Page 122 of My Favorite Hero

“Okay, then.”

We finished, and he left after kissing me goodbye. I worked until I couldn’t keep my eyes open, and I went upstairs and brushed my teeth. I pulled on a nightshirt and paused. Part of me—a big part—wanted to go to Jesse’s and crawl into his bed. Wait for him there.

Would he like that?

I wasn’t sure. And he hadn’t asked me to.

So I slid under my blanket, thinking it wasn’t as nice as Jesse’s. Or maybe because Jesse wasn’t under it with me. I tossed and turned for a while before I fell asleep. The bed felt cold and empty, which was strange because I usually slept in it alone since Jesse was too tall for it.

I startled awake at the feeling of being lifted by a pair of strong arms. Jesse was muttering, and I was too tired to open my eyes as he descended the stairs. I caught something about wrong bed and what was I doing, but I just snuggled closer, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. A moment later, I was in his bed, pulled to his chest as he huffed out a hard breath.

“Better,” he grumped. “You could have saved me a lot of trouble if you’d just been here when I got home.”

“Didn’t know,” I muttered, patting his torso and laying my hand on his heart. I liked the steady beat of it under my touch. It soothed me.

“Now you do,” he grunted.

“Okay, Thorne, put the Hulk away,” I said with a yawn.

“Go to sleep,” he sniped, but I heard the smile in his voice. “Stop bothering me.” He pressed a kiss to my hair. “And stay here.”

I was certain I dreamed the next part.

“Forever,” he whispered.

The next morning was bright and clear. We drank coffee with the door open, the warmth already building for the day.

“You were out late,” I observed. “Did you have a good time?”

He grinned. “Won the tournament.”

“Good job. Was there a prize?”

“Bragging rights and my bill was covered.”

“What did you sink them for?”

He lifted his eyebrows, widening his eyes as if he was making a big announcement. “Big bucks. A beer, a water, and a plate of wings.”

“Wow.”

He sipped his coffee. “It was nice to hang with them outside the station.” He leaned forward. “And guess who was there?”

I shrugged.

“Chris walked in with his girl of the night.”

“Ugh. What happened?”

“I have never seen anyone move so quickly. He grabbed her arm and practically dragged her out of there.”

“Were you threatening him?”

“No.”

“Thorne…” I warned.

“We might have set down our cues and leaned on the table, glaring at him until he noticed.”