Page 98 of Stripping Bare

He groaned like a little boy told it was time to come in for supper. “It isn’t thatbad.”

“I’m not compromising onthis.”

“Fine.” He sat up on the edge of the bed, barely keeping the towel in place. “But I can’t reach the burns on myback.”

“You take care of your chest, and I’ll get your back.” She realized her mistake when she climbed on the bed behind him to find his butt revealed in all its muscled perfection. It was like a piece of delicious ripe fruit. She could just lean down andbite…

“Tessa!”

She blinked and looked up to find Jonah holding the tube of ointment the clinic hadprescribed.

“Need this?” he asked, his tone full of amusement. “Or did you find something else you’d ratherdo?”

Why she was embarrassed to have been caught contemplating the texture and taste of his ass was beyondher.

It took a vast amount of concentration to apply the ointment to the multiple burns on his back with steady fingers. The feel of his skin, his muscles, his spine sank into her like sand soaked up water. She carefully placed a Band-Aid horizontally over eachwound.

When Jonah twisted his torso to check her progress, Tessa laughed. He’d slapped on his bandages willy-nilly, and he looked as if he’d contracted some kind of latexmeasles.

He took all the packaging and tossed it on the nightstand, then sprawled out on his side as if they did this every night. As if they hadn’t just becomelovers.

If that’s what they actuallywere.

Becauseloversimplied that they loved one another. She’d been a little in love with him for years, but over these past few days, she’d begun to fall in love with the realman.

Jonah tugged one of her curls and absently wrapped it around his finger. “You said you were scared he would hurt me. Can you imagine how Ifelt?”

“Most men don’t want to admit when they’re afraid for their safety,” shesaid.

“Not that. I meant how fucking afraid I was that you would gethurt.”

“It’s become pretty obvious that I was never the target in the first place. He has some beef with you. He just used me to get the ballrolling.”

He tugged harder, and Tessa turned to face him. “Which means he’s obviously not above using people I care about to further hisagenda.”

“Do you think he knew Micki was inside yourhouse?”

“I don’t know. But he has eyes on all of us somehow. How else could he have delivered that package and set the fire? Or have known if we called the cops? I don’t like that. Don’t like the idea that someone is watchingyou.”

“If you’re about to make another pitch for everyone else taking a tropical vacation while you find this person, just shut it. Can you imagine your family playing shuffleboard on the Lido deck while you’re here fighting for yourlife?”

“No, guess not.” A chuckle rumbled up from Jonah’s chest, warmingTessa.

“They love you. You know that, don’tyou?”

“What about you?” He kept his attention on the lock of hair he was playing with as if it were a mesmerizing piece ofart.

Was he asking what she thought he was asking? Her heart was beating up her ribcage, but something kept her from blurting out how she felt, still too afraid he would push her away. “I’m not much of a shuffleboard player,either.”

At that, his mouth turned down in what, on a three-year-old, would’ve been a pout. Tessa couldn’t resist. She leaned into him and put her lips on that pout, taking care not to brush Jonah’s blisteredchest.

His fingers tightened in her hair, just the pleasurable side of desperation. “I want you, Tessa,” he said against her lips. “I needyou.”

He hadn’t said he loved her, but for now, she would take what he wasoffering.