Page 132 of Patching Over

“Water, babe.”

She hands me a bottle which I put on the desk so I can take off my own boots. “You’re right, this is freeing,” I tell her as I wiggle my toes and move to the side of the bed I prefer. “Sleeper grabbed some clothes for you that are in the bathroom if you want to get comfortable.”

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

Belle

I walk into the bathroom, my heart thumping so hard, I swear it must be visible through my shirt. Giggling, I see a bag that’s definitely my brother’s handiwork, but when I pull out the clothes inside, I completely lose it, laughing long and loud.

“How the hell do you expect me to get laid, brother dearest?” I ask in a whisper when I see the footed onesie that he put in the bag for me to sleep in. He’s such a cockblocker. “Fucker.”

Still snickering, I go through my nightly routine, then slip into the onesie after I check what he packed to make sure the clothes he sent will work. Thankfully, he put a long-sleeved Henley along with a clean pair of socks in it. A brand-new toothbrush in the plastic is at the bottom, so I brush my teeth even though I plan to drink my soda. I can always brush them again, I guess.

All the lights, except the one next to Jingles’ side of the bed are off, and he’s sitting there, bare-chested, waiting for me to make an appearance. As I step through, I throw my hands out, strike a pose, and say, “Tada! Sleeper’s a dead fucker!”

Jingles’ laughter rings through the room as he stands and walks closer to me. “You’re kidding me, right?” he asks, once he’s directly in front of me. “Your brother has a warped sense of humor.”

“You’re just now figuring that out?” I question. “So, how do you feel about the Grinch?”

He smirks as he leans in and kisses me. “I’ve heard the Grinch’s heart grew ten sizes after what happened in Whoville.”

“Let’s hope the snowflake doesn’t melt or the town doesn’t explode,” I murmur when he kisses me again.

He chuckles at my dramatic response. “I’ll be right back out, get comfortable and find something for us to watch,” he instructs, grabbing a duffel bag from the small couch against the windows.

“Okie dokie,” I reply, moving to where he’s turned the sheets on the bed down.

While I wait for him to return, I have a stern talking to with myself. I mean, I might not have actually done the deed with a live male, but I have a few toys so I’m sure I busted through my own cherry years ago. What can I say? I wasn’t ready to give it up to a guy who wasn’t brave enough to face my brother, and none of them were, but I’m still a red-blooded female with hormones and needs.

Once I’ve calmed myself, I grab the remote and flip through the guide to find a television channel that’s streaming a holiday movie. Seems they start those earlier every year, but with next week being Thanksgiving, I’m ready, especially now that I’m done with college.

Jingles doesn’t take as long as me, and I have to swallow hard when I see him in the backlight of the bathroom. He’s still bare-chested, but now he’s wearing a pair of red and black lounge pants that are hanging low on his trim hips. And who knew that bare feet could be so damn sexy?

He slides into bed leaving quite a bit of space between us, which deflates my mood slightly. Until he leans over and scoots me so we’re both in the middle with me plastered to his side, cuddling.

“Like I said earlier, I just wanted to be alone with you while I’m here,” he whispers against the side of my head. “I want you with every breath in my body, but I can wait.”

“What if I can’t?” I ask, looking up at him.

True to his word, ever since we decided to start a relationship, he’s been the perfect gentleman, never pressuring me for anything. But I want more than just kisses because those ignite my desires and have me thinking decidedly wicked things where he’s concerned.

He manages to turn us so we’re lying on our sides facing each other and his hand goes to the zipper at the top of my onesie. I see him take a deep breath before he looks at me and asks, “Are you sure, Belle?”

“Positive, Jingles.”

He may kill me before we get to the main event, but oh what a way to go. I moan as his mouth moves back and forth between my breasts, sucking and lightly nipping my nipples until they’re distended, and my breasts are heavy with desire. “Jingles,” I groan out, my hands running through his luxurious hair.

“You need more, babe?” he questions, looking up at me. I can see the heat in his eyes blaze when I nod, and I soon find myself naked with him gazing down on me. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Belle,” he murmurs, dropping a kiss between my breasts. “Perfect for me in every way.”

I don’t point out that I’m still a lot thinner than I should be; years ago, I read that beauty was in the eye of the beholder, so for him, no matter how big or small I am, I’ll be perfect. “You’re perfect for me too, even if you do have better hair than I do,” I tease, trying to break the seriousness of the situation.

“I almost cut it all off when we rescued you,” he admits.

“What? No! That would be a crime to do something like that, honey,” I tell him.

“I like you calling me that,” he says, his hands roaming my body, which causes me to writhe against him. “I haven’t used my real name in so many years, I don’t think I’d answer to it, but you calling me ‘honey’? Yeah, I’ll answer to that.”

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