Page 25 of When You Saved Me

I shot forward as dread took hold of me and my mind tortured me with thoughts of something bad happening to her.

But then I heard the clattering of dishes through the open door of my bedroom and realized she must be in the kitchen making herself something for breakfast.

Falling back onto the pillow, I scraped a hand over my face.

Last night…

Cannot happen again.

Charlie got too close with her probing, and I had let my guard down. What the hell was I thinking letting myself sleep in the same bed as her?

Keeping my distance had always been the plan. Distance was my salvation when it came to Charlie Banks and last night I’d brought the woman into my bed. I’d created my own personal hell by letting her stay with me. I should have just driven her into town last night and put her in a hotel.

But no.

My dumbass invited her to sleep in my house and when I thought staying on the couch would be a good compromise, I crumbled as soon as she batted her lashes at me and those delectable lips shifted into a smile.

I blamed the damn night shorts she wore. The way the pale green brought out the blue in her eyes and made every one of her freckles stand out had me salivating to run my tongue over every inch of her petite body.

My cock jumped to attention, straining against the sweatpants I wore.

Fucking great.

Having her stay for longer than a day wasn’t going to work for me. I needed to get down to the cabin and find a way to fix that pipe. I made a mental note to call a plumber right after breakfast.

Pushing my shoulders further into the mattress, I closed my eyes and tried to think about anything I could to get my morning wood under control.

Hitting my finger with a hammer like I almost did the other day working on the dock.

Being shot at during the war in Afghanistan.

The knife fight I found myself in at a bar in Texas when I was stationed there.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for my hard-on to soften. I was fucking starving and whatever Charlie was making in the kitchen smelled amazing. I just hoped it was better than those muffins.

As soon as I opened my eyes, a flying ball of white fluff hurtled toward my face and before I could get my hands out from under the sheet, my mouth and nose filled with fur.

“Agh!” I groaned, twisting to the side and finally freeing my arms so I could pull the furball off my face.

I lifted Casper into the air and glared into his bright yellow eyes. The little fucker was purring so loud, he could rival a generator motor.

My eyes narrowed on him. “You get off on that shit, don’t you?”

Meow.

He tilted his head slightly then licked his chops like I was his next meal.

“Don’t even think about it. You’re going to end up right back in that cabin later today. Mark my words.”

The furry little rascal just stared at me like I was an idiot. I set him down on the floor before rearranging my sweatpants and heading into the kitchen. Sweet and savory notes filled the air along with the sound of some modern country artist whose name I didn’t know. Charlie’s back was to me as she flipped what appeared to be a severely misshapen pancake.

Her long red hair was set in disheveled waves that swung from side to side as she moved her hips to the music.

Fucking hell, I silently cursed as my gaze raked down herback to where her night shorts must have ridden up without her knowing. The bottom curve of her ass cheeks played peek-a-boo under the frilly lace of her shorts hem. My cock stirred in my pants. Before she had a chance to turn around, I snuck my hand down the front of my briefs and tucked my cock into the waistband hoping it would help conceal just how badly my body called to hers.

Seeing her like this in my kitchen made my stomach do flips. Charlie Banks was all sunshine and rainbows. Given our interaction last night in bed, I expected to find her at least somewhat moody this morning. It wasn’t beyond me to know I wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. But she seemed to take me in stride.

It made me wonder what else she might take in stride.

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