He went in and shut the door.
“Karen?”
She turned, still looking pale. It finally registered when he’d seen her look like this before. It was after those bastards had hurt her in her bathroom. When they had seen her partially nude. The situation with Lois had to have brought it all rushing back. He shouldn’t have told her about Lois. Dammit, he wasn’t good with this stuff.
He strode across the room, snatching the comforter off the bed as he moved to her. He picked her up, wrapped her in the blanket and settled her in his lap. He bit back a groan as her head rested against his breastbone. But she caught it.
“Drake, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Baby. I’m so sorry I didn’t think about how this thing with Lois would impact you. These men are animals.” He stroked his hand down her hair. She shivered and burrowed closer.
“I should be over it. It shouldn’t matter.”
And he was a stupid jerk. She still wasn’t moving freely, and her jaw was slightly discolored, and he wondered why she was upset? He was never going to make it at this relationship thing.
“It matters. It’s going to matter for a long time, Honey. This isn’t something that just goes away. What would you tell Trenda? Piper? Would you say they should be over it?”
He felt her head shake.
“No, of course, you wouldn’t. So be as kind to yourself. God, I wish we weren’t holed up here, so you had someone to talk to.”
“But I do. I have you.”
“Somebody real,” he countered.
She lifted her head, and hazel eyes glinted in the moonlight. “What’s that supposed to mean? You’re real.”
He didn’t respond.
She pushed back the blanket, reached up and pulled his hair.
“Drake, what did you mean you’re not-”
“I forgot to ask you how you were feeling after hearing about Lois.”
“I told you, I should be over it.”
“Are you sad? Are you mad? Are you scared?”
“What is this, a counselling session?”
“Honey, I didn’t mean it like that. I just didn’t ask you how you were feeling. I want you to be able to share with me is all.”
It was as if the air went out of her body. “See, you are somebody real,” she whispered into his chest.
He waited.
“All of it. I feel sad, and scared, and mad. Right now, I’m so sad for her, but then it made me mad...but.”
“But what, Honey?”
She clutched him harder. “But sometimes I’ve been feeling scared. Just really scared, you know?”
He stroked her hair. “You’re safe here.”
She shuddered against him. “Will I ever feel safe in my own home again?”
He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “I don’t know the answer to that. That’s why you need to see someone real.”
“Ouch!” he said after she pulled his hair.
“You’re real. You’ve helped me. You’re helping me right now. Don’t put yourself down.”
“I know I helped you.”
“I’m not talking about saving me that day. I mean the little things. You’ve held my hand. You’ve been listening to me at night, not just tonight. You’ve stayed close when Aiden is around. You somehow knew he made me nervous because I’ve gone all wimpy.”
“Hey, none of that.”
“See, you’re supporting me right now. These last three days, you’ve cared for me. Not as some kind of shrink, but as a protector. As a man. I’ve needed you, and you’ve been there.” Her eyes slipped away from his and stared at a point over his shoulder. “But maybe I’ve been getting my signals crossed. Maybe you’re just doing for me what you would do for your sisters.”
A tear fell, and he thought his heart would explode.
“No, you don’t have your signals crossed. I don’t think of you as a patient, or as a sister. But you’ve been through so much. I do want to protect you. I want to make sure you’re all right, in all ways. But right now, you’re fragile.”
She looked back at him, her eyes searching. “Are you saying you want me?”
“I so much more than want you.”
“Enough to kiss me?”
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea.”
Oh, it was a fucking wonderful idea.
“Please?”
He wrapped one arm around her hips, his other hand sifted through the silk of her hair, cupping her head.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he groaned just before his lips touched hers. It was so much more than a meeting of mouths, pleasure raced through him, and intensified as he felt her tremble.
The blanket tumbled down, and he felt the weight of her breasts against him through her pajamas and his shirt, the sensation rushed blood to his cock. Karen found the bottom hem of his t-shirt, and her cold hand hit his warm abdomen. He sucked in his breath, but not from the icy touch, more from the burst of lust that shot through his body.