Chapter 35
Magnolia
The tension was a little thick, and Sloan was trying to give me time to process all that he told me, but we were still stuck here together tonight. I knew neither of us would be willing to leave the animals overnight, and Sloan would not be okay with leaving Peaches, and I wasn’t about to ask him to. I went to round on the patients in the clinic while Sloan finished cleaning up dinner, which meant throwing out my paper plate and storing the pizza in the fridge.
Being able to throw myself into my job helped me sort my thoughts. I sighed.
I was tired of being angry about it, and it seem ed karma had helped me out a bit — not that I would ever wish that on anyone. I understood where he was coming from , even if I didn’t agree with it . I made the decision to leave without an explanation, and I was wrong for leaving the way I did. But now I’m ready to move on.
I finished my tasks, and of course, ended up back where Sloan was, sitting on the recliner, but the sofa was left free. I got to the task of taking off the cushions to set up the bed.
“Uh…Magnolia? Usually those are more comfortable with the cushions left on.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I threw one of the pillows I’d grabbed at him. “It turns into a bed, genius.”
Realizing he hadn’t hit me back with a smart remark, I found myself looking up at him, only to be met with an intense stare. There was absolutely no mistaking the heat behind his gaze.
“Bed…right.” He licked his lips while looking me over, and I couldn’t help but wonder what those lips would taste like.
I shook my head, breaking me out of my stupor. “Nice try, Sloan. We have enough pillows for a wall.”
Now it was his turn to burst out in laughter. “Are we twelve again, Magnolia?” Try as I may, I couldn’t help the fact that my body was breaking out in goosebumps over the husky tone in his voice.
“If you don’t want to spend the night in that recliner or the floor , pillow wall it will have to be.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “I solemnly swear that I’m not up to no good.” He winked at me; of course he would quote one of my all-time favorite movies. I shouldn’t have been secretly happy at the fact that he remembered it since it was such a stupid , small detail, but still, my heart did a little flip inside my chest.
He pointed at the side closest to the outside door. “I’m sleeping on that side, no debates.”
“Uh actually, that’s the side I was going to be on. It’s just closer to the animals,” I protested.
“No, it’s closer to the outside door.” He shot me a look, letting me know this was one thing he would not be negotiating.
And once again my heart did a stupid little flip.
“Fine, you win…this time.” I pointed at him, letting him know I was watching him, and he just stood there, smiling at me almost dreamily while I climbed into bed.
“You going to get in?” I questioned.
He shook his head as if my voice brought him back from somewhere, and he gave me a lazy grin which I’d forgotten about.
Flip, flip, flip.
He settled in, the pillow wall making it feel like he was too close but also too far at the same time.
“Do you still snore?” he teased me.
“I. Do. Not. Snore,” I ground out at him.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, love.”
I turned the light off, thinking it would take me hours to fall asleep, but I think I fell asleep before my head even hit the pillow.
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I was warm, so warm and comfy, and I felt like I was floating.
Something smelled so good, like musk, and woods, pine, manly.
I sighed in content; this was the best dream.
A clearing of a throat pulled me from my happy dream-like state, and I was about to whine about it until I heard a sterner clearing of a throat.
“Five more minutes , Lex, please , ” I whispered and snuggled even deeper into the warmness and yummy smells.
“Magnolia.” Louise’s whisper made me jerk up in surprise, and I shook my head and hair out as my eyes adjusted to the light.
I took in the scene around me. Apparently, at some point during the night, either Sloan or I—possibly both—said fuck it to the pillow wall and we were laying completely intertwined. He had my legs all but pinned in between his thighs, and while we were both facing the same way, he had his one arm completely under my body to pull me close to him. I was finding warmth and smelly goodness because I was laying on his chest.
“Louise, you scared me.”
“Mmm…” She looked at me over her cup of coffee.
I was slowly trying to disengage my body from Sloan’s, but he had what appeared to be a death grip on me, which made me question if he was even still asleep.
“How long have you been here?” I asked while trying not to huff and puff my way out of Sloan’s crazy octopus tentacle-like hands.
“Long enough to make a pot of coffee and a grown woman blush.”
Even though her voice was stern like usual, I noticed the smile behind her mug. Finally prying myself from Sloan, I wiggled out of the bed. “Pretend you didn’t see this.”
“See what, dear?” She slanted a brow at me, gave me a wink, and walked away.
Turning my attention to Sloan, I walked over and poked him awake. “Sloan, we have to get up now. The clinic is going to open soon.”
No response.
“Sloan.” I jabbed him in the ribs.
Before I knew what was happening, he had reached out and grabbed me, effectively pinning me under him. He held my hands above my head and placed just enough body weight on me that I could feel his weight as he placed his head in my neck and took a few deep breaths in.
“Uh, Sloan.”
“Shh… Magnolia. This is the best way to wake up; just give me thirty more seconds.”
He continued breathing me in, and goddamnit, there goes my heart. Flip. Flip. Flip.
“Sloan,” I grunted when it had been at least a minute.
“Okay, okay, you win.” He slowly removed the weight of his body from mine, and I had to stop the whimper that was about to escape.
I quickly popped off the bed, making damn sure no one else had made it to the clinic yet. Breathing a sigh of relief knowing we were safe—and knowing that Louise always showed up significantly earlier than the rest of us sometimes.
“What’s on the docket today?” Sloan asked me with a yawn, making it obvious he still wasn’t ready to wake up.
“I don’t know about you, but Jace is supposed to come over today and start on some home repairs.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I’m sorry… Did you hallucinate the part where you were invited?”
He advanced on me and grinned. “Did you miss the part where you could be in danger? I thought I made it perfectly clear that I’d be following you around.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“As. A. Heart. Attack.”
I sputtered at him. “Absolutely not.”
“Get used to it, love.”
He turned his back on me and made his way out to the treatment area, and of course, zoned in on Peaches. I felt a presence from behind me and I almost jumped.
“Doc!” I exclaimed.
“Good morning.” He gave me an almost knowing grin.
“Good morning.”
He tilted his head at Sloan. “You like him.”
“Pfft. I hardly know him anymore.”
“You know that’s not true.”
“It’s been years,” I muttered
“You forget, I watched you two grow up together.”
“A long time ago.” I tried to make my point again.
“It could be decades, Magnolia, but your soul would still recognize his.”
Not bothering to elaborate on what the hell he meant by that, he just took a sip of his coffee and left me to decipher that ticket of wisdom on my own.
Thanks, Doc.
“Why don’t you both take off?” Doc hollered behind him. “Sloan, get ready for Peaches and her puppies; they can go home tonight.”
Sloan’s face lit up like a kid in a candy store. “Yeah, Doc, you got it.” Then he turned to me. “Feel like shopping real quick?”
He knew damn well I would never say no to shopping for Peaches and her puppies, but I shoot him a wary glance. “Lead the way, Sloan.”
I couldn’t help but feel like I was putting my heart on the line after accepting his invite.