“I put it on the nightstand, but I’ll remember to put it under your pillow next time.” I stare at Paxton and then quickly shift my attention to the other side of the bed, where he is not.
“You got out of bed.” It comes out like an accusation, but maybe it is.
“I wanted to have food ready for you when you woke up.” This may be a good enough reason for me to forgive him. He leans up against the doorframe, watching me. At one point he must have changed as well because he’s now in sweatpants and a plain white shirt.
“You got up,” I repeat more to myself, shaking my head. “This is bad.” I throw my legs over the side of the bed and quickly realize that I’m naked. I can see traces of Paxton on the inside of my thighs.
It thrusts forward all the sensations and feelings I experienced last night in a wave of heat, making my whole body warm.
“Talk to me.” Paxton appears relaxed without a care in the world.
“We can’t do this.” I stand, seeing Paxton’s shirt from last night on the floor. I grab it and put it on. My fingers fumble with the buttons.
“Let me.” Then he’s right there, buttoning them for me as my mind keeps racing. “Look at me.” Paxton doesn’t give me much of a choice as his hand cups my face and gently tilts my head backward.
Yes, that’s part of the problem right there. Paxton did it without me having a choice. Not because I couldn’t get away from him, but to do so I’d have to hurt him, and I don’t want to do such a thing.
“Tell me what that mind of yours is thinking.”
“I’m a light sleeper,” I tell him. How the fuck did he get out of that bed without me waking up? I’m broken. This is all his fault. He broke me, and I don’t know how to feel about it.
“Maybe I wore you out.” That can’t be. I could run a marathon and still sleep lightly enough to wake at any sound or movement. But I cannot deny this happened, so he could be right. Paxton kisses the tip of my nose.
“Don’t do that,” I snip at him, feeling guilty as I do, but he only smiles at me. The heat of my words doesn’t have him stepping away like it does everyone else. In fact, he doesn’t move at all, his hands still cupping my cheeks. “My brothers and I play a game,” I tell him, making his brows rise.
“Not where I thought this conversation was going.” He lets out a low, annoying chuckle that might also be hot as hell.
“Or maybe not a game but a challenge. Who could get a sticker onto my nose without waking me.” They loved the hell out of that game, but it was more than a game, and they knew that too when I started playing it back with them. It is something you must train your body to be able to do. To protect itself at all times no matter what.
“You Marinos really don’t fuck around.” He drops his hands from my face. “I sleep light too, Sunshine. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“That’s not the point!”
“Well, I think it is.” He shrugs, stepping back.
“Don’t shrug at me.” A silent laugh leaves him. I narrow my eyes on myself.
“Maybe your subconscious trusts me.” That gives me pause. Could that be it?
“We barely know each other,” I point out, not ready to give in to his idea yet.
“All right then, what about your possessiveness? Wouldn’t that be too fast too?”
“It’s different.”
“Is it?” he challenges. “You think it’s different because you can sense that one.”
“I don’t know.” I rub my eyes. “I should walk away from you, but I’m not sure that I can.” The thought of leaving him has me clenching my fists.
A chime followed by a loud knocking interrupts my thoughts. It’s my cousins, I’m sure. I turn to head toward the door, but Paxton wraps an arm around me, pulling my back to his chest.
“Pants, babe.”
“It’s just?—”
“For me.” On things to give on, this is an easy one, so I comply. It doesn’t help that when he calls me those little names, all my insides melt. It leads to an urge to be closer to him.
“Okay.”
