Chapter 26
NEEDED ANSWERS
“Sorry you didn’t get much sleep last night,” Arden said the next morning.
The alarm would have gone off at five like normal, but he’d been lying awake prior and grabbed it to not wake the beauty next to him.
Didn’t help any. The minute he turned she was curling into his side and holding on like a lifeline.
He ran his hand down the side of her face, one eye covered by her hair that he’d moved away and tucked behind her ear.
“Don’t be sorry. It was the best night of my life.” He leaned to put a kiss on her forehead. Maybe it came off as cheesy to say those words, but it was damn well what he thought.
“Mine too,” she said, inching closer to him, her leg bending to rub against his. The soft, silky feel of her skin brushing, her knee coming close to his dick that was already half to life just lying here next to her shifting some more.
If she rolled on top of him, he’d find the time to give them a third round.
But she didn’t. She moved off and got out of bed.
“What are you doing? It’s early. Go back to sleep. I bet you don’t get many opportunities for it.”
“I don’t, but it’s fine. I’d rather make us breakfast, unless you don’t eat or have the time.”
“I eat, but normally grab something quick.”
“Not today, you’re not. You’ve got two choices—go home and shower and change and come back here before work and I’ll feed you. Or I’ll cook it now. If I’ve got more time, I can make something bigger.”
And he wouldn’t feel as rushed if he took care of everything he needed to rather than worrying. “Are you sure?”
He was sitting on the side of the bed now, his underwear on the floor a few feet away.
She bent down to grab them, handed them to him, then put her hands on the mattress, her lips landing hard enough to be playful on his.
He wrapped one hand around her neck, fingers in her hair, and held her close as his tongue came out to taste, move, and slide with hers.
He ended with another light peck on her lips. “I’d love that.”
“Then it’s settled.”
He stood up, slipped his underwear on and walked into the bathroom off her room. After taking care of business, he found his shorts and T-shirt on the floor in different spots, then dressed in silence as she’d already left the room.
His bare feet padded down the stairs, his gun behind his back again. No reason for her to see it. He’d seen the shock and fear in her eyes when he pulled it out and moved away from her in the kitchen last night.
The last thing he wanted to do was confront someone with it, but he’d do anything to protect her. Having it only be residents at the dumpster last night had been a relief.
Not so much of a relief was how on edge Arden was. With reason.
They needed answers.
He wanted to get them for her.
But he was going to work and leaving her alone, which bothered him more than anything.
He had to remind himself that nothing had happened here other than two dolls in a bag with a sweet note and chances were whoever this was didn’t know where she lived.
Unless it was the ex or his new girlfriend. But why admit about the dolls then?
He’d like it to be them for selfish reasons, but his gut said, maybe not.
Seeing Arden humming in the kitchen was all he needed to start his day off right.
“I really hate leaving you today.”
“Think nothing of it. I mean it. It was ludicrous of me to react that way.”
“No, it wasn’t. You have every right to be jumpy. Maybe I’d be more concerned if you weren’t.”
“I’m not going to lie. I’m jumpy, but having you here last night, I was completely at peace.” She got on her tiptoes with her lips puckered again. “Give me another kiss and go shower and change. I’ll have breakfast and coffee ready for you. You drink coffee, right?”
“Yes. Black.”
He’d seen the eggs and bread on the counter, even a package of bacon and a few pans out. The thought of a nice filling breakfast was almost as tempting to make him rush, as it was to spend time with her.
He slipped out the front door; no reason to spook his neighbors crossing through the back this early in the morning. Not that he thought anyone might be up other than the mass of birds at the feeders in the front yard next to Arden’s.
After jogging the two units down, he pulled his phone out to unlock his front door and slipped in. He made his way up the stairs to his room, grabbed his clothes and turned the water on while he stripped.
He was back at Arden’s fifteen minutes later, scrubs on, lunch packed along with snacks that he’d grab throughout the day.
Not like he got to sit down for a big lunch, but a sandwich only took about five minutes. The rest were on the go also.
“That was fast,” she said when she opened the door and handed him a cup filled with coffee.
He was glad it was locked after him still, as he’d told her to do.
“I had this waiting for me. I would have been faster if I hadn’t made a lunch.”
“Where is it?”
“In my car along with everything else I need for the day. Smells good in here.”
Sweet and savory.
He took a drink of the hot liquid in his hand, his eyes shutting as the jolt of caffeine shot into his brain. Nice and strong, the way he liked it. Just like the woman in front of him.
Her vulnerability last night was understandable. But now, she was the woman in control once again. He liked that she could be both dependent on him but willing to stand up on her own at the same time.
Stand up for her and her daughter.
“The bacon just finished. Grab a plate and fill up.”
He looked at the dish of bacon, six slices of French toast and a bowl of cut-up fruit. “Geez, I’m not a teen anymore to put away that much.”
“I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure if you loaded up or not in the morning to help get through. It’s good leftover. So anything not eaten Gracie will.”
He put two pieces on his plate, spooned up fruit on top, along with three slices of bacon on the side, then dumped the syrup over the fruit and picked up his fork to dive in.
Arden was putting her plate together just like his, only less.
He bit in, closed his eyes again and chewed while the sweetness bounced off his tongue.
“What time is Gracie coming back? I really hate leaving you alone.”
“She should be here mid-morning. Probably close to ten. I’ll be fine. I mean it. It will give me time to do a thorough cleaning of the house. It needs it.”
“Not sure where you think it does.”
Her place was clean enough to him. Not even cluttered for someone who just moved in.
Even Gracie’s toys were neatly put somewhere out of sight. His house growing up was never like that.
“You’d be surprised where dust collects,” she said. “I’m not a neat freak. I hope you don’t think that. But I do clean my floors on the weekend, scrub the bathrooms down more than just daily wipe them. Things like that. It will occupy my mind.”
Not what he wanted to hear but understood also.
It wasn’t as if he could call in sick. Not for something like this.
His hand reached for hers, grasped it for a moment, then let go. “You can call if you need me.”
“I’ll be fine and you’ll be at work. You don’t need that kind of distraction. I mean it, Blaze.”
She was trying to reassure him. Asserting her independence again. He got it.
“This thing, what are we doing about it?”
“What thing is that? The one where I finally got you naked last night or the one where I’ve got to push evil thoughts from my mind and hope they find something on the security cameras?”
“The first one.”
He’d planned on talking to security today when he got a minute to find out what he could. Not sure they’d tell him much, but it was obvious he was there helping Arden on Friday.
It wasn’t going to be much of a secret at this point about any relationship the two of them had and he should know where her thoughts lay.
“Well, I’m exclusive. Considering you’re the first person I’ve been with since my divorce, there isn’t too much for you to worry about there.”
“I didn’t think otherwise,” he said. “And you don’t have to worry with me either. When I’m with someone, I’m all in.”
“Even if it’s casual?”
He didn’t want those words to cut through his chest and expose his heart, but the blood was seeping out just the same.
“It’s not casual with us.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I should have thought my words over more carefully.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t upset, just feeling our way here. There is already talk in the ER about the two of us.”
“Oh,” she said, throwing her hand up to cover her mouth since she’d been chewing. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“It didn’t seem like the thing to say just yet when we didn’t know where it was going. I knew where I wanted it to go, but we hadn’t had that talk yet.”
“We did little talking last night either.” She let out a small giggle. “Maybe that was better for me. Sometimes I overthink things to death and then lose my voice talking. I went with how I felt. How you make me feel.”
“How is that?”
“Sexy.” She laughed again. “I haven’t felt that way in so long I wasn’t sure it was possible. Alive. There are many ways to feel that, but last night was a great reminder that my life can get back on track.”
He reached for her hand again, laying his on top of it. “I’d like that. For both of us.”
“Me too. And you’re asking because if people were talking about it already, what are they going to say when I see you now and my eyes are rolling over your body in your scrubs wishing that you were naked and remembering everything you did to me last night?”
The smile broke out across his face. “Talk about a nice feeling.”
“It is one. I really don’t care if anyone knows we are dating. If you’re okay with it, I think I’ll let Billy know when I see him next. With everything going on, it’s best to be transparent.”
“Agreed. I have no intention of just telling people about it. Maddy and I talked last week and she was the one who was busting on me the most, but she said she’d stop doing it. I know it’s not going to stop the gossip, but she won’t be tossing crumbs to the vultures either.”
“I think we just let this play out the way it does. That is what I’m telling myself going forward.”
“What about Gracie?” he asked. “I’m not saying I’m going to kiss you in front of her, but I’d like to still spend time together. The three of us.”
“I’d like that too. Until I let Billy know, can we just keep it the way it’s been around her?”
“Absolutely. That’s your call.”
He finished breakfast, helped her clean up, even though she was pushing him away and saying she had it.
A little after six, he was getting a kiss at the door and walking out.
He normally got to work by six thirty, sometimes earlier on the weekends like today so not a huge deal. Nothing to draw eyes to anything or anyone.
As much as he wasn’t hiding what he had with Arden, the last thing he needed was more eyes on her. Not until they got whatever was happening in her life figured out.