Make Me Melt by Karen Foley

staying in California, and he wasn’t about to let himself get serious about her, even if she was. He thought he’d put his past behind him, but it was times like this when he realized he was still very much that angry boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Despite his personal successes, he couldn’t quite convince himself that he was good enough for Caroline Banks. He had no doubt that eventually she’d come to the same realization.
    With a deep sigh, he laced his fingers together behind his head and stared at the ceiling, envisioning Caroline curled up in bed. Before he could change his mind, he pushed his chair back and took the stairs two at a time. He still believed that she deserved better than him, but he silently acknowledged that he wasn’t above taking whatever she offered. He was a selfish bastard and not afraid to admit it.
    Outside his bedroom, he paused, and then he carefully opened the door. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but he could just make out her form under the blanket. Quietly, he shucked his jeans and slid in behind her. She gave a sleepy murmur of surprise and then shifted so her back was pressed against his chest. Groping with one hand, she found his arm and dragged it over her body so that he was wrapped around her. She was warm, and she smelled like the fragrant soap she’d used in the shower. It took all his restraint not to let his hands roam everywhere. Instead, he forced himself to remain still, but there was nothing he could do about his growing arousal.
    “Where’d you go?” she whispered.
    Jason leaned over and kissed her. “Just downstairs for a minute. You okay?”
    She squeezed his hand and brought it up to cover one bare breast. “Better than okay. That was perfect. You were perfect. Even better than my fantasies.”
    Jason groaned, knowing he was a goner. Her breast was heavy and soft in his hand, and he cupped it gently, stroking his thumb over her nipple until it tightened beneath his touch. While there was a part of him that was scared shitless about what had happened between them, another part of him was filled with masculine satisfaction. For tonight, it was enough. He wouldn’t let himself think about tomorrow.
    * * *
    J ASON LEFT THE bed as the first fingers of light were touching the ocean beyond the dunes. He crept silently down the stairs, unwilling to wake her. After last night, she needed her sleep more than she needed to rush to her father’s bedside. As he entered the kitchen, he stopped short.
    Colton leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee in one hand and a disapproving expression on his face. Silently, he poured a second cup of coffee from the fresh pot he had brewed and handed it to Jason.
    “Don’t say it,” Jason warned, accepting the mug.
    “What were you doing upstairs?” Colton asked. “Please tell me you weren’t with her.”
    Jason took a gulp of the hot liquid, ignoring the other man’s question. “Have you been in touch with the hospital?”
    Colton nodded. “Yeah. There’s been no change to the judge’s condition.” He glanced at his watch. “What time do you want to leave?”
    Jason walked over to the table and pretended to consider the files that were strewn across the surface. “I thought I’d let Caroline catch up on her sleep. She had a pretty rough day yesterday.”
    Colton was too well trained to comment, but Jason knew the other man wasn’t fooled. The truth was, he and Caroline hadn’t gotten very much sleep after he’d returned to bed. Jason was still riding an adrenaline high, but he knew he’d be feeling the effects of the strenuous night before the day was through. He was trained to go for extended periods without sleep, but Caroline wasn’t. The emotional stress she was under, combined with the physical demands he’d made of her, meant she would be exhausted unless she got some rest.
    “It’s more difficult to be objective when you’re emotionally involved with your