“But, I can’t seem to sleep in your bed without you in it,” I stammered, feeling a bit awkward. “Would you mind, I mean could you?” I asked, drifting off, my face flaming. We’d never been in this situation before. Sal and I had slept together almost immediately. This whole dancing around each other thing was brand new.
His smile turned warm and knowing. “Yeah, baby, I can do that,” he replied easily, sitting up and tossing his blanket aside.
Dear god, hewasjust in boxers. His tall, muscled frame stalked toward me and I swallowed audibly.
I looked up at the ceiling and prayed for strength.
He led me back to his bedroom, his hand warm and strong over mine. He got in on his side and I got in on mine, and I immediately felt much more at ease.
How annoying was that?
“’Night,” I said, turning my back to him with determination to not give him any invitation for more. It wouldn’t take much for me to give in; hell, a look at this point might do it.
“’Night, sweetness,” his voice came through the darkness, sending my already revving libido into overdrive. I squeezed my thighs together and took a deep breath, forcing my body to relax.
Listening to Sal’s familiar breathing behind me and his comforting smell surrounding me, I was able to fall into a deep, restful sleep.
Chapter 9
The next morning, I woke up and found myself wrapped around Sal like a vine.
Shit.
I carefully extricated myself from his reassuring warmth and slipped out of bed to head for the bathroom. Sal had always been a late riser, and I figured he needed his sleep after the past few days. I was happy to find my neck and face felt much better. A look in the mirror confirmed the bruising was lightening as well. Some heavy makeup should be able to cover up my eye and a scarf would do the trick with my neck. I could probably get away with working my shift the following evening. I couldn’t afford to take any time off, especially not with the weekend coming up when the tips were best.
I decided to go for a run before Sal woke up. I knew it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Ok, it was downright stupid, but damn I needed it. It was the perfect way to clear my head. I quietly threw on my running gear in the bathroom and put a ball cap on to try to cover up some of my face. I slipped out of the house quietly after disarming the alarm.
Sal did the security set up for the club and their businesses. He was really good at what he did and seemed to enjoy it. Back when Scarlet had been having issues with her insane ex-boyfriend, Sal had done up Cole’s house like a freaking vault. You needed more codes than the CIA to get in the door.
I pushed myself hard, relishing the burn in my muscles as I pounded the pavement and allowed my mind to drift. Maybe Scar would bring the baby by today. I was dying to see my little Gracie. Then my thoughts drifted to Sal. I felt utterly confused about him. Where had he been all this time? The thing that scared me the most was how right it felt to have him back. Spending time with him made me realize how truly hollow I’d felt with him gone. I hadn’t slept, hadn’t truly lived during those months despite my best effort to the contrary.
Could I possibly take the risk of giving him another shot? What if it was like before and he didn’t let me in? What if I was left doubting how he felt about me like I always had? The man didn’t even hold my hand in public. I’d always told myself it didn’t matter that he wasn’t physically affectionate in front of other people. But, I’d always wondered why he didn’t stake his claim in public the way he unerringly did in private. If we were going to give this another go, big emphasis on theif, he’d have to try harder. We both would.
When I got back to the house, breathing hard, I went straight to the kitchen for a drink of water.
“What the fuck,” Sal barked from behind me.
I jumped about a mile in the air. I hadn’t noticed him standing there. “What?” I asked despite the fact I knew exactly why he was so pissed.
“Please tell me you didn’t just go for a run alone and wearingthat,” he growled.
I looked down at my outfit. I was wearing the shorts and sports bra I always wore when I ran. “What?” I asked again.
“Christ, did you wear this shit before?” he demanded.
“Uh, yeah, you were just always asleep when I got back,” I replied haughtily. I didn’t run outside often anyway; it was usually too hot.
He took a deep breath as though gathering himself. He was shirtless but had at least thrown on some black shorts. Those six-pack abs and chiseled V, which led below his shorts, was making it hard to concentrate. A few months ago, I would have crossed the room, pulled those shorts off, and dropped to my knees. My mouth watered a bit at the thought.
He surprised me by getting in my space and backing me up against the counter, his arms braced on either side of me. He looked down at me and I gulped slightly at what I was fairly sure was lust burning in his eyes.
“You keep looking at me like that and my mouth’s going to be between your legs before we have a chance to talk about things,” he growled.
I felt my face flush and my heart began to pound as I bit back the nearly overwhelming desire to pull his body to mine in what was sure to be a life-altering kiss. I could feel the heat coming off him as he stood a mere inch from me, pressing me into the counter. I was immediately damp between my legs and inwardly chastised myself for not having more of a handle on myself around him.
“You shouldn’t be running outside alone right now,” he said gruffly. “And you shouldn’t be wearingthatat any time,” he added, looking down at my body with a fierce expression. “Unless it’s just for me, that is,” he added.
The audacity of this man, honestly.