“I liked it,” she said quickly, gathering her books. Shane arched a perfect brow and inclined his head doubtfully. “Well,” she added with a slightly dimpled smile, “the part I heard, anyway. But I haven’t been getting enough sleep lately, and your voice is wonderfully warm and rich and ...”
Her eyes widened and she stopped as if she suddenly realized what was coming out of her mouth. She dropped her gaze even as that pretty rose color deepened in her cheeks and spread down the delicate column of her neck. “Oh, God. Open mouth, insert foot. I need to stop talking now.”
That only served to draw him in further. He was absolutely enthralled by this adorable, sleepy creature who had just told him she liked the sound of his voice. “Why?”
“Why?” Hands full, she blew a stray section of hair away from where it had fallen over one long-lashed eye. “Because I’m perilously close to dying from self-humiliation, and from what I’ve heard, it’s not a pretty way to go. I’d hate for you to have to witness that. Haunts you for weeks.”
Why did he suddenly feel so warm and light inside?
“Why have you not been getting enough sleep?” he clarified before he could stop himself, hoping as he did so that she would not take offense at his curiosity.
“Oh.” She hastily tried to stuff her notes into her over-crammed backpack, shooting him a wry smile. The look she gave him – friendly and genuine – pierced him like a bolt of sunlight. It did funny things to his insides. “You know, the usual. Too much to do and not enough time to do it.” The pack tipped off the desk and its contents spilled onto the floor. She mumbled a few unintelligible things under her breath.
“Did you just say ‘fudge buckets’?” he asked, barely suppressing another laugh.
“Yeah, sorry about the potty mouth,” she replied, but was grinning herself. It hinted at those dimples again. Shane had a soft spot for dimples.
He knelt beside her and helped her gather her things, skillfully ordering them in her bag so that everything fit perfectly.
“You have a gift,” she mused in appreciation. “I’m afraid I haven’t been blessed with a keen sense of spatial perception. I tend to rely on the stuff-and-cram method myself, but your way works, too.”
She stood up at the same time he did, her face only inches from his collar bone. At six-two, he was accustomed to women being shorter than him, but she was even smaller than he’d originally thought. Her delicate femininity made him acutely aware of his own masculinity.
“Oh,” she exclaimed softly. He felt the tiny puff of air on his bare skin where he’d loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. He looked down to find her face tilted up toward his with those pretty eyes.
That look, Shane thought. He liked that look. It smacked of innocence, surprise, and – dare he say - desire. He grew taller, larger from it, like a male peacock who wanted to showcase his magnificent plumage.
She took a step back, only to stumble on the desk and fall backward. Shane reached out and caught her before she managed to hit anything. His entire body lit up as though someone flipped a switch, firing up nerve endings in all kinds of interesting places. Her eyes widened for a split second as if she had felt it, too.
“Thanks,” she stammered.
If anything, his interest grew, as did the odd warmth that seemed to be coursing through his body. He didn’t remove his hands immediately; he let them linger along her upper arms until he was fairly certain she would remain upright and in place.
“Perhaps I should walk you to your car,” he suggested.
*
Lacie smiled weakly, hoping he didn’t hear the small whimper that escaped. It was hard to concentrate on anything with his hands gently supporting her like that. Her face was only a few meager inches from some of the broadest shoulders she’d ever seen. He hadn’t looked quite so big when she was sitting down.
She had the most bizarre – and powerful – urge to lean forward just a hair and smell him. That was the G-rated version. The R-rated version had her licking his skin, right there at the hollow of his throat where only the slightest hint of a dark shadow was beginning to emerge. As it was, his clean, musky scent was already wrapping around her, making parts of her – the most feminine ones – tingle.