Page 34 of Bedding the Baby Daddy

Chapter Nine

Aurora awoke and was, at once, completely confused and completely clear. She knew exactly whose shoulder her cheek was resting on. Without even opening her eyes she knew that was Dante’s chest hair under her palm, his hand firmly on her ass. But what she didn’t understand was how the hell she’d ended up here.

She never slept over. Even on their first night together, she’d waited until he’d fallen asleep and snuck out. After that, he’d made sure she couldn’t sneak out, but she’d still managed to kiss him goodnight and leave before the sun was ever close to rising. But here she was, morning sun kissing her closed eyelids, blanket pulled damn near up to her chin.

She pulled away from him and sat up, pushing her hair back from her face. She was dressed in a big, soft t-shirt and sweatpants, her coral dress hanging on a hanger on the back of the closet door.

“You fell asleep during the movie,” Dante said in a low voice, gruff from sleep. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

Aurora turned and whatever she’d been about to say dried right up in her throat. Dante laid there, one hand crooked under his head, bare chested, his hair tousled from sleep. His eyes were heavy and his stubble was darker than she’d ever seen it.

“Wow.” She couldn’t help but reach out and touch his sandpapery chin. “Man, you’re really handsome.”

Dante’s eyes lit with so much surprise and delight that it made Aurora realize how rarely she ever complimented him.

“It can’t be a shock to hear that, Dante. You know you’re attractive.”

He gathered her closer, nuzzling his face into her neck and hair. “Sure. I know what I think of myself. But I didn’t know what you thought.”

She rolled her eyes. “Please, you think I’d have been fucking your brains out all this time if I wasn’t attracted to you?” She turned to him, traced one finger over his strong brow, up along the wavy hair at his forehead. “Not to inflate your ego, but you are really, really beautiful.”

To Aurora’s utter delight, a faint color came into Dante’s cheeks. His eyes fell away from hers. “Come on.”

“You’re embarrassed.” She couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face like fire. “I can’t believe I figured out how to embarrass Dante Callaghan.”

“I’m not. And I’m not that.”

“Beautiful or embarrassed? Because from where I’m sitting, you’re very much both.”

Dante pursed his lips and opened them to say something but his bedroom door burst open.

“Coco, can we do scram-damn-ble this morning? I’m really hungry and… Oh! Aurora! You stayed!”

Aurora’s heart completely stopped as a tousle-headed Michelle came marching into Dante’s bedroom. Oh crap. Double crap. Triple crap. They hadn’t covered any of this. It hadn’t even occurred to Aurora that she was going to have to face Michelle this morning. And it definitely hadn’t occurred to her that Dante was going to have to explain why Aurora had slept in his bed.

“I’m so glad you’re still here!” Michelle jumped up onto the bed with them without hesitation. “Dante never has girls sleep over. Can we check my crystal? Are you staying for breakfast? Dante will make you scram-damn-ble.”

Aurora turned to Dante. “Scram-damn-ble?” she asked faintly.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, looking very much like he was trying to keep himself from smiling. “It’s just an egg scramble. But I make it so damn good you have to call it a scram-damn-ble.”

Aurora looked from Dante’s easy, smiling face to Michelle’s hopeful grin and she felt something fly right out of her chest. It was almost like letting go of a kite in the wind. She was just tired of clinging to it. And there was no fighting it anymore. She let go of it and wasn’t even sad to see it fly away.

She hadn’t planned on this. God. She certainly hadn’t planned on this. But while she was here, she was going to enjoy it.

* * *

Dante watched Aurora’s face carefully. He knew she’d been shocked when Michelle had just pranced right in. And actually, Dante had been a little surprised himself. It wasn’t unusual for Michelle to barge through the house, but he’d thought he’d have another hour or so before she woke up. As he’d lain awake that morning, Aurora sleeping across his chest, he’d been going through his options, including the best way to tell Michelle that Aurora had slept over.

In a different world, he’d have wanted to talk to her about it way before it even happened. But then both of them had fallen asleep during the movie and he hadn’t wanted to wake either of them. Aurora sleeping over was a surprise all around and Dante was just relieved that Michelle was taking it so well. She didn’t seem to find it weird in the least.

So now, all he could do was roll with the punches and help Aurora do the same. She just looked so damned cute, so different from her usual, immaculate business attire. Her hair was all tumbly and the sleeves of his t-shirt went way past her elbows. She was looking back and forth between him and Michelle like she could barely believe what the hell was going on.

Mildly concerned that Aurora was freaking out, Dante reached across the bed and grabbed Michelle by the ankle. She laughed and wriggled around as he dragged her across his lap. “Hey, nosy Mcgee. Go get the scram-damn-ble stuff out of the fridge and Aurora and I will be down in a second.”

“Okay!” Michelle was up like a shot.

“Oh! And press the button on the coffee maker.”

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