Page 25 of Something Borrowed

He shifted on the floor, the blanket no barrier or cushion to the hard wood under him. Sleeping on the grass would have been more comfortable than where he was now. Add to that a painful erection and his woman’s soft moans and sighs, and he was in his own form of hell, made worse because he was being too proud to take what was offered freely. Instead, he dealt with an arousal that could pound nails through the hardwood floor.

He shifted again, grunting as his elbow slammed the floor.

“You’re a fool. Stubborn ass. Get on the bed, damn you. I’ll protect your virtue,” Brigid said with a sardonic twist.

He snorted. “I’m fine.”

The soft comforter landed on his head, and he got briefly tangled in the material. “Use that to lay on, if you’re determined to be pigheaded. Maybe it will let us both get some sleep.”

He stood and spread it out on the floor and laid back down. It was marginally better, a bit more of a barrier than he had.

“Better?” she asked, her soft voice making his cock jump and twitch, pleading for the soft bed and soft woman.

“It’s fine.” His voice was gruff with arousal and lack of sleep.

“Now, can we get some sleep?”

“If you stop moaning in your sleep.”

She paused and muttered under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear. “Shit. Well, it’s all your fault.”

“Night, sweetheart.”

She punched her pillow and growled quietly. He laughed under his breath and settled for a sleepless night.

ChapterEleven

The morning sun peeked through the curtains that she’d closed tightly the night before, stabbing her in the eyes. She groaned and threw an arm over her face. It wasn’t a hangover she was feeling, but a tension headache brought on by work, the pre-wedding stress and dealing with Grady in her bedroom. She didn’t even have a sanctuary from which to escape, except the office, and that place only added to her tension. Of course, lack of sleep and arousal, knowing Grady slept a few feet away, didn’t help her headache at all.

“Grady, shut the curtains.” When there was no movement, she cracked open an eye and spoke louder. “Grady, the curtains.”

When that didn’t cause any movement, she strained to hear any movement, but there was none on the floor or from the attached bathroom. Distant noise in the house showed that anyone who was up was downstairs, probably in the kitchen. She’d kill for a cup of coffee, provided it didn’t irritate her stomach as it sometimes did. But she’d need the caffeine for her morning paperwork.

She rolled over and checked the clock, then bolted straight up in bed. Nine o’clock! She hadn’t slept that late since undergrad. Normally, she would be in the office for at least two hours by now. She leapt out of bed and frantically looked for her laptop or phone. How many emails were already piling up in her inbox? Oh God, she had to log in.

She swung her legs out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

A short while later, she made her way downstairs. Before she could escape to the office with a cup of coffee, Caroline found her.

“So, you’re finally awake. When I saw Grady a couple of hours ago, I thought sure you’d be close behind. How did he sneak out and not wake you?”

“I must have been sleeping more soundly than I thought.”

Caroline grinned. “Must have been tired from traveling and other activities.” She put air quotes around the last word. “The Brigid I knew was the lightest sleeper, couldn’t even sleep with the windows open because the sound of the waves kept her awake.”

Brigid only smiled ruefully and poured a cup of coffee. “Well, I’m headed to work. Let me know if you need me.”

Caroline grabbed her arm as she walked past. “Not just yet. You promised me one week, and I want one week. We have a spa day planned today for my bachelorette party. Nonnegotiable, Brigid.”

Steel threaded her words, reminding Brigid of why the other woman was such a successful fundraiser. No one could say no to Caroline Masters, soon to be Coughlin. Add in her Irish stubbornness, and she would be unstoppable. Brigid glanced at the closed office door, and Caroline’s gaze followed her train of thought.

“I’ll give you thirty minutes, then I’ll take away the laptop and phone and disconnect the Wi-Fi. That should give you plenty of time to be ready to leave by eleven. Agreed?”

Brigid frowned, but nodded. “Fine. Where’s Grady?”

Caroline glanced around. “I don’t know. Matthew may have grabbed him. They’re golfing today. Now, hurry up. You have twenty-nine minutes and I’m counting.”

Brigid hurried in the office and checked her email. Peterman had accepted her changes to the contracts and sent her additional revisions on something else. So much for a vacation. Another email caught her eye.

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