Page 36 of Cop Daddy Next Door

He snagged a couple of plates from the stack the girls had put on the coffee table and loaded both with some slices. My stomach picked that moment to growl, since I’d forgotten to eat dinner other than a vending machine candy bar when we arrived at the vet’s.

He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Grab the 2-liter from the fridge?”

I nodded silently and offered Francie and Pancake some pets before I followed him into the kitchen. He grabbed a stack of napkins and kept going down the hall to the bedroom while I opened the fridge and stared at the contents as if the wilted lettuce, two pitted oranges, and soda bottle held the world’s secrets. The girls totally ate my leftover Chinese.

Why was I still here? Why hadn’t I asked him to drop me off at my vehicle and headed home before this became weird? It was bound to. We’d had sex, for God’s sake, and we barely knew each other beyond the occasional rude comment.

Having pizza and going to sleep together sounded like a couples’ activity. Or at least a friends’ activity, though I didn’t sleep in the same bed as my pals unless there was a severe overcrowding situation.

And none of my friends had exceptional thrusting power and biceps for days. Unfortunately.

When I couldn’t stall any longer, I grabbed the soda and wandered down the hall. I’d just give him the soda, snag a piece of pizza, and ask Honey to drop me at my vehicle.

Then he could get some rest.

The words were on my tongue as I walked into the bedroom and found Mav lying on his stomach on the bed, clad in only his boxers. He was digging into the pizza with impressive gusto, but he paused to look up at me with the glow from the TV flashing over his face. His dark hair was a disordered mess, and he had pizza sauce on his cheek.

My foolish heart did a swan dive right into his greasy hands.

“Problem?” He gestured to the TV. “Don’t know if you like this show.”

I lovedFamily Guy.It was funny and not too complicated for my tired brain. And I really wanted his pizza and to flop down next to him on the bed to eat and laugh and just chill out.

But was anything really that easy? Especially with a dude I’d let come inside me?

That fact kept flashing in my brain like a giant warning sign. Except it was too late for warnings. All I could do now was not compound the situation and hope for the best.

I held out the 2-liter bottle and he grabbed it in his big hand. “Forgot the cups.”

He shrugged and uncapped the bottle, taking a long slug before he passed it to me. I did the same and climbed up on the bed to grab a piece of pizza off the second plate.

What was the harm? It was late. I could always leave early in the morning.

“Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“No, I have the day off, thank fuck. I could sleep for a year. If I can.” He put away his third piece of pizza and looked longingly at my plate.

I laughed and pushed a slice at his mouth. He took it gratefully then polished it off in just a few bites. Soon after, I ate my second slice.

Comfortable fatigue flowed through me as I stretched out my legs and relaxed into the pile of pillows.

“Aren’t you going to get more comfortable?”

“You mean naked?”

“If that’s what comfortable is for you.” He waggled his brows. “Brady has an old T-shirt you can borrow. Or wait, I have an extra one in my overnight bag.” He was up like a shot to rummage through the duffel on the chest at the foot of the bed. He tugged out a soft, worn shirt that smelled of detergent and all the sex pheromones one conflicted chick could ask for and tossed it my way.

Then he turned around to face the TV, giving me privacy to swap mine for his. Even though we’d already had sex.

I am not going to get mushy toward this man. Nope. Am not.

I pulled off mine for his and then tried to shake off the goosebumps I’d gotten on my arms just from wearing something he’d worn. I stood to yank off my sneakers, socks, and jeans and dragged his shirt down as far as it would go.

It was basically a dress on me.

“All set,” I said cheerfully, dumping my clothes on a nearby chair.

He turned back and even in the dim light from the TV, I could tell how his jaw locked as he took me in. “That looks a hell of a lot better on you than it ever did on me.”

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