He barely contains his grin. “Yeah, brat. It’s okay.”
He crawls back into the bed and I turn on my side, allowing him to pull me against him as tightly as he can. I fall asleep using his right arm as my pillow and his left as a blanket. And I try my hardest to ignore how fucking right he feels.
Chapter Forty
Arden
Shestayed.
All night she stayed and she was even there when I awoke, wedged between my arm and my chest. It took a real concerted effort to slide out from underneath her but if I didn’t, I would absolutely be late for work. I should wake her. Take her to campus, get her a coffee before her lecture.
Or I could wake her and slide into her warmth like I did twice last night.
God, she looks so fucking beautiful with her fire red hair strewn out across my pillow. I want to keep her there forever. She’s never looked more perfect.
I pull pants and a t-shirt out of my dresser as quietly as I can but she stirs nonetheless, waking with a stretch.
“Walk of shame from your own bedroom? That’s a new low,” she says, her voice cracks from unuse. She definitely used it last night, enough that I needed to remind her we have neighbors by gripping my hand over her mouth. She rewarded me with a bite to the finger and I had almost finished right then and there.
“I’ve got an early shift,” I reply, sheepishly. “I can wait for you to get ready and drive you to campus, if you want.”
Danika glances at her phone, which she’d retrieved sometime after our second round and plugged into the outlet next to the bed. “Nah, I don’t have to get there until eight. I’ll drive myself. Thanks though.” She turns back over and curls deeper into the pillow.
I have to physically pull myself out the door to not join her back in that bed. She looks like a goddamn angel.
“Dinner later. I’m cooking,” I say, pulling on my pants. Danika turns back around to look at me. “Consider it a date.”
She nods and smiles.
Another date with Danika. This time, I’m making it official. I’m keeping the brat for good.
“Iced coconut latte.”
I barely hold back my grimace and ring the man up, turning to make his drink. I swear, the more time I’m spending doing this job, the less I want to drink coffee.
After he leaves, I glance at the clock and wonder if Danika is going to stop by before her lecture. The bell rings over the door and I’m hoping it’s her.
“Hey,” a female voice says.
Turning around, I give a smile but it turns out it’s the wrongher.“Hi.”
“Been using the app?” The nameless blonde asks.
“Are you stalking me?”
She rolls her eyes. “Please. Not my fault this is the only coffee shop on campus. A large black coffee please.”
I turn to make her drink and she keeps talking. “So, have you?”
I nod. “Actually, it’s been pretty helpful.”
“Would you mind meeting with me once or twice so I can interview you about using it?” She taps her card on the register and takes the hot beverage from my hand.
“Woah, hold on. I didn’t sign up to be a test dummy for your psych class.”
“Of course not, and you’re not the only person I have testing this app, it’s just…every person’s feedback helps.”
I think for a minute. This app really has helped me, I should help her with her class. It’s the least I can do. “When do you wanna meet?”