Free In the Line of Fire: Hot Desert Heroes, Book 1 by Jett Munroe Page B

around her.
    “Settle down there, babe.” His deep voice rumbled with humor. “Let’s catch some shut-eye first, right?”
    “Right,” she breathed. Her belly tumbled with desire, her nipples tightened. Restless, she turned to her back and curled her hand lightly around the brawny forearm draped over her stomach. He moved then and twined his fingers with hers, bending both their arms to rest their hands between her breasts.
    There was no way she’d be able to sleep like this. She wasn’t used to having a man in bed with her, hadn’t been for three years. But with Beck’s body beside her, bathing her in heat, she soon relaxed and drifted off, safe in the arms of her lover.
    * * * * *
    Beck woke and, without looking at his watch, knew it was 5:30 a.m. He always woke at 0530, but not always with a stiff erection and not usually with an armful of delightfully warm woman. Not for a long time.
    Moving carefully so as to not wake Delaney, he rose up on one elbow to stare down at her. She lay on her back, her face turned toward the large window from which dawn light filtered through gauzy curtains.
    Christ. On her worst day she was gorgeous. But now, one arm cocked, with her hand tucked beneath her pillow, her cheeks lightly flushed, she was breathtaking. Her hair was still in its braid, though after their earlier lovemaking, it was a little worse for wear. Her other arm was also bent, his nestled against it with their fingers entwined and resting between her breasts.
    They’d gone to sleep in this position, and it looked like neither one of them had moved all night. He didn’t know about her, but that was unusual for him, and it freaked him out a little.
    He’d spent the night, something he didn’t ordinarily do after the first time with a woman, and he hadn’t moved at all while he slept, something he always did. How could he be so comfortable with her that she already had him changing his habits?
    Her breathing changed. She stretched and gave a little grunt that, fuck him, he thought was cute. With a mumble she turned onto her side, pressing into him, tucking her face in his throat. She disengaged their hands to slide her arm around his waist. Slender fingers stroked his back from shoulder blade to the top of his buttocks.
    She pressed her lips against his Adam’s apple then bent her head to kiss his collarbone. Moving her head back onto the pillow, she met his gaze. “Hmm, morning,” she whispered on another stretch, her voice as soft and sleepy as her beautiful face.
    He felt that in his dick.
    “Most guys seem to bail after they have sex,” she went on in that quiet voice. “Not that I have a lot of experience with that. I don’t.” Pink swept over her cheeks and her eyes drifted to the side. “I guess you could tell.”
    She really didn’t play games. He’d be shocked to find out she even knew how. Looking into her sleepy face, he decided at that moment he’d be just as real with her as she was being with him.
    “Laney, last night was the best I ever had.”
    That brought her eyes, dark with doubt and disbelief, back to his face in a flash. “Y-you don’t have to say that.”
    He bent his head and placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth. “It’s the truth.” He twisted to grab another condom out of the bedside drawer then slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer, letting her feel his morning erection. “Put your leg up over my hip, baby. Let’s make sure last night wasn’t an anomaly.”
    Her smile was tremulous at first but quickly grew into a wicked grin. “Yes, let’s.” She traced a slender finger along his lower lip. “I want to know for sure you’re not a one-night wonder.”
    With his own shit-eating grin, he did his best to give a repeat performance.

Chapter Five
    After taking a shower by herself, having convinced Beck with a fairly long argument that taking a shower together and thereby conserving water, while a fine thing to do, would make them both late for work,