Page 21 of Devil's Valentine

Fuck, my name on her lips again. It does something to me.

“Let’s go to bed, Sugar,” I rasp, and she nods.

The moment I’m down to my boxers and wrapped around her softness with my head on the pillow, I’m out. She’s exactly what I need in my life and I’m not letting her go. Not now, not ever.

CHAPTER 9

SCARLETT

For the first time since I opened the bakery, I do not want to wake up. I’m so damn warm and comfortable right now. And I’m finally sleeping. I stretch my body and the strong arm, part of it tattooed, tightens around me.

I know what I’ll find if I were to turn over. Dean is back home and he’s in my bed. And I was finally able to sleep peacefully with him in bed with me.

How the hell did I sleep well before I met him and then having him in my bed for one night sent me all out of whack? It makes no damn sense, but for the last few nights with him out of town, I was a mess. Calling him and texting wasn’t enough, but it was better than no contact.

I did get to learn a lot about him when we talked at night. It was as if neither one of us wanted to get off the phone. He tried to be good and tell me to go to bed because he knew how early Iwas going to get up. Still, I just didn’t want to hang up and go.

It was a chance for me to learn everything about him and I was going to take it. We talked a lot about all sorts of things. He told me about the club and how important it is to him, especially since he didn’t have much of a family growing up. My heart ached for him.

I didn’t have a dad in my life, but I never felt like I was missing out. Mom made up for not having the man who donated his sperm to grow me. She ensured I had everything I needed, even if it meant she went without. More importantly, she ensured I felt the love she had for me.

Since he opened up to me, I did the same. I shared a lot of good memories of my Mom with him during our talks, most of them involving baking. I’m sure it was no real mystery about why I wanted to open Crescent Sugar, but he still asked me anyway.

The entire time we were talking, it felt like he was hanging on every word. Having someone so invested in me, in my past, in my dreams for the future, in my feelings and opinions, was totally new for me. I already wanted Dean, fiercely, but the man stole my heart with those long talks and the vulnerability he was willing to show me.

I’ve fallen in love with this man.

He makes a humming sound and starts to kiss along my shoulder. “Good morning, Sugar,” his voice is rough with sleep.

It’s so damn sexy that I can’t help but wiggle back against him. The groan he lets out does nothing to quell the need I have for him.

Last night, when Dean came over, we were both clearly exhausted. At first, my insecurities tried to take hold of me. He’s such a sexy man and if he was in another chapter’s clubhouse, how would I ever know that he didn’t hook up with someone. I tried to push those thoughts away, but I must have failed because Dean saw right through me.

His words reassured me and even though I don’t have to, I believe him. Sure, he could tell me lies and be stringing me along, but why bother putting in all the effort he did when he was out of town? He could have just sent me a few texts and be done with it, but that’s not what happened.

He made a point to show me how much he valued me.

I wanted to climb him like a tree, but I could see the dark circles under his eyes and the exhaustion written all over him. I’m sure I didn’t look much better.

Having his arms around me made me feel so comfortable. It felt like coming home which was kind of shocking because the bakery had been my only true home for a year. But in Dean’s arms I found another home, another comfort, another sense of peace.

Now, waking up with him, I don’t want to get out of bed. Even though it’s still dark outside, I look at my clock and know my alarm is about to go off. It’s not unusual for me to wake up before my alarm because I’ve been waking up so early for so long.

“Can we just stay in bed?”

I wiggle my ass back against him, knowing full well that I sound a little whiny and a lot pouty. Dean’s chuckle skates across the back of my neck and only makes me want to stay right where I am more.

“Once you decide to hire some more people, including another baker, you could have the option to stay in bed with me,” there’s a seduction in his voice.

When he grinds against my ass, I let out a low moan. Why didn’t I hire someone already? I should have.

I groan as I drag myself out of bed, fully expecting Dean to stay in bed a little longer. After heading into the bathroom, I’m damn glad I took a shower last night. Not wanting to be tempted, I don’t even look at the bed as I head toward the kitchen.

“Need coffee,” I mumble to myself and then freeze when I step foot inside the kitchen.

Dean is standing there without a shirt on and his jeans on but unbuttoned. He’s stirring coffee in a travel mug and from the color it looks like he’s added the perfect amount of cream. How we take our coffee is one of the things we talked about while he was away.

I guess it stuck?

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