Free Downunder Heat by Alysha Ellis

reckon I could have.”
    He stretched, and, even though Kitty really didn’t think she could face another bout of sex at the moment, her mouth still went dry as she watched the play of shadows from the slanted light from the bathroom falling across the muscles on his chest and stomach.
    Kitty retreated while she still had the strength of will. In the shower the warm water washed away some of the aches. When she emerged from the bathroom wrapped in her light robe, Zakk was waiting for her in the doorway of the bedroom. He leaned forward and sniffed appreciatively. “Hmm. You smell lovely. All soft and womany.”
    “Womany, huh,” Kitty snorted.
    “It’s a word,” Zakk replied with mock dignity. “It means sweet and lovely and very, very sexy. Like you.”
    He reached down and planted a swift kiss on her lips, then stalked unconcernedly naked and semi-erect into her bathroom. Kitty slumped onto the side of her bed and sat there, not sure what she should do next and positive she didn’t have the energy to do it.
    The sound of off-key singing emerged from the bathroom over the splash of running water. A smile curved her lips. It amused her that he sang badly but had the confidence or the sheer delight in life to do it anyway.
    When he came back to the bedroom, he pulled her into his arms and tugged her back onto the bed with him. “Come here, you.” He nuzzled her neck. “One last kiss with the most womany woman in the world. Then I really should leave. It’s late.”
    “Stay,” she asked. “I’ll make you breakfast.”
    “An offer too good to refuse,” he replied. “And, after a good night’s sleep, I’ll have lots of excess energy to burn off…”
    He chuckled and Kitty gave herself up to his embrace, snuggling in as he spooned behind her. His erection nudged against her. He was abstaining from initiating another bout of sex, not because he couldn’t handle it, but out of consideration for her. Zakk, her handsome, considerate lifesaving hero—the perfect man. A perfect man who wanted her . With a deep sigh of contentment, wrapped in his arms, she fell asleep.
     
    * * * *
     
    When she awoke, the sun was shining through the window, the bright light making everything sharp and clear. Before last night she’d have scurried over to close the blinds, cut out the light, reduce the room to gloom so that Zakk would not see her flaws and signs of age… But not now. Now she felt confident, ready to face the sun and accept herself the way Zakk accepted her—as she was.
    She smiled and rolled over onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows, and looked at the man lying face down next to her. The sheet had been kicked to the bottom of the bed, leaving his perfect, tight buttocks on display for her to study at her leisure.
    A white line marked where his bronzed back gave way to the strip of skin covered by his swimwear. Before she was aware of making the movement, she’d reached out and traced the mark. Instantly, Zakk twitched and rolled over.
    “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Sliding out of bed, she picked up the robe Zakk had tossed to the floor last night. “I’m going to make coffee, and I promised you breakfast.”
    “You did,” Zakk replied, “but it can wait. I promised you I’d be recovered by morning. And you did wake me up. You’ll have to pay for that.”
    With one quick tug on her hand, he tumbled her back into bed and the robe hit the floor again. The long lingering kiss he pressed to her mouth removed any thought of breakfast.
    He slid his mouth down her body, kissing as he went. “What are you doing?” Kitty asked.
    Zakk looked up, his chin on her naked stomach and a smile spread across his face. “Seeing if you taste womany too. I was going to do it last night, but you’d had enough, so I saved it up for morning.” His dark eyes sobered for a moment. “Are you okay for this, Kitty? Not too sore?”
    She stretched a little and felt a twinge or