Page 36 of All Yours

“Are they?” she asked, sitting.

“No, just standard navy blue boxer briefs.”

“Bummer,” she said, falling back into bed. “I won’t look… please just get into bed. I think it’ll help me feel better.” She fell back, covering her eyes.

I held a groan in. What else am I supposed to do? What if I get an erection and she’s offended? Suck it up and comfort my friend. I stripped to my skivvies and t-shirt, held my breath, and climbed into her bed.

She scooted closer to me and her whole body was shaking.

“Are you trembling?” I asked.

“I can’t stop,” she whispered. “It’s so uncomfortable. But I can’t seem to stop it.”

“It’s adrenaline let down.” I’m such an asshole for only worrying about how my body would react to getting into bed with her. Sloane needed me to be here for her.

I spooned Sloane, pulling her shuddering little body tight, and she snuggled to me.

“Would you rather go watch some tv?” I asked.

“No,” she said after a while. “I just want to lie here in the quiet.”

“Okay,” I whispered. Inhaling the perfume of her hair and closing my eyes.

“Don’t stop holding me,” she said.

“I won’t.”

Chapter Thirteen

Sloane

I woke with a start, light flooding my bedroom. A chill hung in the autumn morning air, but warmth from a heavy arm draped over my hip. Everything from the night before came back, including the part where I’d pulled Jonah into bed. His solid muscular body lay spooned around me, his smooth even breath indicating he was still asleep. He didn’t stop holding me, even in his sleep.

Jonah’s body lax in slumber, except the impressive lump of an erection against my backside. A sense of heat and need surged between my legs. What would he do if I rolled over and kissed his neck until he woke? Would he strip me naked and press me into the mattress with his weight, make love to me? What would it feel like to have his lips on mine? Would he be gentle or rough? Or would he flee, horrified by my advance? I’m his friend, after all.

I rolled over with slow, careful scoots and snuggled up to his chest. His chest was now bare. Didn’t he wear a shirt to bed? I breathed in his musky male scent and the urge to press my bare skin against his rose. Both comforted and mesmerized by him at the same time. My fingertips slid over the smattering of black hair across his defined chest. His torso was like chiseled marble, defined abs that disappeared into the indented V in his hips. Where did that come from? Had I ever seen him shirtless? I’d never noticed he hid so much more under those polo shirts. Good god, what had I been missing? I shouldn’t be doing this, but damn, it’d been too long since a man touched me. And Jonah was all man.

His hand slid up my back, his callus fingertips grazing under my shirt. There was a marked change in his breathing, and I willed myself to look up and met his eyes. They were dark, bottomless saucers, locked in on me. I tilted my head up and his gaze dropped to my lips and back to my eyes. His large palm skims down my lower back, over my ass, and returned to the small of my back. And I let my gaze linger on his lips for a beat before returning to those deep, brown eyes filled with hunger. Tension built in my chest, a tingling sensation that I’ve never had before. Why shouldn’t we do this?

“Hey Sloane,” Eden’s voice rang from the doorway.

Jonah leapt away from me, sitting.

“Oh, hi Jonah,” Eden sang. I heard the smile in her voice.

“Jonah came over to help with the door after the intruder last night,” I blurted out, sitting.

“I see that,” Eden replied. With her fire red hair piled atop her head and sweats on, she appeared ready for a day of cleaning.

“Eden,” Jonah barked, sliding from the bed and grabbing his pants. “Can you tell me why someone kicked in Sloane’s door last night?” He demanded, while shoving each leg into his pants.

“No. Why would I?” Eden stammered.

“Jonah—” I started, but he was already going again.

“Because you show up outta nowhere, have officers trying to find you for questioning, and now this? What kind of mess is following you around? Is Sloane in danger because of it?” He stared daggers at Eden.

“I didn’t do anything,” Eden cried.

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