A pressure wound itself around my shins. The cat.
“It’s been alongday.” Autumn flipped on the light. “It’ll be so nice to sleep in my own—” Those expressive amber eyes shot toward me. Her pink lips parted.
“Our bed,” I said more to see how she reacted. I was not disappointed. The ripe mouth, the way she blushed when she thought of me and the bed at the same time.
She pursed her lips and a worry line formed across her forehead.
Heat coiled in my gut, but I needed a clear head to figure out how to stop the sale. I couldn’t get wrapped up in this lust I felt around Autumn, but we also had a deal and I hadn’t done my part yet. I didn’t want to consider the consequences of having a baby.
The main problem was that getting between Autumn’s legs could be detrimental to my clear head. I wasn’t sure what the hell to think about kids yet, and I didn’t need her soft-in-all-the-right-places body wreaking havoc with my thinking.
But I wanted to fuck her. Badly.
She’d been a rock all day. Facing her family, telling her mama, and cleaning up after dinner. The only time she’d wavered was when she’d realized I was supposed to meet Taya at the club.
I’d meant what I’d told her. Last night had been fun—sitting with a sexy woman who wasn’t afraid of what she liked and was proud to share it with others had been refreshing. It was the first night in a long time I hadn’t talked solely about my job.
“I have a futon in the office.” She took off down the hall. The cat pranced behind her.
No fucking way. I hadn’t slept on a floor, futon, pullout, or in my car since college, and I wasn’t doing it now. “We need to get used to sleeping together.”
She stopped, frozen.
“Not like that, firecracker.” Not yet. As soon as my lawyer expedited my early morning request, I’d retroactively fix the target I’d drawn on myself when I’d married her with no prenup. And we’d have divorce papers just asquickly. I wasn’t ready to wade into the mess that was parental rights and custody arrangements. But I also wasn’t sleeping on a goddamn futon after slumbering next to her last night. “We’ll sleep in the same bed and get used to each other for another night. Without alcohol.”
The bloom was back on her cheeks. Would she blush like that after she orgasmed? How far would it spread over her body?
The heat coiled tighter in my gut. I’d sleep with a raging erection all night if I kept those thoughts up.
“It was easier when I didn’t know you were in bed with me.”
Not for me. I’d caught myself watching her twice. What was it like to sleep with that much abandon? To be sprawled in a near stranger’s bed and snooze like it was the safest, most comfortable spot in the world? I paid for an excellent mattress. I had room-darkening shades for the wall of windows if needed. I was regimented about when I had caffeine and how much. Nothing fucked with my sleep, and yet, at best, I could get a few hours of actual rest. Otherwise, a mouse could cough and wake me up.
“I can wait until you’re asleep.”
She lifted her chin, rallying at the idea of going to bed with me. A guy with a lesser ego might be insulted. Instead, I was amused.
“No,” she said, “otherwise Sprinkles will take your spot.”
“The cat sleeps in the bed?” I wasn’t used to sharing, and I wasn’t used to cats.
“Every night,” she said, like she was challenging me to cut the cat off. “Didn’t you ever have a house pet?”
“No. The dog worked more than I did.” Sawyer had passed shortly after I left for college. I suspected Dad had forgotten to feed him. One more strike against the man. “Mom didn’t like cats.”
She smothered her surprise. Was it unheard of not to like cats? “If I lock her out, she’ll yowl at the door.”
“She’s welcome to stay.” Part of me was curious how the tiny feline thought she could rule the bed against two adults.
Autumn jerked her thumb over her shoulder and cocked her head. “I’ll use the bathroom first and then...”
I punched down my brewing laughter. She was uncomfortable. I was... interested. Intrigued.
I never overnighted with a woman. If we ended up in the same bed, that meant we had gone to that bed for one specific reason. I didn’t witness bedtime routines. I saw no pajama choices. By morning, I was alone again. Just how I preferred it.
Autumn’s butt swayed against the long sweater she had on over her leggings. I’d seen her in all of two outfits, but she’d hidden her ass with each of them.
I ground my molars together. An ass like that shouldn’t be hidden. I could quickly become obsessed with the globes of her butt bouncing under the fabric.
