Carter: Cut the shit. You know what. Did you figure out how to crash at Piper’s?
Holt: I’m on her couch now.
Carter: Good.
I wait for any kind of additional message from him, but don’t receive one. He must approve, otherwise he would have let me know. Carter is a man of few words. He is similar to my brother in that way. I look at my watch and see that it is a little after 10:00 pm. I close my eyes and inhale. Smelling everything that is Piper. If I focus, I can smell her shower gel from the bathroom.
I haven’t been sleeping long when all of a sudden I hear whimpering. Instantly I know that it is coming from Piper’s room. I get up and quickly make my way to her bedroom. I push the door all the way open, and pause for a minute. Piper is still sleeping, but she is tossing and turning on the bed. Her sheets are twisted around her.
The sounds she is making piss me off and hurt me physically at the same time. I make my way to the bed and start to shush her in soothing tones. I run my hand through her still damp hair. Her whimpering eases a little, but doesn’t stop completely.
I can’t bear it any longer and I lay on the bed and pull her to me. She stirs a little and then falls back asleep. Her head nestles under my chin, her hands clasped underneath her chin. She stirs again and murmurs something I don’t catch before her breathing evens out.
I take a deep breath, relieved that her sounds of distress have stopped but painfully aware of her soft curvy body pressed against mine. Taking another deep breath, I try to calm myself down. Visions of me flipping her over on her back, pinning her hands above her head, and having my way with her flash across my imagination.
She would be making totally different sounds then. I can picture her panting, rounded rosy cheeks, moaning and writhing against me, glassy eyes. I breathe out slowly and try to picture anything else.
I can’t show my hand yet, but I don’t think it is a bad idea for us to wake up all tangled up together. As a matter of fact, I think that this is the perfect turn of events. It may help to speed up my mental timeline a bit. I press my lips to the top of her head and breathe in. She smells like coconuts. It is my last thought as I drift off to sleep.
Chapter 9
Piper
I hear something in the distance, but I feel like it is so far away. I’m so comfortable and relaxed. Which is something that is confusing to me. It is like I am under water. My bed starts to move, and I realize something is different. Something is rubbing my back. I hear a soft voice murmuring my name. I take a deep breath and immediately smell something piney and citrusy and clean and very male.
My eyes pop open and I’m met with a smooth muscular pec that is covered in intricate ink. Before I can investigate it, I try to scramble back to put space between Holt and I.How did we get here?His arms are firm, but he did let me put some space between us. I just need a few inches so that he doesn’t feel my less than toned midsection.
Holt seems oblivious to my predicament, and chuckles lightly. I feel like I have entered some sort of alternate universe, or the twilight zone.Maybe I am still asleep.
“Morning,” his voice rumbles. It is rough with sleep, and it makes my stomach flip flop like I’m on a rollercoaster.
“Morning,” I respond mechanically. I look up at him and see his calculated gaze inspecting me. Quickly, I avert my gaze and ask a question to distract him.
“What time is it,” I ask. I do need to know. I have to get to the cafe. He clears his throat and pauses. For a minute, I wonder if he plans to answer my question.
“A few minutes after 4:00,” he speaks lowly. I wince. I’m so glad that tomorrow I can sleep in. I just need a few hours. I try to roll off the bed again and Holt keeps me there. My cheeks get hot as I realize we are still cuddling.How did we get here?That question keeps repeating itself in my brain.
The problem is, if I ask I may not like the answer. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and maybe I’ll lie to myself a little about this situation. Holt can sense the unasked question hanging in the air.
“You were having a nightmare, I came in to try to wake you up. I must of fallen asleep,” he shrugs.SHRUGS, as if it is no big deal. And to him, it probably isn’t. I’m sure he finds himself in this situation frequently. For me, this is a highly unusual occurrence. I try to brush it off and follow his lead though.
“Sorry I woke you up,” the apology is true. I feel bad that we both had uninterrupted sleep because of my overactive brain.
“Piper,” he says my name in a scolding tone. I look up at his face. He looks frustrated.With me?
“You don’t need to apologize every 5 minutes,” he says. His tone is a bit lighter, but I sense the seriousness behind the statement.
“In fact, I would suggest that you don’t. Unless you want to face the consequences,” his tone is still serious.
I look up and see a gleam in his blue eyes. He is mischievous and playful, but under that, he is a bit of a mystery. I snicker.
“Consequences, sure, sure,” I appreciate him lightening the mood. All of a sudden, I feel a hand spank my butt cheek, hard. I squeak, a sound I didn’t know I was capable emitting, and look up at him. He nods in agreement.
“Consequences,” he confirms. Before I can say anything he gets up. My mouth drops open as I take in his shirtless frame.
The boxers he is wearing leave little to the imagination. Holt has different shades of grey and black ink running up his muscular left arm and over his left pec. His toned body is on full display, and I don’t know what to do with myself.
“Piper,” I hear his voice as if it is far away. Shaking my head I look up at his ridiculously symmetrical face—with the exception of a slightly crooked nose. It must have been broken at some point in his life. You would think that would detract from his good looks. It does the opposite. He has a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
