Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Anger stirs in my gut. For six fucking months, I missed out on this. She should have been sleeping by my side. My stupid reluctance held me back from what was right in front of me.
She stirs, nudging deeper into my shoulder, and lets out a soft moan. “This will never work.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I have a thing against dating a man who can’t sleep in on the weekends.”
“The sun is rising.”
“Sunrise is not acceptable.”
I run my lips across her forehead and feel her chest vibrating with her grunts.
“Go back to sleep.”
“How can I sleep if you’re awake?”
“Easy, drift back off.”
She peers up at me as the slightest ray of light slips through her blinds. Her green eyes sleepy but still shining, her blonde hair draped over my shoulder in a tussled mess, the beautiful soft expression cast on her face… The sight sets my pulse racing.
“What will you do while I sleep?” she whispers.
“Lay here and hold you. I have a lot of time to make up for.”
Her breath hitches, her gaze turning thoughtful. “Who are you?”
“The man that should have been right here for months.”
“I really want to kiss you right now.”
“I’m not stopping you.” I bend lower, and she jerks back, shaking her head.
“No, I have to brush my teeth. It’s a rule.”
“It’s a rule?”
“Yes, no one wants to kiss morning breath. It’s a rule I’ve always lived by.”
My possessive side rears its head, and a growl rumbles up my throat.
“Did you just growl?”
I twist us to the side, covering her body half with mine, and crash my mouth over hers. She yelps in protest but goes slack when my tongue curls around hers. Her neck slants, giving me deeper access. My body reacts, blood racing with need.
She writhes against me, pressing up so her pussy rubs my aching cock, and my brain fires at me to shut this down. Slowly, I pull back, skimming my lips across hers and feeling the warm wisps of her breath.
“As much as I hate it, there are men that came before me. But from this point on, they’re vapor. Wipe them from your mind and fuck your rule.”
Her gaze goes hard, and she struggles to scoot away. “Soooo sorry I’m not a virgin like —”
“Don’t finish that statement, Julianna. This isn’t about that. It’s about me being a jealous fucker who can’t stand the thought of anyone waking up to the beauty you gave me for the first time in my goddamn life.”
All the fight dies, and she grips my neck. “You haven’t…?”
“Not going there, but know nothing in thirty years has meant as much as seeing you laying across me peacefully, stirring awake, and giving me that image.”
“I don’t know how to react to that.”
“No reaction necessary. Just know it belongs to you, and if I have my way, always will.”
Her mouth snaps shut, and I decide to throw in more. “Tonight, I want you in my bed. And to give you something else, it will be the first time in over eleven years a woman has been in my bed.”
“Maybe I should go back to sleep. Next time I wake up, the world may return to normal,” she finally whispers.
I thread my fingers through her hair and steal a kiss before rolling and situating her on my chest. “Go back to sleep, baby. When you wake, it’ll be our new normal.”
Her nails scale along my tattoos, her silence telling me she’s taking it all in. “I don’t sleep around.” Her voice is barely audible.
“Never occurred to me.”
“I’ve only—”
“Stop.”
“Let me finish. I haven’t ever had this either. You kept me close all night. I felt the heat of your body surrounding mine. It was new to me. I’ve never slept better.”
Before I can respond, her finger skims over the puckered skin of my scar. “Does this hurt?”
“No.”
“We never talked about it.” She draws in a shaky breath. “The incident. I wanted to respect your need for space, but then you changed, and I didn’t think it was my place.”
“It’s not a pleasant subject.”
“I was scared. My number one priority was to keep Harley sane and support her. But at night, terror would take over and wrack my brain with possibilities. When we got the call you were shot, I didn’t know if I could be who she needed.”
The fear and vulnerability in her voice burns through me. “You know what happened.”
“But I don’t know what happened from your perspective. What you gave me a few minutes ago makes me think you’re holding back. Have you thought about talking to someone?”
I give a half-chuckle. “I have an in-house session twice a week with the department shrink.”
“Has it helped?”
“Yeah, but not as much as getting piss-ass drunk and working through it with Ace.”
“That’s good.” Her answer is loose, but I pick up on the hint of rejection.