Guarding His Sunshine (Men of Valor Springs #9)

Chapter Five

Missy

I can’t sleep.

Maybe it has something to do with the unfamiliarity of this place, but that doesn’t make any sense. I’ve slept in hotels before, some of which were not half as comfortable as this bed is, and yet, I slept like a log in those beds.

So why can’t I sleep in this one that envelops me like a cloud with each layer of softness cradling my body? The sheets are cool and silky against my skin, and the pillows perfectly fluffed. Hell, the room itself is a haven for an insomniac. There is a subtle scent of fresh linen mixed with a hint of eucalyptus, which in any other circumstance would lull me to sleep in seconds.

But I’ve been up for hours.

Thinking about him. About both of them!

I breathe out a sigh, turning on my back to look up at the ceiling. The room is dimly lit, casting shadows that dance along the walls, but instead of the soft ambiance they are meant to create, all I feel is restless. It doesn’t make sense. I am in the same house with a cop who owns a weapon and used to be in the military, not to mention the large guard dog lurking somewhere in the house that would probably jump anyone who tried to sneak in, but that does little to take away the fear.

Maybe what I am feeling has nothing to do with my stalker.

Perhaps the reason I can’t relax has everything to do with the man sleeping in the room down the hall. The same man who worshipped my body and made me feel things I never thought anyone could.

I sit up and glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand, groaning when I realize it’s only four in the morning. I push off the covers and walk to the window, staring out into the dark and wondering if my stalker is out there, waiting. No, that would be crazy. Even he has to sleep at some point, right?

I sigh, cracking open the bedroom window.

Outside, the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant sound of crickets create a soothing and inviting atmosphere. Movement catches my attention, but the tension eases from my shoulders when I realize it’s only Howard’s neighbor. I watch the man lace his running shoes and adjust his headphones before jogging down the streets.

The idea to take a morning run after him pops in, but I quickly push it down before it can take root. I chuckle at my own foolishness. Who in their right mind would take a run in a small town when they have a stalker on their tail?

“But it’s four in the morning, surely even stalkers take time to rest, right?”

I push away from the window, forcing the thought to the dark corners of my mind. Nope, I am not about to be fodder for a true crime documentary. It would be smarter to stay inside, no matter how badly I want to go out.

With another sigh, I drag my socked feet to the door, figuring I might as well go to the kitchen and grab a glass of water just so I have something to do, except it seems I am not the only one who can’t sleep. I open my door to find Bear standing outside, those brown eyes practically glowing in the dark, and the sudden sight of him nearly makes me scream, but I catch the sound just in time.

“Bear, Jesus!” I jump back, slapping my chest as I stare at the dog. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack? I’m just twenty-three!” He doesn’t respond. Shit, of course he doesn’t. It really would give me that heart attack if he actually did. With a shake of my head, I drop down to my knees and pet the dog, running a hand over his massive back. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Can’t sleep too, or are you just a very early riser?”

My eyes shift to Howard’s door, which is closed, and just then, an idea occurs to me. I could take Bear out for the run and then no one would even think to come close to me with the massive dog in tow. “Wait here, Bear, let me get changed real quick.” I hurry back into my room, digging through the stuff I shoved in my bag. Yoga shorts, tank top, and a hoodie… Well, that will have to do.

Bear and I are quiet as we sneak down the stairs, so we don’t wake Howard up. He mentioned something about having a morning shift last night at dinner, and I would hate to interrupt his sleep. Bear seems all too eager to leave the house, and he’s practically bouncing around, wagging his tail in excitement as I clip on his leash then let us out into the chilly air. I breathe in deeply, the crisp air filling my lungs and clearing my head.

“Which way should we go, Bear?”

Bear takes the same direction the neighbor took earlier on his run, so I assume it’s a trail everyone uses. It’s still fairly dark, but the sky is getting lighter as the sun begins its ascent. I start jogging, feeling the soft thud of my feet against the pavement, each step releasing the tension that has been building up for weeks, and my mind starts clearing. The coolness of the air brushes against my skin, and the slight sting of sweat begins to form on my brows as I follow behind the excited dog.

The world around me comes alive with sounds of rustling leaves in the gentle breeze and the distant chirping of crickets. It’s much more thrilling than the treadmill I run on occasionally back in my apartment building’s gym. I’m not athletic in any sense of the word, but my vocal coach advised that running would help with my singing, and she was right.

The path winds through a park where moonlight filters through the branches, creating a magical canopy overhead. The dog takes a detour, leading me to a patch of grass where he stops to sniff around, and I take a moment to catch my breath, and that’s when it happens.

A heavy arm bands around my waist, and a hand closes over my mouth before I am yanked hard against a solid chest. My eyes widen in horror, and I start to kick, my scream muffled as I try to get Bear’s attention, and I do, but only for a moment. He lifts his head to glance up, and I wait for him to scare off the person behind me, but he simply turns his head around, nose on the ground as he walks away from us.

Traitor! Not even a bark? Really?

I have a moment of shock before I start kicking and fighting the strong hold on me again. The man’s chest is steel tight when he pulls me hard against it, and I feel the hardness of his stomach too. He’s too big, I feel it in the way he easily holds me. A part of me thought my stalker would be a mousy little guy, but this…

“Shhh,” hums a deep voice behind me, and I still as familiarity washes over me.

Howard!

I try to turn my head around and glare at the man, but he is a solid wall that keeps me firmly in place. The hand over my mouth stays too, and I’m about to attempt and break free from his steel hold when I suddenly freeze at the feel of his very pronounced bulge pushing against my ass.

“What made you think it was a good idea to run alone in the dark when you have a stalker watching you?”

Christ, his voice is so rich and deep against my ear, enough to send my heart racing. I want to respond to his question, but his palm stays on my mouth, so I take it for a rhetorical one.

“How much help do you think Bear is away from home? What if the stalker did something before Bear had a chance to attack?” he growls, his voice rough against my ear. “What if there’s more than just one man out there watching you? Watching us right now?”

A shudder runs through my body, and there’s that familiar ache between my legs once more. It starts soft, but it’s quickly growing the longer his hand stays banded around me. There must be something wrong in my head to find this moment hot.

The hand finally falls from my mouth, but his arm stays tight around me. There is a sudden urge to defend myself, but I realize that everything he’s said is true. Coming out here was dangerous on my part, and that could have spelled disaster for me and Bear. I needed the fresh air, but I had no right risking our lives the way I did. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be,” he rasps against my ear, and my stomach flutters with butterflies as he trails his free hand over my hip. “I want you to be careful. Safe.”

“I don’t want to get hurt either.”

His right hand slides up under my hoodie, and I bite back a whimper when it brushes across my stomach. “It’s not just you that you should to be worried about.” He growls as his massive palm caresses the skin underneath my clothes, leaving a hot trail in its wake. “You should be worried about your safety, but also that of the man following you because there will be little of him left to identify if he so much as lays a finger on you!”

A shudder rolls through me, not just from his intense words, but in the way he says them. In the receding darkness of the park, it’s intimate, like we are in our own world, there’s only us two out here. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good, because I won’t lose you. I just found you, princess,” he rasps, raking his open mouth over my ear, his warm breath caressing my skin. A flood of heat settles between my thighs, and I dig my teeth into my bottom lip to curb a whimper.

“Howard, we’re in public,” I whisper, needing to remind my handsome cop that his hand all up under my clothes and groping me in the open could lead to our arrest for indecent exposure, but he doesn’t seem all that worried about getting caught. In fact, it almost seems like the thought sets him off as the steel hard cock pressing against my ass cheeks swells further. Wait, we’re not about to have a repeat of the kitchen out here, are we? “Howie—”

“Let me worry about getting caught,” he says, brushing his lips against my ear even as he slides his fingers into the waistband of my yoga shorts. I look around in panic, but white flashes behind my closed lids when his finger grazes that sensitive spot of my sex. I moan, barely able to swallow the sound this time, blushing fiercely when it carries into the trees.

“Howie, we shouldn’t…”

“We shouldn’t what?” he asks roughly, dragging a thick finger through my wet folds. It’s dark, but not completely; anyone walking by might see.

“Howie…”

He spins me to face him, and without warning, lifts me into his arms. My mind is still reeling as I wrap my legs around his waist. With a whistle for Bear, he turns and carries me back in the direction of the house. I loop my arms around him and tuck my face into the side of his neck, inhaling his masculine sent that sends a fresh ache to my already sensitive core. Tentatively, I kiss his skin, then taste him with my tongue. His response is a low groan and the tightening of his fingers in my ass cheeks.

In what feels like minutes, we’re back inside his house, the front door kicked shut behind us with a bang. I barely register the sound of Bear’s nails on the floor as he trots off deeper into the house. Our path is a blur as Howard continues to carry me through the house. Before I can even register where we are, he’s dropping me onto a bed—his bed.

Splayed out on his bed before him, I can’t bring myself to feel any embarrassment as he makes quick work of removing my shorts and underwear. There is none of the teasing from earlier as he buries his spreads my legs and lowers himself between my thighs and licks me. Over the same spot I have never exposed to any other man, my cop drags his tongue, causing more moisture to pool in my sex. I cry out, hot flashes of pleasure nearly blinding me as he flicks his tongue over my clit, making me forget…

I tune out all sounds and thoughts. Everything but this man turns into a pile of dust and blows away. My thoughts turn to mush, and all I can do is feel.

Oh God! Oh! My sex clenches and releases around his tongue as he bathes it in fast strokes. My throat closes as violent tremors shoot through my body as he pleasures me with that sinful tongue of his.

“More,” I sob. I want more of whatever this man has to give me.

Howards pulls back to meet my gaze, his gray eyes flashing with heat under the glare of the fading moonlight. “Are you sure?”

I blink at the man, my desire-riddled brain trying to make sense of what he’s asking. “Huh?”

“Are you sure you want more?”

Oh God, did I really say that? And is he offering what I think he is? I haven’t even known this man for a full day. Giving him my virginity would be insane, and yet the look in his eyes tells me that this is right. I can’t imagine experiencing this for the first time with anyone else.

As my eyes lock with stormy gray ones that threaten to sweep me into their tumult, I realize I want nothing more than to be carried away by this man. As long as it’s him, I can let go and know that he’ll be there to catch me.

“Yes, I want everything.”