Hell, I might have to deal with more than that sometime in the future. The thought made my chest ache.
Was I enough to keep her happy in Haven?
Annoyed with myself, I opened my fridge to find leftovers from the night before. Too tired to even heat up the cold pasta, I grabbed a fork and stabbed at it while leaning on the counter.
My phone lit up and I checked it, only to find another idea from Molly.
It was a good one, but I didn’t want to give up on a last-minute retail artist if I could help it. Hoping a shower would help clear my head, I took my dish with me, eating on my way down the hall.
Velma was asleep on my bed, stretched out without a care in the world.
“Must be nice.” I stroked a hand down her belly, and she opened her big green eyes for a second before passing back out with a big sigh.
I set my empty bowl on the counter of my bathroom and stripped out of my muddy clothes and stood under the punishing spray until I the steam and exhaustion made me sway. I turned off the shower and stumbled into my room, face planting on the bed.
Velma gave an annoyed yowl and sauntered off. I dropped into sleep in what felt like a second later.
“Oh, Tate.”
I turned my face to the voice. “Amber?” I mumbled into the pillow.
“Yeah, it’s me.” She stumbled a little and she giggled. “You’re butt naked.”
I pushed myself up onto my forearm, one eye open. “Are you drunk?”
“Maybe.” She put up a finger in a shush. “Don’t tell.”
I rolled onto my side, squinting at the clock. “It’s three in the morning.”
“I know.” She toed off her ugly boots and crawled up my bed. She was wearing one of my hoodies, and it was so big on her I could tell there was nothing else under there. “I put James to bed and tried to sleep, but the ceiling was spinning and you weren’t there.”
“C’mere.” I pulled her under my arm and rolled us both under the covers.
She snuggled back against me. “Blind faith,” she whispered as she pulled a pillow under her head.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just hold me.”
I sighed. “Sleeping without you sucks.”
“I know. I don’t want to do that again.”
“Good.” I held her closer and slipped into sleep.
My blaring clock alarm seemed to go off about twenty seconds later. I groaned and curled Amber closer into me, my fingers slipping under the hem of my sweatshirt and found nothing else.
“Did you walk over to my place with nothing but my hoodie?”
She wiggled her butt against my morning hard-on. “Maybe.”
I groaned. “You are an evil woman.”
“I know.” She reached back to sift her fingers through my hair. “Do you have to go?”
I groaned, burying my face in her hair and the well-worn cotton that smelled like her. Like spice and laundry sheets and her shampoo that drove me crazy. I slipped my fingers down her belly to between her legs.
She sighed as she opened for me.
