He nodded and staggered off down a hallway to our right. I watched to see which door he went through, even though there were only three choices, and then I snooped. The kitchen was beyond an arch across from the door and was sparse—there wasn’t anything sitting around on the counters, and the small round wooden table was clean except for salt and pepper shakers. The fridge was nearly empty when I opened it, and while I didn’t think Flynn was so hard up he couldn’t afford to stock his kitchen, maybe he simply hadn’t bothered. I didn’t find bottles of water and ended up running a cold glass from the kitchen sink for him. When I was done being nosy I found him in his bedroom struggling with his tie.
“Stop,” I said with a laugh. This room was another depressing one. It was clear someone had taken artwork off the walls because there were cleaner spots on the paint, and there was a space on the floor where I thought a dresser was missing. I set the glass of water on the single nightstand and carefully began to undress Flynn, taking my time. I liked watching the clothing come off his strong body and was hard as fuck by the time I had him stripped down to his boxer briefs—and his cock was trying to bust free, too. I caressed my thumbs along the waistband of the sexy black underwear.
“Judge,” he murmured, gaze dropping to my mouth.
I kissed him and tasted fresh peppermint, then leaned back to smile. “You’re drunk, and I’m here to make sure you’re okay, so you’re getting in this bed and going to sleep.”
He frowned but nodded, and I pulled back the blankets. The bed wasn’t that big and he winced when he climbed in, almost like it wasn’t comfortable, either. “Stay, please?” he asked as I went across the room to turn off the overhead light. The small glow of the lamp beside the bed made his eyes seem extra-dark and beautiful. I’d planned to put him to bed and go because the last thing I wanted was for him to wake up and think I’d taken advantage of him.
“Please? Please, Sir?”
“I’m not having sex with you right now,” I murmured, laying down a clear line we wouldn’t cross. Maybe he could tell by the tone of my voice I meant business because he nodded fast.
“Please, stay with me.”
I checked my phone and it was almost two in the morning. “Fuck it. Yes, I want to, and if you’re mad at me later for being here, you’re in trouble.” I winked at him.
He shook his head. “No, I want you here, it’s just mortifying.”
Stripping my T-shirt up over my head, I hesitated before I tossed it on the floor. He stared at me with enough heat in his gaze that I momentarily regretted the no-sex rule, but I wasn’t going to give him a real reason not to trust me—not when I’d pushed so much already. I shoved down my pants and kicked off my sneakers. “Why?” I finally asked as I went around the bed and curled myself against his back. He let out the cutest little sigh, and I kissed his shoulder as I leaned over to turn off the lamp. The darkness was cozy and I loved being in a bed with him, even if the mattress was lumpy.
“Your house is probably a lot nicer. Your car doesn’t break down. It’s new.” He sounded scared and I wasn’t sure why, so I gave him an extra-hard hug.
“Flynn, you’re one of a kind. I don’t care about that shit.”
“What if—”
“Listen,” I murmured, scooting up as close to his back as I could get. “My parents love me. I do come from a nice part of the city, have cash in the bank. Yes, all that shit’s true. I also want to be with you. Those things have nothing to do with you, except they make my life easier, and that will probably mean sometimes it makes your life easier. When I think about you, I think of how sexy you are, and how you were... so sure of yourself that first night we fucked. How you knew you wanted me in your ass and wanted me to make you feel good.” I nibbled on his neck, and he sighed and snuggled back against me. “You’re making me prove to you that I’m worth catching you.”
“Don’t I need to prove to you that I’m worth... catching?”
“No, I already know you are.”
He hummed and nestled back into my arms, and he wasn’t a small guy, so it was more like I was huddling my body against his, but I loved it. “Go to sleep, Rookie.”
“Goodnight, Charming.” He snickered and it turned into a very adorable, breathless little sound that was nearly a giggle.
Grinning, I held him close, and even though I was hard as hell, after a while I drifted off to sleep because this was exactly where I wanted to be.
Something... bothered me. I wasn’t sure what. The shadows loomed around us, and I held Flynn closer as I listened. I’d been woken up by a noise... maybe. Something had disturbed me that didn’t belong in the quiet softness of the streetlights that filtered through the windows. I closed my eyes and listened. There it was—a shuffle in the hallway. Shoes on the carpet. Tensing, I struggled to get my brain to wake the hell up. I didn’t think Flynn had a dog or cat, but maybe I was wrong? Could I be hearing a pet?
The door creaked and I opened my eyes. Yes, there was definitely someone in this house, and then I saw the shape of a man, maybe about my height, creep into the room. I waited to see what he would do. Flynn and I could take him, I was sure, but I didn’t want the man to realize he’d been seen until I was knocking his ass on the floor. He crept across the room and my gut twisted as he approached the bed. We were probably in deep shadow, so maybe he didn’t realize we were here?
Our luck probably wasn’t that good.
Holding my breath, I waited until he came around to my side of the bed and the blankets lifted, and then I shot up and pushed him with all my strength. He grunted and hit the wall with a shout.
“What?” Flynn asked, sitting up.
I was already out of the bed, grabbing the guy by his shoulders and shoving him to the floor. The lamp on the nightstand snapped on, and I drew back and punched the guy right in the nose.
“Stop. Shit, Judge, stop!”
I glanced back at Flynn, and the man under me took his opening and punched out. Pain rippled through me as I saw stars in my left eye. My adrenaline roared to life. I jabbed him back, then strong arms were around my middle, dragging me away.
“It’s my ex, it’s my ex. Fuck. Don’t kill him.”
For a second, my mind spun, but then the words made sense and I was even more furious. “The guy who stole your money?”
