Perfect Fling by Carly Phillips Page B

tiptoeing around the past, the sexual tension, the yearning she could no longer deny.
    She was independent and would remain so during Cole’s stay as well as after his departure, but right now, she was female and she had needs only he could fill.
    He was here and he was offering to help . . . not that he knew what was on her mind. She wanted him—and she had every intention of getting what she needed.
    Wide green eyes with flecks of gold stared at Cole as he waited for her to tell him what he could do to help calm her.
    “You can hold me,” she said, her boldness shocking him.
    When he hesitated, she grinned. “Okay, that’s too much for you too?”
    “Wiseass,” he muttered, stalling for time. Everything about her drew him in—her strength and beauty, her independent spirit and sense of self-worth.
    She was single, pregnant, and not complaining. Standing up to her bossy brothers, not to mention going toe-to-toe with him. Only when her subconscious took over did she allow normal human frailty to show.
    And man, did Cole get that. So how could he deny her this moment of peace?
    Especially when he wanted it too.
    “Turn around,” he said, sensing he was approaching a threshold he really shouldn’t cross, especially with her wearing a short camisole nightie with lace, all her satiny soft skin showing through.
    Her eyelids fluttered, and she flipped over, immediately scooting backward until she pressed against his chest and her ass snuggled into his crotch. His cock, which he’d managed to maintain some control over in her presence, reacted immediately, and now he was hard as nails.
    With a sigh, she relaxed into him, while he was now totally tense as well as erect.
    “I haven’t been sleeping,” she said quietly.
    His arms tightened around her. “Probably because you haven’t felt safe.”
    “I feel safe with you.” She snuggled closer against him.
    Her words made him uneasy. She had too much faith in him that went beyond basic protection. If she trusted him, she was doomed to disappointment. But he couldn’t push her away. Instead, his hand settled on her stomach.
    He couldn’t get over the fact that his baby was in there, and at the thought, something warm and unfamiliar settled inside him. Made him wonder what kind of parent he’d be. He didn’t have the best example of what to do. More like what not to do. He figured that was a start.
    “How are you feeling?” he asked her.
    “The nausea’s almost completely gone. I’m just really tired.” As if on cue, she yawned, and he forced himself to try to relax.
    He listened to the sound of her breathing even out, and soon she’d fallen asleep. It took Cole another hour before his heart rate evened out and he chilled out enough to get drowsy with her in his arms, and at least another thirty minutes before he finally drifted off.
    • • •
    Erin awoke, her body plastered against a hard male one. She knew at once where she was, who she was with. She shifted and registered the fact that her silky boxers had ridden up her leg and she was brazenly rubbing against Cole’s hard, muscular thigh. Mini explosions ignited inside her as she climbed a steady peak that felt so good. Mortified, she immediately stopped wriggling, and the delicious sensations pouring through her body receded.
    She wanted to weep at the loss.
    They were generating so much heat. The kind that was impossible to resist. And they were living together. More important, and as she’d pointed out to him, she felt safe here in his arms. She didn’t care if it was temporary; she wanted him and she knew he still wanted her. Even the good girl inside her accepted that something had to give between them sooner or later.
    Why not sooner?
    Her overly hormonal body craved not just sex, but sex with
this man
, and she no longer wanted to deny herself. Drawing a deep breath, she ran her hands over his bare chest, following the same path with her lips, hoping he’d wake up and accept what she