Here is the Excerpt from In Bed With the Bodyguard by Lynne Silver.
Ari rolled onto her side for the millionth time that night. She wondered
if Lance was having any more luck sleeping on the couch. She didn’t think so if
the noises emanating from his side of the room were any indication.
Oh God, his thigh. She should have thought more about his injury. How in
the world would a six foot two man sleep on her small sofa, especially with a
bum leg, He probably needed to stretch it out.
This was ridiculous; she was not getting any sleep tonight. If Lance
weren’t here, she’d give up, flip on the lights and head to the potter’s wheel.
A one second brain flash of her as Demi Moore and Lance as Patrick Swayze
entered into her mind but she shook it off as the one AM crazies.
“Lance,” she whispered. “Lance.”
“Hmmm?” A male grumble rose from the couch.
“Are you awake?”
“Sorta.”
“Switch places with me.”
“What? Why?” He sat up.
“I can’t sleep knowing I put an injured man on the couch. An injured tall man.” She struggled to see his face
in the dark, but could only make out shadows of his form.
“I’m fine. Go back to sleep.”
“No.” She hopped off the bed taking her pillow with her.
“Arianna, I won’t be able to
sleep knowing I kicked a beautiful woman out of bed in her own apartment.”
He’d called her beautiful. She shouldn’t let his words shouldn’t warm her
insides, but still, his compliment brought a smile to her lips. “Oh, I know. We
can share the bed.” She turned back and crawled under the covers, her stomach
jumping at the thought of Lance in her bed. Not that anything was going to
happen. Well, nothing much. She wouldn’t be completely opposed to a little
snuggle or if their feet brushed against each other.
“Hell no.” His refusal came way too quickly for her liking.
“Why not? Will your girlfriend be jealous? It’ll be purely platonic.
Bring some of those blankets over here and roll them down the center of the
bed. Problem solved.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend, but I...”
“Tempted? I promise to keep my hands off you,” she said, smiling that he
didn’t have a girlfriend and knowing she’d have to sleep on her hands and have
at least ten blankets dividing them to keep from rolling into his welcoming
masculine heat. She’d already revised her opinion that he was a jerk. Lance was
proving to be way more superhero than jerk. His willingness to stay and protect
her went a long way toward softening her resistance to him.
“Will it shut you up?” He stood off the couch. Each of his footsteps
coming closer mimicked the pounding of her heartbeat.
“Yep.” She scooted close to the edge of the bed and lay back down. When
his weight sank one side of the mattress, she rolled then scooted back to the
side. His warmth seeped through offering her a comfort she hadn’t felt in ten
months since her nightmare began. It would be so easy to inch closer, and let
her hands wander over his body, but she reminded herself he’d bolt if she got
bold. He’d made it clear he was fighting the attraction between them. Silly
man. Why not take what she was offering? Then she froze and wondered what
exactly she was offering. She was off relationships and Lance wasn’t a
one-night stand kind of guy. Looked like she’d be sharing a bed with a man and
not having sex; a first.
It seemed she’d just shut her eyes when the sun blasted through her
windows waking her up. She sat up with a jolt and heard a noise coming from the
bathroom. Sounded like someone was in her…shower? What kind of criminal broke
in to shower in someone’s home? Then it all came flooding back. Her dad, the
gallery vandal, the sexy man who’d spent the night in her bed. She nearly
laughed. Never had a man ever slept over and nothing happened, not even a
good-night kiss. What a waste. Lance was hot, and he was in her shower. Naked. She should probably
go see if he needed shampoo or his back scrubbed. It was the charitable thing
to do.
Before she could act on her impulse, the shower stopped and silence fell
as Lance stepped out of the bathroom, white towel wrapped low on his hips. His
tousled hair fell in all directions, dripping water down his muscular chest
only lightly dusted with light brown hair. He had a full six pack of abs that
spoke to his dedication to staying in shape for his job, and he had those total
sexy hip lines going on.
Ari swallowed hard as he offered her a small uneven smile.
“Morning. I was hoping to be dressed by the time you woke up. I’ll grab
my clothes and head back in there to change.”
