he felt instantly drawn to.

She was studying him, he could tell. He could sense it. He actually felt her gaze rake over his arms and chest; knew when it settled in his lap, and she was treated to a glimpse of the physical effect her nearness was having on him. Of course, the slight catch in her breath was a pretty good indication, too. He felt sure that had he opened his eyes right then he would have seen that lovely flush across her face again. It had been a long time since he’d been that close to such innocence.

Despite her obvious wariness, he found her very easy to be around. How long had it been since he had been around someone who didn’t want something from him? Not to mention, she smelled like sunshine. Such a nice change after the potent perfume he’d had to deal with for the first part of the trip.

It was adorable when he’d caught her staring at him, and strangely arousing. Ian wasn’t a fool. He knew women shot him appreciative glances all the time. But this one – he had a feeling she didn’t look at many men like she had been looking at him, and she certainly wasn’t used to being caught at it. She had let her guard down, something else she probably didn’t do very often. He shouldn’t have gotten so much pleasure from her reaction, he knew, but he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t enjoyed it.

And it had made him harder than hell.

Those final two hours of the trip had to be the most pleasant he had ever spent on a bus, he decided. Moving away from the blonde had been a brilliant move. She continued to cast suggestive glances back toward him, but he found it increasingly easy to ignore them. His new seat mate had drifted off herself some time ago. His right arm had become her pillow, not that he minded in the least. Her cheek was soft and warm against his skin. Her breath was moist and smelled like peppermint. And she had the most arousing breathy little sighs that sent bolts of heat straight down between his legs. Unbidden images of her making those little noises while curled up next to him naked in his bed didn’t help. He gave himself a mental shake.

As if sensing his discomfort, she sighed softly, one arm curling tighter around his bicep. That made him smile. He spent his life fighting against the bad guys, but somehow her simple trust – even if it was given subconsciously – made him feel like more of a hero than his last mission.

Ian glanced down at her hands where she subconsciously held on to him. Small, with slim, pretty fingers. Nails, real ones, painted a pretty pearly white, filed to just beyond her fingertips in a graceful curve. No bands or gems on the left hand, always a good sign. On the right, however, a spiral of gold adorned her thumb. Looking closer, he saw that it was a delicate dragon, curling around her, its talons and tail gripping her protectively. It was quite beautiful, actually, and reminded him of a tattoo his younger brother, Kieran, had gotten several years earlier.

Ian felt a pang of sorrow when the bus pulled into the station. They would soon part ways. Maybe it was because he was coming home from a particularly nasty mission. Maybe it was because he was feeling especially restless these days, now that his brother Jake had found his croie, his soul mate. He didn’t know what the reason was, didn’t really care. What did matter to him, and what had him confused as hell, was that for the past two hours he hadn’t felt any of that, only peace. Maybe he could get her number before he left, try to hook up in a couple of days when he had some free time.