Mad About Plaid (The MacLaren Brothers Series 1)

Chapter 20

As Dev held Kate, he wondered if he was doomed to appear weak and screwed up where she was concerned. He might as well add frightening to the list, too, since he'd scared her to tears.

Brilliant. Bloody brilliant.

It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize again, but he held silent. She wouldn't want to hear it.

Dev smoothed a strand of hair away and kissed her forehead without thinking. Apples again. The scent of her shampoo made him close his eyes and breathe in deeply. Unable to help himself, his fingers threaded through her thick black hair, wrapping it around his hand. Kate snuggled in closer, her front pressed against his side, her hand coming to rest on chest. He swallowed as emotions rose up, threatening to swamp him.

He liked her here like this. More than he should.

Ever since seeing Kate in all her bare glory, Dev hadn't had any trouble imagining her in his bed. But he never imagined it like this.

The jingle of Hildie's tags on her collar and claws on wood made Kate lift her head. Dev scooted up to rest his back against the headboard as both dogs entered the room, tongues lolling, eyes bright. Happy. Kate sat all the way up. "I thought she'd be in here," she said quietly. "With you."

"I leave the back door unlatched so she can let herself out and get back in." He scratched at the stubble along his jaw. "I usually get up before, though..."

She looked down at him and slowly withdrew her hand from his chest. He waited, wondering what she'd say. If she'd hop off the bed, straighten her clothes, and act like everything was all right. If she'd give him hell... "You dream like that all the time?" she asked.

"No. Not like I used to." As a guy who didn't give much thought to modesty or nakedness, suddenly he felt self-conscious and vulnerable under her solemn blue gaze.

"I shouldn't have woken you like that."

"I shouldn't have tossed you on the bed." Her lips dipped into a wry smile. "I wouldn't have hurt you, Kate," he added quietly. The uncertainty in her eyes made him wince inside. "As soon as I touched you, I knew it was you." Of course, he'd moved so fast that touching her and having her flat on her back were pretty much instantaneous.

"You held me down."

He shook his head. "I know. It wasn't my intention. You were already under me, and I . . . I just needed to be still for a second. Give myself a minute to wake up, gather my wits." He dragged a hand through his hair. "But I put you in that position. I should have moved off. I'm not used to having someone here. It's not an excuse and I'm sorry..."

She was biting her lip and staring at him with an unreadable look, but it felt like she could see inside of him, see all the things he didn't want her, or anyone else, to see. Christ. She'd seen enough already.

Hildie and Terry stared at them, both dogs sitting on the floor, just waiting for a word, a gesture. Dev smiled at them and noticed Kate had shifted her attention and was smiling at them too.

"I think they want to come up," she said.

"Yeah. You're in Hil's spot."

Even though it was dim in the room, Kate could see the crooked grin on Devin's face and her heart tripped over. She swallowed. Leaning back against the headboard, in his boxer briefs, all that hard muscle on display. His rumpled hair, the morning stubble on his jaw, and those bad-ass tattoos; he had no idea the picture or the temptation he presented. And, worse, she was in Hildie's spot, which only made Devin even more appealing. He lets his dog sleep on the bed. It spoke volumes to Kate. She'd done the same with her old lab, Ranger, when he was alive.