Innocent Next Door (Military Men Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

too old for her?
    Nikolai brushed past her, heading for the bathroom. She heard the bang of a cupboard as it closed, the slide of the medicine cabinet and the hitch of careful footsteps as he limped back. Her insides clenched in anticipation.
    “This your room?”
    She nodded, eyeing him warily. She wasn’t going to let him look at her butt, was she?
    “On the bed.”
    An order. She remained in the bedroom doorway. The room seemed smaller than she remembered and a lot messier. Her gaze darted to the filmy underwear littering the floor. The piles of bright, in-your-face colors lying on the green carpet reminded her of wildflowers. Not one pair of plain white granny pants in sight. She tried to take comfort from that fact.
    “I wonder what they were looking for,” she mumbled. Conversation. That was what she required—something to distract both of them. “Do you think they were after goods to sell, because I haven’t found anything missing yet? And ‘they’ll be back’ sounds like a line from a second-rate movie.”
    Nikolai stepped over a turquoise-colored bra with barely a pause. “Don’t try to change the subject. On the bed.”
    The unyielding jaw suggested it was useless to argue, while her innate common sense suggested she close her eyes and think of…England.
    While she hesitated, he straightened the covers and gestured impatiently. She hesitated until he quirked a challenging brow in her direction. Finally, she huffed out a put-upon sigh and stretched out, facedown on the bed, her pulse rate racing.
    Silence fell, and her senses jump-started into hyperdrive. The groan of the first-aid box snapped like rifle fire when Nikolai opened it, the rustle of plasters and bandages, the return volley. The mattress depressed on one side as he sat beside her. Heat gathered in her face.
    He was staring at her butt.
    She just knew it.
    The silk of her nightgown rustled as he raised the hem. Cool air brushed across the tops of her thighs.
    “Hell, why didn’t you say something earlier? That must hurt.”
    He was looking at her legs. Fingers curled into the duvet cover while she bit back a moan. Beneath the silk fabric of the nightgown bodice, her nipples tightened while liquid warmth between her legs made her heart stutter in distinct alarm.
    His fingers trailed over her left calf and up her thigh. The emotion in her face sprinted downward and spread until her body burned with unrelenting heat. She squirmed inwardly. Thank goodness, he couldn’t see her expression or witness how turned-on she was, how much she wanted to explore his delectable body in return. Despite her virginal state, she lacked nothing in the imagination department.
    “Can you hurry the process?” She wasn’t proud of the begging tone, but desperation left no room for dignity.
    She heard him rummaging through the first-aid kit. A metallic clink.
    “This will hurt,” he warned.
    Not half as much as her pride. His fingers skimmed her thighs again. She trembled. Please let him hurry. She didn’t think she could take much more of this torture. Actually, the pain wasn’t too bad. At least it helped her concentrate on something other than his touch.
    “All done.” The tweezers clattered against the kit as he put them down. “A little antiseptic and you’ll live. I’ll check the scratches for infection tomorrow.”
    “I don’t think so. One free look at my butt is all you get.” She turned over and sat up, tugging the silk nightgown down as far as it would go. He had the gall to laugh—a low, sexy chortle that sucked at her insides.
    “Will you be okay here for the rest of the night, or do you want to sleep at my house in case they decide to return?”
    Her gaze shot to him. Exactly what was he offering? Sudden pressure in her lungs reminded her to breathe. “I’ll sleep here.” The flexing of his jaw indicated he intended to argue. “You gave me an option and I’ve answered. I’ll be fine. Despite the phone call, I doubt they’ll