Love Songs by Barbara Delinsky Read Free Book Online Page A

In graphic explanation he drew her against him, his body giving her far more exciting support than the sofa ever had. His arm curved around her shoulder; before she knew how her own settled across his middle and she rested comfortably against him. His warmth was as much a relaxant as her deep-breathing efforts had been earlier. Surprisingly, she didn’t resist the lure.
    “Comfortable?” he asked softly.
    “Ummm.” The scent of him was all male, filling her senses with a creeping euphoria.
    Later she was to wonder at her complacency as she lay against Alex, a devastating stranger who had proposed marriage at their first meeting. Now, however, the silence was restorative, filled with a contentment that she savored, regardless of whatever afterthoughts she might have. His breathing was steady, his hands undemanding. At length he spoke with a resonance that flowed soothingly through her.
    “I like you this way.”
    “What way?”
    “Undressed.”
    Alanna tilted her head back, only realizing that he wore a burgundy-colored robe of thick terry as her cheek rubbed against it. “I’m not undressed,” she contradicted him staunchly. “I am very properly covered by several layers of fabric.”
    “But soft. So very soft,” he hummed against her hair. “And I like your hair down.” His hand moved to gently explore its length. “It’s like silk—golden silk.”
    “One hundred brushings a night and very hard to control at times,” she quipped lightly, unable to accept the compliment with the pleasure she felt.
    “That’s why you wear it knotted back? For control?”
    “Among other things.”
    “What things?”
    The faint frown that brought her brows together was hidden as she relaxed her head once more. “It’s hard enough projecting an image of efficiency and professionalism at the office without having a loose mop to cloud the issue.”
    “Ah.” He caught her gist instantly. “Your male colleagues. Then I totally agree with you. By all means tie your hair up during the day. As long as you wear it down for me.”
    “Hmmmm,” she chuckled. “No glasses. Long hair. You’ve got a nearsighted witch.”
    “A very beguiling one…” he drawled, his fingers tilting her chin up so he could study her face. “A very beautiful one…”
    She was mesmerized, able only to return his gaze, devouring his good looks with helpless greed. Why was he so handsome? Or was it all physical? There was that aura again—one that surrounded his entire being with a sensuality she could not deny.
    Her lips felt parched, her mouth dry. Every nerve end tingled with awareness. She felt herself sucked into the depths of those dark, charcoal eyes—sucked in and consumed, no longer a separate entity. Was that what life with Alex Knight would be like—the loss of the identity she had worked so hard to establish?
    With a flash of fear she tried to pull away. But he held her firmly, refusing her bid to escape. “Don’t go. I’m no threat to you.” It was as if he read her mind. “If nothing more, indulge me. You know how maddening it is when you can’t sleep. I’m more relaxed now than I’ve felt since I woke up.”
    The last thing she wanted was to leave, yet the strength of his power over her was disconcerting. As to his argument—hadn’t Ellen suggested that the participants of the study might help each other? Perhaps, she mused, if there was some distance— any distance—between them …
    “Just let me sit up,” she suggested, her voice uncharacteristically wobbly. “I’ll stay with you awhile.”
    His tone was mocking, yet he released her. “Not exactly what I had in mind, but, if I have no other choice…”
    “You don’t.” Alanna sat now at arm’s length. No part of their bodies touched yet, to her dismay, she was as aware of him as ever. Driven to break the bond of raw attraction that sizzled between them, she spoke quickly. “Tell me about yourself, Alex. I really know nothing about you.”
    One dark