Best Of My Love (Home to Green Valley Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

didn’t think so,” he murmured.
    Was it her imagination, though, or was he just as breathless as she?
    “I’d better let you study,” he said, standing.
    Erica was speechless, undone. She didn’t trust herself to speak. Her back was to him when he reached the door.
    “I hope you don’t think that changes anything,” she managed to say, her voice shaky.
    “Oh, I don’t think that, Erica. I know it changed things,” he replied, seeing himself out.
    She fell back onto the bed, hands over her chest, heart still racing like mad. It was everything she’d dreamed about since the minute she’d laid eyes on him. More, since she never could have imagined a kiss like that.
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    If Erica could have seen the look on her face after he kissed her, she would have blushed until her body burst into flames. She hadn’t known what to do with herself at first, but her body betrayed her. He’d always known she wanted him. He just hadn’t imaged she’d be so quick to arouse. It had thrilled him when she’d leaned into their kiss, wanting more. If he were a weaker man, he’d have lowered her onto the bed and done any number of unmentionable things to her. He’d wanted more, too. It hadn’t been easy ignoring the raging hard-on in his shorts.
    She was beautiful, even more so in her Christmas socks, with her hair in a messy bun on top of her head. All that golden hair. He’d wanted to plunge his hands into it, hadn’t he? Yes, and so many more things. He patted himself on the back for being a good boy, though. Good boys deserved a reward.
    His reward would be the ultimate prize—Erica.
    The cottage he shared with Sean was quiet, but he could tell his brother was home from the light shining under his door. Instead of seeking him out, he went to his room, stripped naked and collapsed onto the bed, worn out body and soul. Jet lag had to be the worst aspect of travel; his brain thought it was nine in the morning instead of the middle of the night.
    There was no sleeping. He could close his eyes, will himself to fall asleep, but nothing would come of it. He was overtired, and frustrated as hell.
    He got up, scrubbing his hands over his face, and turned on the shower in his bathroom. A hot shower usually helped with relaxation—and it did. But it still didn’t make him sleepy. He ran a towel over himself, then fell into bed again. Nothing doing. He was still wide awake.
    His thoughts wandered and he envisioned the look on Lucy’s face when he’d told her not only did he not want to get back together, but he was cutting off all contact with her completely. She would always be the girl from back home, his first lover, but bottom line, the reasons they’d gotten back together time and again was two-fold: habit and immaturity.
    He hadn’t loved her. He’d never love her.
    And he’d gotten to the point that, while he wasn’t exactly looking for love, he was looking for something more meaningful than hot sex, which he could get from plenty of women.
    Still, he’d hated the thought of hurting Lucy, and even though she’d been plenty angry, and even though he truly believed she’d be fine without him, he hadn’t missed the hurt in her eyes. That had in turn hurt him. But it was better they both finally move on, unhindered by lingering ties from the past.
    No sense in beating myself up over it, not while I’m trying to get some rest . He decided to think about Erica instead.
    Just thinking about her, the way she kissed him back in her room, got him stirring below the waist. He shifted in bed, reaching over to the nightstand where he kept the bottle of lotion for such times. He wondered why he hadn’t thought earlier about having a good wank—it was the surefire way to fall asleep.
    That was when an idea occurred to him.
    He smiled, wondering if she’d go for it. Could he convince her? He’d convinced her to kiss him back easily enough. This was another challenge altogether. He’d have bet the pub she