Excerpt of One More Day by M. Malone

"I would say 'penny for your thoughts' but I have a feeling
that thought would cost more than I'm worth."

Ridley ripped her gaze from the curve of his lips up to his
now wide-open eyes.

Oops.

"Hi. I was just..." She decided not to even address her
blatant staring. "...wondering if I could borrow something
to sleep in?"

"Sure, sure. Of course." He got up slowly, unfolding his
long legs from the couch one at a time. "Follow me. Sorry I
conked out at the end there. I guess I was more tired than I
thought." He waved for her to follow him up the stairs and
she did, keeping her eyes on her own feet so she couldn't
ogle the way his jeans fit him as he walked.

She was in his room before she'd realized what she'd done.
"Oh, I'll just wait out in the hall," she stammered.

"No. Stay." Those two simple words halted her in her tracks.
He smiled a slow, sexy grin before pulling open the second
drawer in his bureau. He rummaged for a while, pulling out
shirts and then pushing them back in. "I'm trying to find
one of my shorter ones so it won't swallow you up."

"Oh, I like them longer. It'll hang lower and cover my legs
like a nightgown."

He stopped digging and glanced at her. Then his eyes dipped
lower to take in her bare legs exposed by the mid-thigh,
terry-cloth shorts she wore. "Right."

He held out a shirt and Ridley took it carefully, making
sure their fingers didn't touch.

"Well, thanks again. Good night." She fled the room, racing
down the darkened hallway, not stopping until she reached
the door of the guest room. She turned the handle and opened
the door, but before she entered she looked back.

She had to.

Jackson stood in the same position next to his dresser. The
heat of his gaze burned over her entire body and she
shivered as her nipples peaked against her shirt. She didn't
know him well enough to interpret the look on his face but
she could interpret her body's response.

God, she wanted him.

He'd been nothing but a gentleman all day, seeing to her
every need, listening to her vent and keeping her company.
He hadn't made any moves on her, hadn't done anything
suggestive or said anything provocative. Was he just being a
good host and making sure she made it to her room?

Or was he imagining what she would look like when she
stripped off her clothes and went to bed wearing nothing but
his shirt?