WILD (Naked, Book 3) Read Free

dreams, or is he going to just go up in a puff of smoke when the excitement wears off or things get too difficult?
    She remembered one of her father’s favorite sayings: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
    That was her fear talking, but as they approached the bedroom, it amplified her anxiety. Elijah swung the door open and gestured inside. “This is where the magic happens,” he joked.
    Caelyn swallowed hard at that comment, as a tiny fire ignited in her belly. It was a fire of need, of desire, but also one of fear. What if she couldn’t measure up to the kind of woman he expected? What if Jayson had ruined her with his destructive assault—
    ruined any chance at her experiencing sexual intimacy with another man?
    She tried to focus instead on the floor beneath her feet, the interiors of the bedroom. It was big enough to fit a large queen sized platform bed with dark coverlet and another flat screen TV that had been mounted to the wall above the closet.
    Elijah showed her the dresser. “We can clear out the top few drawers for you,” he said, opening a drawer and already starting to toss some of his stuff onto the floor in a pile.
    Caelyn moved to the closet, opening it enough to see that it was packed with Elijah’s extensive wardrobe. “You left all of your clothes behind?” she asked.
    Elijah shrugged as he continued to clear out the top drawers. “There wasn’t much point in taking it all. I had no idea where I was going and I believe in travelling light.”
    “Oh, yeah. That makes sense.” Her heart was still beating hard in her chest as she stared into the closet. She reached out and touched one of his sweatshirts, feeling the texture of it, wanting to smell it. She wanted to inhale his scent, even as she grew more and more afraid that this was all too much to handle.
    Suddenly, she felt Elijah’s hands on her hips as he came up behind her. His breath was on her neck, and she could feel his warmth and presence. Somehow, she was both comforted and terrified all at once.
    “I like you being here,” he half-whispered, his hands sliding tighter around her waist.
    “I like being here too,” she said, almost choking on the words. She could hardly speak.
    “So you’ll stay then?”
    “Of course.”
    She could feel his lips coming close to the bare skin on the back of her neck as he spoke again. “You’ll stay the night in my bed.”
    Caelyn spun to face him, her eyes locking on his. “What if I can’t do it, though?”
    she said, unable to keep her greatest fear to herself.
    His brow creased. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean, after what Jayson did to me…what if I can’t ever be with you the way you want me to?”
    His brow smoothed out again and his lips twitched into that sly little smile that she loved so much. “Caelyn, I don’t expect anything to happen between us until you’re ready for it.”
    Caelyn’s body began to shiver as the suppressed nervousness finally was allowed to come to the surface. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready. Maybe I’m just damaged goods.”
    “Hey, let me tell you something,” Elijah said, his voice almost stern, but his eyes were still soft. “You’re not damaged goods, kid. You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. Don’t you get that? Don’t you have a clue how incredible you are?”
    Caelyn looked away, laughing. “I guess I don’t.”
    He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that her eyes met his again.
    “Well you should know,” he told her. “You should know that it’s true. And don’t let anybody tell you differently.”
    Her jaw trembled. “Thank you for saying that.”
    And then Elijah was leaning in and his lips brushed hers. A blaze of need exploded inside of her as he kissed her, his hard chest pushing against her as his strong arms encircled her and held her tightly.
    She wanted more and more. She felt that at that moment she would have even gone all the way with him if he’d tried. That was