“Late,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms. His torso was bare, and she hummed happily, burrowing the side of her face against the dusting of hair covering his chest. Long fingers slid through her locks, gentle strokes along her scalp that had her eyes nearly sliding closed in contentment. “I’m sorry for waking you.”
Nessa brushed her lips over his chest. “It’s okay. I’m glad you came over.”
“I told you I’d come back, sweetheart,” Murphy whispered but his words were completely devoid of life. She could almost sense how exhausted he felt. She couldn’t imagine how rough his day must have been. What he’d gone through. But she was determined to do whatever she could to make it better.
Needing to be closer to him, to comfort him, Nessa entwined her legs with his, the fabric of his boxers rubbing against her inner thigh. She’d gone to bed in a tank top and her favoritesleep shorts, but now she wished there was nothing separating their bodies.
“I know, but you had a lot going on, and the drive here is pretty long, so I would have understood if you’d stayed home.”
Murphy gripped the back of her head, turning her face up and away from his chest. Leaning down, he captured her mouth with his, angling himself until he was partially on top of her, holding her head still as he licked the seam of her lips, silently demanding entry.
With a small, needy whimper, Nessa complied, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and tugging him closer. Murphy’s tongue sank into her mouth, teasing hers with firm strokes that had heat igniting in her core, a rising desire causing her clit to ache with want. She arched into him, her breasts pressing against his chest as her nipples hardened beneath her shirt, the material a delicious friction against the sensitive buds.
Murphy kissed her again, lighter than before. And then he pulled away, rolling onto his back. He lifted her with him, settling her until she was lying on top of him, her head resting in the crook of his neck.
She tried to regulate her breathing, but it was difficult when all she could think about was how easy it would be to dip her hand into Murphy’s boxers, to pull his thick cock free and guide him into her pussy.
Was now the right time for sex, though? It would be a hell of a distraction, and given how responsive she was from just a kiss, she didn’t think she’d have any triggers to worry about.
But would Murphy want that?
His hands found their way back into her hair. Leisurely, he combed the thick strands. “You’re my home, Nes,” he murmured into the darkness, affection seeping from his voice and nearly melting into a pile of mushy emotions right on the bed. “I don’twant to spend a single night away from you; I don’t care how long the drive is.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught; a different, tender warmth spreading through her at his words. “You’re my home, too,” she admitted softly, emboldened by the dark surrounding them. “I’ve been thinking about hiring an employee or two so I won’t have to devote so much time to the teahouse,” she blurted out suddenly.
Well, she hadn’t been thinking about it until right this second. Originally, the idea of handing over her baby to someone else only made her anxious. She hadn’t wantedanyonein her space.
But that was before Murphy.
Before she’d found herself falling in love with him.
Now she wanted to spend all of her time with him, and it made little sense for him to drive out of his way to see her every day. It was sweet, but unnecessary, and it would inevitably put a strain on him when he needed to be at his place to handle bear clan issues.
Besides, they’d live together eventually, wouldn’t they? They’d mate, hopefully sooner rather than later, and she didn’t plan to spend any of her nights away from him then, either. It just seemed right with him. Why hold off?
The only logical thing to do would be to hire someone for her teahouse. Nessa wouldn’t have to worry about being in town every day to open or close. Then she could sleep at his place and use his gorgeous kitchen, surrounded by his amazing views of the woods. She’d wake up in his arms every day, feeling happy and safe and cared for.
Murphy’s fingers stilled in her hair. “Oh, yeah?” The interest in his voice was unmistakable, and she smiled.
Nessa burrowed closer to him, the heat of his body relaxing hers. “Mmhm. I think it’s a good idea. That way I can infiltrate your home, take it over and move in before you even realizewhat’s happened,” she half-joked. “One day, your bathroom will be neat and organized, and the next you’ll find a million bobby pins scattered across the counter and have no idea where to put them all.”
“You make it sound like that isn’texactlywhat I want, little mate.”
“Better put a claiming bite on me, then, before someone else tries to snap up this tempting offer.” Nessa kept her tone light, hoping that teasing him would take his mind off of Dante and Marcus.
Murphy growled playfully, rolling them over until Nessa was beneath him, his eyes glowing with that vivid golden hue that she’d come to adore so much. His hips settled between her thighs, his hard length pressing through his boxers and over her slit as he kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” Nessa cupped his cheek, his stubble tickling her palm as she gazed up at him. “Do you want to talk about today?”
A slight tremor went through him, and the glow in his eyes dimmed. “Not yet. The only thing I want to think about tonight is you.”
“Okay,” she murmured.
Maybe it was time to try her other method of distraction …
Sliding her palm to the back of his neck, she pulled him down until his body pressed fully into hers. Her lips brushed against his as her free hand wandered from his chest, down toward his torso.
“I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I missed you,” she breathed against his mouth, kissing him again.
