Page 41 of Property of Fox

I bite my lip, an idea sparking to life in my mind. “What if we make a deal?”

His brown eyes spark with curiosity. "A deal? Sounds intriguing."

“I let you come back to my friend’s house,” I say slowly, trying not to lose momentum as butterflies swirl within me at the thought. “But…no sex.” A soft smile plays on my lips. “Sleep only, and then tomorrow, we’ll figure this out.”

Fox arches an eyebrow. “Sleep only? You sure about that? Because I have a feeling once we're under those sheets, ‘sleep’ is going to be a pretty loose definition.” He leans closer, his breath warm against my ear as he whispers, "Controlling myself around you is not exactly my strong suit, firefly."

I can't help but laugh at his audacity, my heart racing at his words. "Well, we can always try,” I shoot back, teasing him with a playful defiance that makes my cheeks flush. “It’s my friend’s aunts house, and she and I didn’t exactly talk about me bringing you back with me before I left.”

“I’ll try to be on my worst behavior then,” he laughs.

“That’s what I am afraid of.”

BREA

Sneakinginto the house with Fox was surprisingly easy. We tiptoed past Keira's room, careful not to wake her. In my room, Fox kept his promise and didn't touch me, even though I secretly wanted him to when we both stripped down to our underwear before getting into bed. We fell asleep in each other's arms, but now the bright morning sun is shining through the window, making me hot and uncomfortable. I try to shift away from Fox's warm embrace without waking him.

But as I lay there, the gentle rhythm of his breathing calms my restless heart, and I find myself smiling at the warmth radiating from him. How this cinnamon roll of a man could ever be a biker, I’ll never understand. In fiction, it's easy to imagine tough guys with soft hearts, but in reality, they're hard to come by. Until Fox came into my life. Either way, whatever this is between us, it’s something that I didn’t know that I needed. To be wanted without rules or expectations is freeing.

Suddenly, a strong urge to use the bathroom hits me, which is a problem, considering his heavy limbs are trapping me against him. I carefully curl my fingers around his wrist, trying to inch it away ever so gently until it slips between us, his open palm resting on my ass. Fox stirs slightly but doesn’t awaken, his brows knitting together in sleep.

I take a deep breath, bracing myself for my next move. With nimble grace, I twist my body toward the edge of the bed, hoping to slide out from under him without causing the bed to shift. Just as I am about to succeed, his arm flops over me like a heavy python, pulling me back into his warmth.

Shit. How am I going to do this?If I wake him up that will likely lead down the path of breaking the deal I’d brokered last night to not piss off Keira. If I don’t, I will make our first night together awkward when I pee the bed. There’s got to be a middle ground.Think, Brea. Think.

I settle for gently nudging his arm with my shoulder, praying that will give me the leverage I need. No movement. Not even a flicker of those long eyelashes. So much for subtlety.

With a sigh, I take a chance and lean in closer, my lips brushing against his ear as I whisper softly, “Fox. Come on, let me go.”

His brow furrows again and without warning, he groans low in his throat like a bear too cozy in its den. “Mmm...just fivemore minutes,” he mumbles, tightening his grip around my waist.

Just five more minutes? Great. Option two is imminent, and there will be no coming back from it.

Desperation begins to claw at my insides, and knowing the floor is nearby provides no comfort. The last thing I want is to be defeated by this renegade bladder of mine after an incredible night spent nestled against this tattooed giant.

I take a deep breath, willing myself to summon courage. With one last push of determination, I plant my feet firmly on the floor and haul myself up, setting my intention on a stealthy escape. Looping my fingers around Fox's arm, I gently pry his fingers away from my waist. “Fox,” I whisper again, growing increasingly frustrated. “Please.” Just as I think I’m winning this battle, he shifts and opens one eye slowly, looking up at me with a mix of sleepiness and confusion. The sight of his tousled hair and that smirk beginning to tug at the corners of his lips makes my heart flutter despite the urgency of my situation.

“Leaving already?” he rasps, voice thick with sleep. The way he looks at me makes it hard to focus on anything else. Damn him for being so adorable.

“Um, this is my house,” I shoot back. “Well, kinda.”

“Yeah,” he yawns. “Where are you going?”

“I really need to use the bathroom, and you’re kind of holding me hostage in my bed.”

“You could’ve just said so,” he replies, his voice still gravelly. I can’t help but roll my eyes at the cheekiness, but there’s an undeniable spark in his gaze that traps me for just a moment longer than necessary. He releases me from his grasp, and I sprint to the attached bathroom.

As soon as I close the bathroom door behind me relief floods through my veins, and I take a moment to collect myself, gazing into the small mirror above the sink. My hair is a mess, curlstousled and rebellious after a night spent tangled in Fox's arms. My cheeks flush at the memory of his warm embrace and that damn smirk, and I can’t help but giggle—a little giddy at how something so simple has turned my world upside down.

Once I finish, I splash some water on my face to tame the remnants of sleep before slipping on my borrowed robe from Keira’s aunt that is hanging on the back of the bathroom door. Heading back into my room, Fox is sprawled across the bed now, his arm draping behind his head carelessly. A sheet barely covers him, and the tattoos peeking out from beneath it is artwork in their own right.

“Come back to bed.”

“You know the rules. Not until I tell Keira you’re here.”

“So go tell her.”

“It’s barely sunrise. She’s not up yet.”

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