That Day, Karen Deen [early readers .txt] 📗

tightly as I can, I start rubbing up and down her back to try to reassure her it’s going to be okay.

“I’ve got you, it’s just a storm. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” Feeling her shaking, I know there is more to this than just a storm. There has to be a connection. A grown woman doesn’t react like this to a bit of thunder and lightning.

Surely.

The next clap of thunder has her jumping in my arms again. I pull her close, feeling how perfectly she fits against my body.

Fuck, I can’t be thinking about that now.

“Asha, we’re going to play a game. A distraction, is that okay?” Her head nods against my chest but no words come out. I hear something crashing around outside and hope whatever it is doesn’t come through one of the windows. When this is all over, I’m going to teach her how she should be prepared for this sort of thing, living where she does. I hear Coco plonking herself down on the floor next to the bed, so she can feel like I’ll keep her safe too. It’s pretty usual that she would be scared of the storm when she’s outside, but inside the safety of her home, nothing seems to bother her.

“Okay, I’m going to say a word for something I like, and you have to say what you like in the same group. So, if I say mango, then that’s a type of fruit I like, so you need to tell me the fruit you like. I’ll start.” I give her a second as the next bang and flash of light happens and she cowers against me again.

“Let’s start. Mangoes.”

“Mangoes,” she whispers.

I can’t help but laugh softly. “That’s cheating. Try again.”

“But I like mangoes, they’re my favorite.” Her voice is a little stronger now.

“Well, then I say you have good taste. I’ll let you off this time.” Her shivering is starting to subside a little.

“Country music.”

“Eww, soft pop.”

“Now I take back the good taste comment after that noise you made about country music. It’s only the greatest type of music known to man.”

“Doubt it,” she mumbles.

“Dark chocolate.” I feel her starting to lose a little of the tension in her body and she lets her legs stretch out a little.

“No way. Milk chocolate, but never white.”

“We can agree on that then. White is my least favorite chocolate.” Her hands start to release from the ball they were in on my back to stretch her fingers out onto me. I can feel every single part of my body she is touching; it’s like there are spots of tingles everywhere that skin is on skin. Clothes would have been a much better option for this first meeting. The whole gentleman thing is a challenge, for sure.

“Lemon meringue pie, and it’s okay if you say the same. It’s pretty hard to argue with the best dessert on the planet.”

“Not even close. Chocolate pudding, warm, with vanilla ice cream and strawberries.”

“Mint ice cream.”

“Double chocolate chip ice cream.” Asha’s voice is much stronger now, and her answers are coming straight back at me.

“Do I detect a common chocolate theme coming through here?”

Hearing her giggle for the first time is heartwarming, a bit of a relief.

“Got a problem with that?” she asks with a little bit of sass in her voice.

“Not at all. I can think of lots of things I like chocolate drizzled on.” Shit, keep your mind out of your pants. Well, technically there are no pants, but still.

“Me too,” her sweet voice whispers. I’m imagining her cheeks blushing at this stage. I need to change the subject.

“Builder,” I say, knowing she probably already knows my profession, if she’s been watching me, since it’s plastered all over the side of my truck.

“Author.”

“Wow, I wouldn’t have picked that. I’ve never met an author before. That’s cool. I like to read. Would I have read any of your books? Do you have one of those fancy authors names?”

Asha starts really laughing hard now.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” I ask.

“Well, if you like reading romance, with some raunch in them, then maybe?” Her giggles continue and are making her body shake against me.

At this point, I’m glad she can’t see my face too well, because I’m pretty sure I’d be blushing. Yet part of me is thinking about how hot that is. I wonder what the sex scenes are like.

Fuck, stop thinking about it, dickhead. Remember, she can feel every part of your body here.

“Okay, can’t say I’ve read any of those. More a thriller reader myself. Gets the heart pumping.”

“Hmm, parts of mine will have your heart pumping, guaranteed.”

Man, I keep walking into this and digging myself a bigger hole.

“Sweetheart, if you want to keep this G-rated here, I suggest you stop talking. The things I’m imagining about what you write aren’t what I should be picturing right now.” My voice comes out a little deeper now.

A loud crashing sound comes from outside that makes Asha push her body as hard as possible against me.

“What the hell was that?” she yells.

“I don’t know, but we need to try to ignore it and just concentrate on us here. We can’t worry about what we can’t fix. We’re safe in here.” Well, safe from the storm, anyway. I’m not sure either of us are safe from the sexual energy in this room.

“Promise?”

“I will protect you with my life. That I can promise.”

ASHA

“But you don’t even know me.” No one really knows me.

“That’s where you are wrong. I know you like chocolate, listen to crappy music, and write sexy words that are making me imagine sexy things about you I shouldn’t be. So, I would say we know each other.”

The storm is still raging outside, but all I can think of right now is the deep raspy voice that is so much hotter and panty-melting than what I imagined this morning.

This is the closest I have been to another human in over four years, and I know my mind is