Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
BAYLOR
It’s the best hour of sleep I’ve had in my entire life. But it’s over now, and I need to get up and go back home. The ranch doesn’t get to sleep in, and neither do I when it comes to my duties. My brothers will probably already be up and working by the time I get there.
Her arm tightens around my waist before her body shifts closer, pressing her warm, naked body against my side. Reluctantly, I begin to shift away from her, but her arm tightens again.
“I need to get to work,” I murmur.
“We never talked about schedules,” she rasps.
I glide my fingers up the center of her back, tugging on the end of her hair gently before I repeat the motion. I do it a second time, then a third, before my phone alarm begins to sound again, a reminder that I truly need to get my ass up.
Reaching for the device, I slide my thumb along the screen, turning it off before I shift my attention over to meet hers. She lifts her gaze, connecting it to mine, her eyes searching.
There is doubt there. Not just a little. It’s swimming behind her eyes. I can’t assuage that doubt. My lips curve up into a smile before I continue. Because right now, all I can do is talk to her about said schedule.
“You can’t come to the house, not because I don’t want you there, but it’s literally empty. Briggs, Boone, and I are sleeping on mattresses on the floor until we get the rest of the place fixed up.”
Her tongue peeks out, sliding across her bottom lip before her gaze flicks up to meet mine. “So what happens?” she asks. “Because you’re right, you coming here and sleeping for only half an hour is going to get old really fast.”
“What if I was already here when you got home?”
Her eyes widen, and then her brows snap together in what I can only assume is confusion. It’s cute as fuck. I press my thumb against the center of her eyebrows, forcing them to relax, but they only do for a moment, and when I drop my hand, they immediately furrow again.
Cute as fuck.
“Give me a key, and I’ll be in your bed, asleep and waiting for you.”
“That seems fairly entangled, Baylor. Are you sure you want to do that?”
Tangling my fingers in her hair, I tug her head back slightly, her neck arching as I lower my head and touch my lips to hers before I respond to her question.
“Yeah, Em. That’s exactly what I want. I want to be here in your bed, waiting for you.”
Her breath comes out in an exhale at my words. “Okay,” she whispers against my mouth.
“Good girl,” I grind out. “Now get some sleep.”
Sliding my tongue along her bottom lip, I force myself to release her and slide out of the bed, even though I’d much rather be wrapped in her arms than getting ready to go work on the ranch.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Baylor?” she calls out.
I hum, looking down at her, wrapped in the sheets.
I know she’s naked beneath the thin cotton, and I want to drag it down her body and devour her again.
I don’t know if I’ll ever not want her. I spent a year craving her, and now that I have her, I can’t get enough of her. I am so fucking gone for Emily.
“There’s an extra key in the drawer next to the fridge. It’s yours.”
Completely and totally gone for her, even though I know it’s so damn wrong.
I should leave the key right where it is.
I shouldn’t walk over to the drawer, pull it open, and take the key in my hand.
And I really shouldn’t slip it into my pocket before I walk out of her place.
But I do all of that, finding it really hard to feel anything except excitement about what’s to come.