She squeaks in alarm anyway, twisting around to face me, and I lose track of all thought as my brain registers what’s in front of me.
“Ohmygod, Xander!” she breathes, and I can sense the mortification rolling off of her in palpable waves, her cheeks turning a vibrant, pretty shade of pink. Her hair is tied up in a messy topknot on the top of her head, her glasses on her nose, and her face is free of makeup. She’s sleep rumpled and so fucking pretty. I can’t stop staring at her, at the body that’s on full display currently.
She’s got Bea nursing, cradled expertly in one arm, the baby’s dark head against her exposed breast. She’s wearing some flimsy, comfortable looking bralette—though one cup has been pulled down to allow access for Bea to nurse—and a pair of boy-short panties that come up just below her navel that is all she’s got on her lower half. Her legs are bare from hip to ankle and her soft stomach is exposed between the edge of her panties and the bottom band of the bra. That soft, short robe that she was wearing before is on her arms, though it’s been left untied so the edges hang at her sides, and one shoulder has fallen halfway down her arm. Like she just rolled out of bed and barely took the time to shove her arms into the garment. She clutches the edge of her robe in her free hand, pulling it across her body, but fuck, I wish she wouldn’t. I’m utterly and completely transfixed by this woman.
“Do you need help with something?” I ask, my voice hoarse. I clear my throat. Shit.
“Umm. I think her pacifier with her stuffy attached to it fell out of my bag in the car, I was just going to go look for it—” she mumbles, gesturing behind her toward her vehicle. She’s still blushing a deep, rosy pink. “I’m sorry if we woke you.”
I stride forward, skirting around her. She moves to take a step after me, but I say, “Stay there. You don’t have shoes on. I’ll find it.”
Sliding the driver’s side rear door open, I reach inside and flip on the overhead light. Squeezing myself between the narrow seats made all the narrower because of the bulky car seats strapped in is no easy feat, but I manage, and I’m back a moment later with the pacifier clipped to a tiny, pink stuffed puppy.
“Oh my god,thank you,” she whispers after I close the sliding door and walk back toward her. “I should have come back out last night to find it, but I was so tired and they were all sleeping finally and I just didn’t want to get back out of bed…”
Bea is still suckling happily at Teddy’s left breast, the slope of it bare. I stop close to her, passing the lost pacifier and stuffy to her as she reaches for it. She’s somehow managed—mom’s never cease to amaze me at how they can do things single handed—to pull both edges of the robe together, and has loosely tied the sash around her middle, so her body is covered now. Much to my own disappointment.
“I’m sorry if we woke you up,” she says again, her chin tipping up toward me as she looks at me. There’s a line across one cheek from her pillow, and it makes me smile, thinking about her sleeping so soundly.
“You didn’t,” I whisper back, letting my gaze trail over every inch of her face. It’s warm out, despite the early hour, this record heatwave we’ve had not abating in the slightest. Or maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just set ablaze from the inside out by this woman. A breeze stirs and swipes one wayward strand of hair from her messy topknot across her cheek, and I don’t stop myself from reaching out to tuck it behind her ear. Her breath catches atmy touch, her lips parting slightly, and fucking hell, all I want is to duck my head and see if that sound tastes good against my own lips. “I was already up. We just got a roll in Cali, so I’ll be leaving in a bit.”
“Oh,” she breathes, her dark blonde brows pulling over her eyes. Those eyes track over my face, ping-ponging between my eyes and my mouth. She licks her lips, then nods. “Well, I’m glad we didn’t wake you.”
“If you need anything, you call,” I murmur quietly, reaching my hand out to slide my palm over her now covered shoulder and arm. She’s got my number. Not that she’s ever used it. “Anytime. For anything. I mean it, Teddy.”
She rolls her eyes and laughs lightly, but nods again. I love the sound, so soft and husky, and the way her mouth tilts up with that smile. “Sure. While you’re out on a fire call three states away, I’ll make sure to call you if I lose Bea’s stuffy again.”
“I’ll make sure my phone is charged at all times.” My tone is teasing, but fuck, I’m not joking. “Come on, let me walk you girls back inside.”
One corner of her lips turns up slightly, but she turns and walks back toward her front door. I can’t help it, my eyes land and stay on the delectable, full curve of her ass beneath the thin material of her robe as she walks. Her body sways and jiggles with each step and goddamn, I’m practically salivating and half hard in my pants. Christ, what this woman does to me without even trying.
Guess there’s no sense in denying how fucking badly I want her.
Stepping up onto the covered patio, she turns to face me. We’re closer to the same height now, though I’m still taller by an inch or two. She wrinkles her nose and smiles, and it sends a crack down my chest. “So, is this good night or good morning?”
My face splits in a grin and I chuckle. Fuck she’s cute.
“Are you going to go in and try to get a few more hours of sleep?” I ask.
“Yes, as long as this one lets me put her down,” she says, wiggling Bea just the slightest in her arms.
She’s stopped suckling and is back to sleep, and at the wiggle, her little mouth pops off Teddy’s breast, leaving the nipple exposed. I drop my eyes as Teddy reaches down to shift the robe over herself as she laughs self-consciously. She covers her face with her free hand then and groans miserably.
“Ohmygod.Honestly, it’s like I can’tnotembarrass myself when you’re around. I swear, this type of stuff only happens when you’re here to witness my humiliation. I’m so sorry. Please forget you just saw all this—” she whispers, the words spilling out of her as she waves to herself as a whole. My jaw ticks as I clench my teeth together. Another self-deprecating laugh escapes her and her cheeks flush an even darker pink. “God, I hope I didn’t just scar you for life.”
Stepping forward, I crowd into her space, forcing her back a step. Her hand drops to her side as she raises her gaze to mine, mouth dropping open. “Not fucking likely, Teddy.”
“What?” she whispers, the sound barely a breath between us.
“You said forget all this—” I rasp, dropping my gaze from hers to travel over her entire body and back up again. “Not fucking likely, Teddy. I’ve been dying to see more of you. And I’m not disappointed in what I’ve seen so far, beautiful.”
Her mouth is still open, quiet, panting breaths escaping her as her eyes bounce between mine.
Bravely, I trail just the tip of my finger along the fluttering edge of the robe that was hastily pulled over her breasts, my finger grazing her warm skin at the edge along the slope of her chest. My voice is low and gruff as I murmur, “Go inside. I’m staying until I hear the lock.”
She takes a step back, then another, though her eyes don’tleave mine. I nod toward the door. Turning, she opens it, then steps inside.
“Good night, Teddy.”
