Page 61 of Until The Stars Don't Shine

“How long have I been staring at you like a creep?”

“Well, yes, but I was going to wait until I was out of the bed and closer to the door before I asked. Now you’ve foiled my escape plan.”

He glanced at that glass clock, amazed it was still standing after a night with both he and Bud in attendance. “Not long, maybe an hour.”

She propped herself up onto an elbow, eyes round and surprised. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Because you were asleep,” he answered simply. “You looked as if you might have needed it.” He wiggled an eyebrow suggestively as a blush crept along her cheeks, remembering what they had gotten up to yesterday. Though she’d like to think that the only cause of her tiredness, she hadn’t been sleeping well for days, not since those photographs had exposed her to the world so rudely.

She shoved the thought of them from her mind, affirming to relish this moment.

There were much more important things at hand like this gorgeous man lying in bed next to her, tempting her with that smoldering look he was flashing her way. His eyes ran a lazy trail down her face to her chest. A grin appeared on his lips as he contemplated what he wanted for breakfast and realized that it wasn’t food.

She sat bolt-upright in bed, a horrific thought having entered her mind.

“Today’s Thursday isn’t it?”

He thought for the slightest moment and nodded. “Yes, why?”

“It’s the day of the party.”

He blinked slowly, disappointment registering over his face.

“Are you sure?”

She grabbed a pillow and hit him with it. “Yes, I’m sure! I’ve got to get out of here. Staff will be arriving at the house at any second!”

She scrambled out of bed, grabbing wildly at her clothes that were strewn all over the floor. The sight of her completely naked distracted him. Instead of getting up, he simply took in the wonderful view.

“Where are my panties?!”

Her question threw him. Where indeed? He thought back to the moment he’d first undressed her, how her lips had tasted so sweet in his mouth, and how the sight of her body had made his own pound with heat… much as it was doing right now.

Thwack!

She’d hit him with the pillow again.

“Focus! Help me find them!”

He finally saw them lying across the top of a crystal lampshade. Leaning over the bed, he hooked them with his little finger.

“How did they get over here?”

She didn’t answer him but snatched them up, sliding them on. She dressed quickly, hopping around the room until he issued a deep sigh. Bud flipped onto his stomach, a questioning look in his eyes.

“You’re probably hungry again, aren’t you?”

In reply, Bud padded over to the cooler and placed his paw on top of it.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m coming.”

He fed Bud, one eye peering into the bathroom where he could see Lexi brushing her teeth. She hadn’t put on her jeans yet and was dressed in her tank top and underwear only. The easy domesticity of this felt like a truck had slammed into him.

He hadn’t known hownicea simple thing like this could feel.

Sure, he’d slept with many women in his time, but he’d never wanted to hang out with them much afterward. And maybe that was on him and his choice of women; he’d mostly been concerned with having a good time and nothing more than that, but with Lexi, it was different. She’d gotten under his skin.

And he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

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