NicenEasy Read Online Free Page B

She’d had a few seconds more to
recover, but that only meant she’d recovered the voluntary use of her vocal
cords.
    They stared at each other and for once, she didn’t know what
to say. Something profound seemed to pass between them, but she couldn’t let it
fool her. Her previous feelings for Donovan Harvey had disappeared, blasted
away by the reality of the man. Nobody and nothing had prepared her for this.
    She moved and he rolled to one side, completing the movement
to get out of bed and head for a door she presumed led to the bathroom. “Be
right back,” he said. He sounded almost normal, just a slight tremor to his
voice.
    He returned in a matter of seconds and got back into bed.
“I’d suggest a shower, but I don’t have the energy.” He drew her closer and
kissed her, the kiss long and lingering. Fuck, the man knew how to kiss. “Let’s
sleep some, then shower, and maybe I’ll have the energy for another round.
Maybe you can go on top next time.” He caressed her breast, gentle now, his
thumb sweeping over her nipple.
    She snuggled closer, felt his arms go around her and
drifted. So easy to sleep in his arms.

Chapter Two
     
    Donovan couldn’t remember when he’d last slept for seven
hours with only one break and fuck, it had to be the night he didn’t want to
sleep so long. He could sleep anywhere, a necessary skill engendered by his
regular job, but not for more than four or five hours. Then he’d wake and pace
until he felt sleepy again, or get up and draw. He’d done most of the work on
his book then, in the small hours when the rest of the band was asleep. Or in
the morning, at a time when many people were getting up and going to work but
the members of Murder City Ravens, having worked all night, were catching up on
some well-earned shut-eye.
    Worst of all, he woke up alone. He remembered her saying she
had work in the morning but on this, the first day of the convention, the
official program didn’t start until noon. He’d hoped to get at least one more
session with Allie before they had to part for the day. And only for the day.
No way was he letting her get away from him now. He got up, restless until he
spotted his sketchbook and pens.
    He showered alone, the ledge at the back of the shower
giving him ideas about the next time he saw her. Nothing he could fulfill on his
own.
    After slinging a towel around his waist, he headed for the
desk and the drawing he’d started before he took his shower, stopping when he
saw a keycard on the floor. After picking it up, he realized it wasn’t his, but
she’d mentioned an early start, so she’d probably got a new one by now. He’d
give it back later. Perhaps call on her.
    He gazed down at the sketch and decided he’d done well with
this one. That was her. Lying in his bed, fast asleep, her sweet curves
outlined by the sheet that barely kept her decent. He’d woken up in the night
and visited the bathroom, fully intending to wake her on his return, but the
sight of her had changed his mind. She looked too good to wake. Too good to
eat, he recalled with a smile, because that was how he’d intended to wake her.
    He’d watched her for a while only to fall asleep himself,
certain he’d wake again in an hour, as he always did, but he’d been wrong.
    He added a stroke of the pencil to her hair, one dark curl
creeping over her shoulder to touch the top of her breast. Smiling, he recalled
her hair, so carefully tamed earlier, so wild after lovemaking.
    He turned his mind to the coming day, wondering if he’d get
away with nobody recognizing him as a Murder City Ravens member again.
    It wasn’t usual for him to notice when people were staring
at him either. Not these days, when so many people did. That was why he’d
enjoyed being here so much. Most of the attendees, especially the early birds,
were confirmed fantasy fans, and if he hadn’t appeared in Farscape or Battlestar
Galactica he didn’t mean anything to them.
    He liked that. The