"I put a candle in the bathroom and one in the bedroom so you can move around the apartment without freaking out," he said as he joined her on the couch.
"I know that to be afraid of the dark at my age is ridiculous, but my fear is what it is," she told him, and she snuggled against him.
"I think you're charming, Kyla. You know that no one is perfect, right? No one. Promise not to tell anyone, but even I'm not perfect," he said with a chuckle.
She relaxed into his side, and Tanner felt his body instantly harden. No! He tried to control himself, tried telling himself that just because she needed him to comfort her did not give him the right to take unfair advantage.
But here was the thing. Tanner was feeling just as raw as Kyla was and he would love to sink deep inside her heat, love to lose himself inside her for a few sweet hours. He would love to think of nothing beyond the needs of his body and hers, and he'd love to not be reminded how dark the world could actually be.
How was he able to keep from sliding his hands around her and cupping her br**sts? Damned if he knew. He simply held her and didn't even think about the time he was wasting doing absolutely nothing.
"Tanner?"
He tensed at the breathless quality of her voice. Everything about this woman screamed "Take me." and he wanted to take her.
"Yes?"
"I'm really tired now."
His heart thudded in his chest. She hadn't asked him to make love to her. She'd simply said she was tired. She'd also said she didn't want to be alone. Just because she didn't want to sleep alone didn't guarantee he was going to get sex. It most likely meant that she was going to sleep and he was going to hold her. And he'd be throbbing the whole time.
"Do you want to go to bed?" He barely recognized his own voice.
She was silent for a few heart-stopping moments. "Yes." Her voice was almost inaudible, but not to him. "I need to use your bathroom first. I feel filthy."
"There's no hot water," he reminded her.
"I know. But if you have a washcloth … "
"I can get that for you."
Tanner untangled himself from her arms and then moved to the bathroom, where he laid out a towel and washcloth and picked up the dirty underwear he'd flung in the corner earlier in the day. In his defense, he told himself, he hadn't been expecting a guest.
"The bathroom is ready," he said, making her jump. "Sorry."
"I'm sorry, Tanner. I just … " Again she stopped, and then her sweet lips turned up a fraction of an inch and she stood up and walked toward him. "Thank you. Really. You are too good to me and I don't know why, but you are."
She took his breath away when she leaned against him and brushed her lips lightly across his. Before he was able to grab her, pull her tightly against him and lose complete control, she stepped back and then walked into the bathroom.
He nearly had a stroke when she left the bathroom door open a few inches and he could see her shadow flickering on the wall. Moving quickly away from the temptation - he wasn't a Peeping Tom, dammit - he headed to his bedroom and decided to light another candle. Then he found himself sitting on the edge of the bed.
Should he change? Climb beneath the covers? What was she expecting from him? What was he expecting from himself?
It was cold in his apartment, but as he listened to the sound of water running in his bathroom, he felt a nervous sweat break out on his skin because he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to be strong enough to last with her beside him all night.
When what felt like an hour passed, but was probably just five or ten minutes, he almost jumped at the sound of his own voice. "Are you okay in there?"
When there wasn't an answer, he stood up, moved toward the bathroom door and tapped on it. "Kyla, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Give me another minute" came her reply and he could hear her nerves loud and clear. They were definitely both feeling the sizzling atmosphere.
Why was he nervous? Why should either of them be nervous? They were adults. They weren't virgins. Sex was natural, it was needed, it was the one true thing that really made the world go round. So if the two of them burned the sheets to help keep them warm and to make the despair of the night disappear, there was nothing wrong with that.
But were they rushing this? Hell, no. He'd been wanting her in his bed since he met her nearly three weeks ago. It was long overdue - if anyone cared to ask him. So why in the world was he so antsy? He was never nervous about having sex. And if they didn't have sex, he wouldn't perish.
Well, maybe he would.
The candlelight flickered softly, casting a warm glow about the cold room. It was the perfect scene for a night of hot sex. Plus, hadn't someone once told him women preferred candlelight because it made everything seem so much more beautiful, hid flaws and all of that? Not that Kyla had a single flaw on her perfect body. Again, he had to remind himself that she'd just asked not to be alone. She hadn't asked for him to make love to her. A groan of frustration barely missed escaping his throat.