Page 26 of Lucky in Love
11
LUCKY
By the time the police leave, it’s really late, and I can see how exhausted Agatha is. Knight, Scooter, and Bear hung around for a while after they left, Knight and Scooter giving Bear a hard time about “the vibes” between him and Officer Mason again.
In true Bear style, he told them to go fuck themselves before taking his leave. Laughing like two naughty children, they weren’t far behind him in leaving. I have no doubt they’d have caught up to him downstairs and ragged on him some more.
I should probably be on my way too so Agatha can get some rest, it’s just I don’t want to leave her before I see her settled. When she tries to smother yet another yawn, I get to my feet and hold a hand out to her.
“Come on then, up you come,” I say, wiggling my fingers at her. When she does as asked, I turn her in the direction of her hall. “Go on and get ready for bed. I’ll clean up here quickly, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”
Agatha takes a couple steps. Turning back, she stands there, unmoving, avoiding my gaze. Cocking my head, I study her but say nothing, waiting. Just when I think she’s not going to move or say anything, she comes back to where I’m standing.
Looking anywhere but at me, she eventually speaks. “If you don’t need to, please don’t go?”
I cup my hands around her cheeks. “Look at me, gorgeous.” I wait for to do as I ask. When she does, I continue. “Talk to me. What’s going on in that beautiful mind?”
She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, then opens them again. Her gaze clings to mine. “I’m scared to be alone.” I can see it’s cost her to admit that to me.
I pull her to me and wrap my arms around her, stroking a hand over her hair. “It’s okay to be scared. Tonight would have done that to anyone. But I’m here, and I’ll stay for as long as you need me. Okay?”
I can feel her nodding her head where it rests on my shoulder. A shuddering sigh goes through her. Tucking her in closer to my body, I continue to stroke my hand over her hair, soothing her as much as myself.
I hate to see her feeling so vulnerable. We stand like that for a good long while, until I feel her body relax against mine. Loosening my grip, I back up a step. “Like I said earlier, go and get ready. I’ll clean this up.” I indicate the mugs and things on the coffee table. “When you’re ready, come find me.”
For the briefest moment, she tightens her arms around me, then lets go and steps back. “Okay.” Once again, she starts to walk away and stops. This time she doesn’t turn around. “Jessen?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” With that she leaves the room.
I make short work of tidying up the living room, taking the stuff through and cleaning up in the kitchen too. Done, I take a seat in the living room again. I don’t have long to wait before Agatha reappears and, despite the tension of the past couple of hours, I feel myself get hard.
She stands one foot resting atop the other, uncertainty stamped all over her, in sleep shorts and a tank top. I know seduction isn’t the aim here, but dear God, I am merely a mortal man. Her legs seem to go on forever, her pale creamy skin begging to be touched and tasted.
I sit staring as if poleaxed, until her husky murmur snaps me out of my trance.
“Jessen? Are you all right?”
“Er, yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” I clear my throat and get to my feet, simply standing there not quite sure what to do and praying she won’t notice my inappropriate response to her.
“I’m exhausted, so I’m going to hop into bed, but I was wondering if you would – well – you know – um, lie with me for a bit? Maybe until I fall asleep?”
Seriously? Did I do something to piss the gods off that I’m being tested this way? All I want to do is lose myself in this woman as she stands there looking sexy as hell, and now she wants me to lie next to her. On a bed. Dressed like that?
I’ve always considered myself a strong man, but fuck’s sake, not that strong.
But it’s not her fault I can’t control my reaction to her. Pulling myself together, I walk toward her. I open my mouth to answer her and pray my voice won’t betray me. “Sure. I can do that.”
A true testament to my training to withstand torture, I watch as Agatha readies the bed. She bends over, and the sleep shorts tighten across her ass. Biting down on my lip, I turn to survey the room. Not that décor overly interests me, but anything is better than staring at those glorious globes at this point.
Finally, she settles into the bed and pats the covers beside her. Shucking my shoes, I climb up beside her, reclining against the headboard. I suck in a quiet breath when Agatha wriggles closer and rests her head on my chest. Her hand lands on my stomach.
When her fingers start toying with the buttons on my shirt, I know I’m in trouble. Jesus, I’m such an animal. She’s had one hell of a rough night, and all I think about is sex. I want to get my hands on her so badly I physically ache. Unable to resist, I give in, and I wrap my hand around her nape.
We lie like that, in silence, for a long while. So long, in fact, I begin to suspect Agatha’s dozed off. That is, until I feel her hand creep in under my shirt, coming to rest on the bare skin of my stomach.
I have a choice to make, and it’s not going to be easy saying it, but it needs to be done.
