“Night, babe.”
“Uh… night,” I replied, worrying that I’d toss and turn. How could I sleep next to Cal?
I didn’t have time to ask myself twice before I was asleep.
I had the sweetest dreams.
Chapter 14
Iawoke the next morning to a warm wall of muscle at my back. Cal’s arm was draped over me, holding me protectively against him even in sleep.
I couldn’t believe how well I’d slept. I shifted slightly and his arm grew tighter in response.
“Mornin’.” His raspy voice was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard.
“Morning,” I murmured.
“Sleep okay?” he asked.
“Never better,” I replied honestly.
“Hmmm,” he rumbled approvingly. The sound of his voice combined with the evidence of his arousal pressed to my lower back was about to send me over the edge. He made no effort to mask it, and my entire body heated in response. “You feel so good,” he murmured, his hand sweeping over the curve of my waist before gripping my hip firmly.
I squeezed my legs together in a futile attempt to soothe the ache. The man was driving me crazy and the whimper I couldn’t hold back told him as much.
He pulled away all too soon and I wanted to scream out my sexual frustration. “I’ll get Bubs,” he announced, rising and throwing on the sweats that lay by his side of the bed.
I hadn’t even heard Mason babbling, but could now hear his sweet little voice coming from his crib. He always woke up happy.
I nodded gratefully. I needed a minute to collect myself.
When I ventured out to the kitchen, Cal was making coffee and Mason was standing up, holding on to a kitchen chair. I scooped him up, covering his chubby face and neck with kisses.
“I never got to ask you, how was your first day back?” Cal asked as I sat Mason down in his high chair and set to work making breakfast.
“It was okay. Hard to be away from Mason, but it felt good to be back.”
“You work again tonight?”
“Yeah. I was hoping to swing by and see Scar and the baby before my shift.”
“I’ll go with you,” he replied, setting a cup of coffee in front of me. “I can take care of Mason when you go to work—if that’s ok with you,” he added.
After our conversation last night, it was clear he was trying even harder than before to respect my boundaries.
I gave him a warm smile. “That’d be great. Thank you.”
He patted my backside as he walked past. “No argument this time. We’re getting somewhere.”
I narrowed my eyes at him as he chuckled.
“The Sinners are comin’ to town,” he mentioned as he refilled his coffee cup. “The new chapter too.”
“Ah.” I nodded, distracted momentarily by Mason as he made a grab for my fork.
“We’ll put them up. Host a night at the club,” he explained. “I want to make sure you can find a sitter for Mason. I’d put a man on the house, of course.”
I turned to him, surprised at the suggestion. “I can just stay with him. Let you do your thing,” I replied easily.
