Page 60 of Sticking Out

“I don’t have to. I’m sure there are no secrets between husbands and wives and this is kind of juicy information.”

“Juicy?” she asks with a grin. “Now there’s a word I don’t hear often.”

I take off my shirt and kick off my pants. She stifles another yawn, and as much as I want to put my cock inside her, I think she needs a good night’s sleep. “Let’s go wash up.”

She follows me into the bathroom. We brush our teeth, wash up, and she stays behind to put on face cream. I head to the bed and pull the covers down for her, and a moment later she joins me. She slides in and once again goes quiet.

I go up on my elbow, and face her. Lightly touching her chin, to turn her face toward me. “Is there something else on your mind?” From the wrinkling of her brow to the worry in her eyes, I can tell there’s something bothering her.

“Was that Summer at the bar tonight?”

Oh, I didn’t even realize she’d seen her. “Yeah. She came to see Knox for a second.”

“She didn’t join us for dinner.” She shifts to face me. “I guess I just thought it odd to see her at the bar.”

“She said something to us about not being able to be out late. I don’t really know. I barely spoke to her.”

“Oh.” She averts her eyes.

I put my hand on her bare arm, and lightly run my fingers up and down her soft flesh. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

Okay, she said that fast, too fast for me to believe she means it. “It’s you I love, Dani. You know that, right?”

Her body softens beneath my touch and she smiles and puts her palm on my cheek. “When I got to the bar and didn’t see you but saw Summer leaving, then I spotted you coming my way from the same direction she had…”

“First, I’m glad you’re telling me this, and second, I think Alec did a number on us both, and his betrayal has left us both very leery.” Jesus, she can never see the letter, never know what he really did behind her back. I took it out of my pants that night, and stuffed it between the mattress and box spring until I can dispose of it properly. I make a mental note to do that tomorrow.

She snorts out a laugh full of sadness. “You’re not wrong.”

“I rarely am.”

She whacks my chest and laughs. “Ego much?”

“Come here.” I lay on my back and pull her to me. Her cheek rests against my heart, and a soft moan escapes her lips. I close my eyes and the next thing I know, morning is upon us, and I’m the little spoon to her big one. While I love having sex before bed, there’s something very nice and profound about falling asleep with my arms around her and waking up with hers around me.

I shift, and try to slip out without waking her so I can have her coffee waiting for when she gets up. Moving slowly, I inch forward, only for her arm to tighten around me. Is she awake? I move again, and she holds me to her, and a soft chuckle reaches my ears. I spin and grin when I catch the playfulness in her eyes.

“Been awake long?” I smooth her hair back and kiss her forehead.

“No, is it the weekend yet?” she asks and groans.

“Afraid not, and you, my sweetness, have to get up and get to work.”

“You can’t make me.”

She rolls over and I throw my arm around her, working to get a grip on my morning wood. I guess my nickname is accurate in more ways than one. I curse under my breath.

“I can’t, but I know you’re looking forward to taking Lucy to the nursing home today.”

She pushes the covers off. “Ugh. You don’t play fair.”

“Go shower and I’ll get coffee and breakfast ready.”

“Oh, I thought you’d be joining me.” She glances at me over her shoulder. “I think I know a way of helping you with your morning wood.”

I burst out laughing. “You felt that, did you?”

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