26. Reese
Reese
Minutes ticked by slowly as I stared at the ceiling in the dark. It was close to midnight, and the house was quiet. Usually, I could sleep anywhere. Bed, couch, floor, sleeping pad on rocky ground. I made it work.
But sleep wouldn’t come.
Closing my eyes, I took a slow, deep breath. It didn’t help.
All I could think about was Summer. Her warm body tucked against mine. My arm draped around her waist. Her soft breathing and even softer skin. Her intoxicating scent.
One night in a bed with her, simply holding her while she slept, and suddenly I couldn’t sleep without her.
That woman was going to be my undoing.
Something creaked and my eyes flew open. Was it just the house settling? Or something else?
Now that my senses were on alert, I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I’d checked. I got up, leaving the blanket on the couch, and crept toward the front door.
Dead bolt was locked. No issues there. I did a quick sweep of the house, moving quietly so I wouldn’t wake Summer or Nate. I knew I wouldn’t find anything, but I also knew I had to be sure.
All seemed well, so I went back to the couch. I was about to lie down when Summer’s bedroom door whispered open and she stepped out into the hallway, dressed in a fluffy white robe.
“Are you all right?” I asked, my voice soft in the darkness.
She came closer. “I thought I heard something.”
“It was me. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. I wasn’t asleep yet.”
“Me neither.”
She hesitated before speaking again. “Why don’t you just come sleep in the bedroom? It’s more comfortable.”
Temptation tugged at me. It would be more comfortable. And so much harder to resist her.
“I don’t mind,” she said. “It was nice having you there last night.”
The hint of need in her voice broke through my resistance. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t refuse her. “All right.”
I followed her into the bedroom and shut the door behind us. She took off her robe and hung it on a hook over the bathroom door. In the darkness, I could barely make out her form, but I remembered the feel of her silky tank top and shorts all too well.
I’d been sleeping in a T-shirt and my boxer briefs.
I left them on and climbed into bed with her.
The covers settled over us, and I tried to stay near the edge of the bed so I wouldn’t crowd her, but I wasn’t exactly a small guy.
There wasn’t much space between us. She took a deep breath, and I closed my eyes, determined to go to sleep.
Summer fidgeted a little, shifting her feet beneath the covers. She’d done the same thing the previous night. I wondered if she realized she was doing it, or if it was an unconscious habit. After a few moments of silence, she did it again.
Before I could stop myself—I was weak—I turned over, slid my arm around her waist, and dragged her against me. Her body relaxed as she nestled in.
Closing my eyes, I breathed in her scent. It lit up my brain like a drug, and I was vaguely aware that I could easily become addicted.
Maybe I already was.
The tension in my back and shoulders began to ease. Until I realized my hand wasn’t touching her pajamas. Her tank top had slid up when I moved her, and my hand rested on her bare skin. Almost involuntarily, I caressed her with my thumb.
Pressure filled my groin, and I shifted my hips away from her. Instead of staying where she was, and giving me a second to relax, she adjusted her position, pressing her backside right into me.
Flexing my hand against her bare stomach, I grunted. Judging from her sharp intake of breath, she felt every bit of what she was doing to me.
I needed to stop. Things between us were complicated enough. I was about to make it so much worse.
But she arched her back, rubbing herself against my increasingly hard cock, and my control snapped.
Rolling her onto her back, I climbed on top of her and pressed myself between her legs while my lips found hers. Her kiss was hungry, and I delved into her mouth with my tongue while I moved my hips against her.
“Get these fucking clothes off,” I growled.
Increasingly frantic, we ripped each other’s clothes off between ravenous kisses. Need for her consumed me. I didn’t have any protection—it had been a long damn time—but she assured me she had it covered, and I assured her I was safe.
My eyes rolled back, and I groaned as I sank into her. She wrapped her legs around me and clung to my shoulders. We moved together, tongues tangling, her hair fanned out across the pillow.
She was so fucking beautiful.
I thrust into her, losing myself in the heat of her skin, the feel of her body melding with mine. She gasped and whimpered, tightening around me. I didn’t want it to end too quickly, so I slowed, kissing her deeply.
Acting instinctively, I rolled over and pulled her on top of me. The sight of her riding me was unreal. Her beautiful curves, her soft skin, her full, parted lips. And those eyes, hooded with pleasure.
Pleasure that I was giving her.
Digging her fingers into my chest, she picked up her pace. She could do whatever she wanted, as far as I was concerned. I was in heaven. She leaned her head back, moaning as I thrust up into her with every roll of her hips.
Her rhythm quickened, and I watched with awe as she started to climax. In an instant, I came undone.
Low grunts escaped my throat as I came inside her. We moved together, as if we were one, riding the wave of a shared orgasm.
By the end, we were both breathing hard. With her hands still planted on my chest, her eyes fluttered open. I slid my fingers through her hair, brought her mouth to mine, and kissed her—a deep, luxurious kiss with our bodies still joined.
Our lips parted, and I let her go so she could clean up in the bathroom. When she came back, I drew her close and placed soft kisses across her bare shoulder.
Once again, she nestled into me, only now there was nothing between us. Her warm skin felt like silk against mine, and her scent enveloped me.
I kissed her shoulder again, and like a reflex, her back arched. I was getting hard again, but I couldn’t help it. Now that I’d had her, I was insatiable.
“You better stop,” she said, her voice breathy.
“Or what?” Holding her hips, I grazed her shoulder with my teeth.
Her answering whimper set me on fire, and in a moment, I was deep inside her again.
I couldn’t get enough.
For the first time in more years than I could count, I slept in.
Blinking my eyes open, I glanced at the clock. Quarter after seven. That was wild. Granted, it was still early. But I was usually awake by five.
Summer lay on her side, facing me. She was sound asleep, her breathing slow and even. One hand rested on my chest, like she’d reached for me in her sleep. I covered it with mine.
So much for only acting like a couple in public.
She stirred, and without opening her eyes, shifted closer so her head rested on my shoulder and her arm draped across my chest. I held her, caressing her back as she slid her leg over mine.
I was in big trouble.
“You’re still here,” she said.
“Yeah. Slept in.”
“I can’t imagine why.”
I chuckled softly. The first time had been frenzied and hadn’t taken us very long to finish. But the second… I’d drawn it out as long as I could until we were both completely spent.
“You wore me out,” I said.
“Same. What time is it?”
“A little after seven. When do you have to work?”
“Not until nine, today.”
I tightened my arms around her. “Good.”
We lay in bed for a while, awake but drifting in sated relaxation. Her body molded to mine like she’d been made for me. Considering my size, that was saying something. But her curves fit perfectly around all my hard edges.
Eventually, biological necessities got the best of us. We peeled ourselves apart and got up. After using the bathroom, I put on some clothes, but stopped before leaving the bedroom. The sound of footsteps carried through the closed door.
Nate was up. And he was going to notice I hadn’t slept on the couch.
Was that going to be weird?
I was always the first one awake—already up by the time he came out of his room every morning. So maybe he wouldn’t even notice. But it would probably be better if Summer and I didn’t emerge from the bedroom together.
Instead of waiting for her to come out of the bathroom—and maybe steal a few more kisses before we had to start our day—I stepped out into the hall and headed for the kitchen, hoping it looked like nothing was different.
Nate sat on the floor in front of the couch, with a serious case of bedhead, using the coffee table to work on a Lego spaceship.
“Morning, chief.”
He glanced up. “Morning.”
“Sleep okay?”
He nodded and went back to building. “Are you Mom’s boyfriend now?”
I paused with my hand reaching for the coffee maker. “Uh…what makes you ask that?”
“You slept in Mom’s room.” He clicked a brick into place. “It’s okay, Zachary told me everything.”
It took me a second to reply. I didn’t want to sound like I was choking. Z could not have had the talk with my ten-year-old.
Not that he was really my ten-year-old. But still.
“Oh, really? What did he say?”
“That when you start being Mom’s boyfriend, you’ll probably sleep in her room. That’s just how it works.”
“That’s all he said?”
He added another brick to the top of his spaceship. “Uh huh.”
“Why were you talking about that?”
“Um…” He clicked a few more pieces together. “He asked if I like our new house, and I said yes, but it doesn’t have enough bedrooms because you sleep on the couch.”
Summer came out, saving me from the need to answer the boyfriend question.
“Hi, buddy.” She walked over to give him a kiss on the top of his head. “What are you building?”
He held it up so she could see. “Spaceship.”
“It’s very cool.”
She glanced at me and our gazes met. Her big blue eyes pierced right through me, and I was hit with a mix of desire and guilt. Whatever was happening between us, I wanted it. I wanted her.
But I couldn’t be the man she needed. Not forever.