***
Tanesha scrambled away with her whole body trembling in fear and shame. She hadn’t been that scared of Skull since that very first time she’d seen him. The Skull she’d just encountered seemed totally different and very dangerous. And that bard about going through his stuff had been so embarrassing. Tanesha coiled herself into a ball on the bed, willing her pounding heart to calm down. She knew she was close to losing it…tried very hard to stop herself. But it was no use. She rocked herself as the tears came in torrents and disappeared into her hair.
The tears actually surprised her because she thought she was more together than that. Tears surely weren’t going to help her current situation. But for some reason she couldn’t understand, Skull treating her that way hurt more than she thought possible. Somehow, she wouldn’t have minded at all if anyone else but Skull had treated her that way. Tanesha felt a myriad of emotions comprising fear, self-pity, and pain…with self-pity taking a commanding lead.
Ty heard the sniffles coming from the bed and swore. Just what he needed, he thought exasperatedly as he got off the couch and headed in the direction of the bed. At least she wasn’t sobbing as she had the night before, Ty thought gratefully as he stretched out on the bed and drew Tanesha to him.
“Just le…leave me a…alone.” She stuttered shakily.
“Shh…” Ty drew Tanesha’s head to his chest and held her close. He could feel her body trembling against him. “It’s in your own interest not to sneak up on me. I could hurt you before I notice it’s you.” He explained. “I just don’t want to hurt you by mistake, that’s all.”
“But you’d rather hurt me intentionally?” She asked in a small voice, making Ty wince.
“Sometimes it’s necessary to hurt people for the greater good.” He said softly. “You have to sleep. I have to take some pictures of you tomorrow and I need you to look your best.”
Ty felt Tanesha stiffen against him and attempt to pull away but he tightened his hold on her, preventing her from moving away. It felt so damn good having her in his arms. He ran his fingers soothingly through her hair till she relaxed again. “Sleep.” He whispered.
And Tanesha did just that. She hadn’t slept well in weeks…not since her abduction. But even when she was safe in her own bed at home, she never slept as deeply as she slept that night. Cocooned in Skull’s solid warmth, she felt protected and contended. It was the best sleep ever.
***
Tanesha woke up the next morning, curled around Skull who remained fast asleep. Even after she realized just who she was cuddled up against, Tanesha shocked herself by staying put. She didn’t want to move at all. She rather took the opportunity to really look at Skull, relaxed in sleep. And Tanesha finally realized she could no longer deny the obvious… Skull was a handsome devil and she found him as sexy as fuck. Even with the skull tattooed on his forehead, he was so good-looking it was annoying.
His strong jaw, chiseled kissable mouth, the overnight growth roughening his cheeks and chin, and his muscled virile body with its hard, six-packed torso would surely make any woman drool. Tanesha’s eyes finally landed on those sexy lips, wishing she could kiss them again. She remembered how good they’d felt against hers and swallowed audibly.
“Keep looking at me like that, and I won’t be responsible for what happens.” Ty drawled, making Tanesha gasp guiltily. She tried to move away but again, Ty prevented her. “Tell me what you were thinking.” He murmured against her hair.
“Nothing.” She gasped.
“Liar.” He countered softly, releasing her from his hold.
Tanesha jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom to take a really long shower. She thought standing under the water would help cool her aroused body. But of course it didn’t help. When she came back into the room, Skull was entering the room with a bowl of what she assumed was her breakfast. He placed it on the table and headed towards the bathroom.
“Eat.” With that, he entered the bathroom to take a shower too.
By the time Skull came out of the bathroom, his hot body sexily clad in just a towel, Tanesha had finished eating the little that she could. Without sparing her a glance, Ty went to his backpack and pulled on boxer briefs and a pair of cargo pants. When he turned around to take the towel back to the bathroom and his eyes landed on Tanesha, he froze.
Tanesha was looking at him as though he was a glass of yummy ice cream sundae. The stark hunger Ty saw in those eyes was so powerful it felt like he’d been hit with an electric bolt. Lust twisted his gut, causing him to draw in a sharp breath. And when he saw Tanesha’s pretty pink tongue peek out to sexily smooth over her bottom lip, Ty just knew he couldn’t go one more minute without tasting those lips. He moved towards Tanesha before he even knew what he was doing.
“Skull.” Tanesha breathed, watching with a dazed expression as Ty stalked towards her with the look in his eyes almost feral…simply entrancing. “What…”
Ty crushed their lips together, effectively cutting off whatever Tanesha had been about to ask. She automatically started to struggle, her hands shooting up to Ty’s chest with the intention of pushing him away. But apart from the fact that she didn’t stand a chance against that masculine strength, that kiss was meant to devoured, possess, and demand total submission and that was precisely what it accomplished.
At Tanesha’s surprised gasp, Ty plunged his tongue into her slightly opened mouth and then purposefully licked at the roof of her mouth. Tanesha couldn’t suppress the delicious thrill that shot through her at that tiny mind-blowing caress. With a small cry, she melted against Ty and gave in to his searing kiss, her knees weakening in seconds at the burst of sensations that slammed into her.
At the back of Tanesha’s mind, she knew that what she was allowing to happen wasn’t right but her lust-saturated body had a mind of its own. She couldn’t think past the fuzzy hunger surrounding her brain at that moment as she opened wider to Ty and accepted the hungry plunge of his hot tongue. She clung to Ty’s bare, steely shoulders, intoxicated by his passion and dizzy with need. Tanesha could feel Ty’s erection pressing insistently against her stomach and shivered, moaning lustfully into his mouth.