more than the basic outline of his body, darn it
all—he lifted the covers and slid into the middle of his queen-sized bed where
he laid down on his side, held up the covers, and waited for her.
She removed her phone from the pocket of her lounge pants,
pressed the buttons necessary to set the alarm for one hour, and placed it on
the bedside table. Just for tonight. She climbed in beside him. Because of his
head injury. She turned on her side facing away from him. Definitely not because
she wanted to be there just as much as he wanted her there.
He cuddled in behind her, like he’d done the last time she’d
spent the night in his bed, his chin resting on the top of her head, his
anterior in full contact with her posterior and his powerful arm draped over her
ribs with his hand cupping her breast.
“Thank you,” he said on a deep sigh.
No. Thank you . Jena closed her eyes
and savored the feel of him. Just. For. Tonight. Her body relaxed, indulged in a
closeness that would never be repeated.
Jena woke to darkness, her phone alarm going off. She lifted it
to check the time—four o’clock—and stop the ringing. She listened for the twins,
thrilled to hear nothing but quiet, thankful the noise hadn’t set them off. So
warm. She closed her eyes.
Someone moved behind her.
She sucked in a breath.
“What?” a male voice asked, pulling her close.
Justin. It all came back. His head wound. Stiches. A
concussion. Hourly neurological checks. “What’s your name?” she asked.
“Do you often wake up unsure who you’re in bed with?” he
mumbled, teasing her. Back to normal.
“You’d think with the wild, party-girl lifestyle I lead, I’d be
used to it by now,” she quipped.
He squeezed her. “Wise ass.”
Only with him, probably because so many of their interactions
over the years had occurred while she’d been pretending to be Jaci whose
personality lent itself to sarcasm and playfulness. “I was checking to see your
level of orientation or if I need to drag you back to the hospital.”
“My name is Justin Rangore,” he whispered.
“Now here’s a toughie,” she said, “Who am I?”
He rocked his hips. Something firm poked her butt cheek. “You
are the lovely, and when I say lovely I mean alluring, sensual, and charming Jena Piermont.”
His emphasis on “Jena” made her smile and delighted her beyond
measure. She reset her alarm to go off in an hour. “Back to sleep,” she said a
bit surprised when he didn’t balk and continue putting the moves on her and
actually seemed to drift right back into slumber.
The next three times Jena’s alarm startled her back to
consciousness she could barely stay awake long enough to gently shake Justin,
determine him to be oriented to person, place and time, and reset her alarm
before falling back into an exhausted sleep.
“Hey, beautiful.” A man’s soft voice interrupted a delicious
dream. Lips, she assumed his, pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Rise and
shine.”
Lying on her side, Jena opened her eyes to sunshine and
Justin’s face less than an inch away. She slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Relax,” he said so at ease with their position. “Two morning
breaths cancel each other out.”
“Are you speaking from your vast experience waking up in bed
with women,” she asked from behind her hand, “Or saying the first thing that
came to mind to keep me from leaving the bed to gargle with mouthwash?”
“Yes.” He smiled.
“How do you feel?” she asked.
He took the hand covering her mouth, slid it down his naked
chest, to an impressive morning erection. “You tell me.”
Oh my. Great. He felt great. Awesome. “Well, that’s a pretty
big indication you no longer need me around to take care of you.” She started to
roll away but came to an abrupt stop on her back, when Justin pounced on top of
her, pinning her hips beneath his.
“But I do.” He rested his upper body on his elbows and leaned
down to kiss her cheek.
all—he lifted the covers and slid into the middle of his queen-sized bed where
he laid down on his side, held up the covers, and waited for her.
She removed her phone from the pocket of her lounge pants,
pressed the buttons necessary to set the alarm for one hour, and placed it on
the bedside table. Just for tonight. She climbed in beside him. Because of his
head injury. She turned on her side facing away from him. Definitely not because
she wanted to be there just as much as he wanted her there.
He cuddled in behind her, like he’d done the last time she’d
spent the night in his bed, his chin resting on the top of her head, his
anterior in full contact with her posterior and his powerful arm draped over her
ribs with his hand cupping her breast.
“Thank you,” he said on a deep sigh.
No. Thank you . Jena closed her eyes
and savored the feel of him. Just. For. Tonight. Her body relaxed, indulged in a
closeness that would never be repeated.
Jena woke to darkness, her phone alarm going off. She lifted it
to check the time—four o’clock—and stop the ringing. She listened for the twins,
thrilled to hear nothing but quiet, thankful the noise hadn’t set them off. So
warm. She closed her eyes.
Someone moved behind her.
She sucked in a breath.
“What?” a male voice asked, pulling her close.
Justin. It all came back. His head wound. Stiches. A
concussion. Hourly neurological checks. “What’s your name?” she asked.
“Do you often wake up unsure who you’re in bed with?” he
mumbled, teasing her. Back to normal.
“You’d think with the wild, party-girl lifestyle I lead, I’d be
used to it by now,” she quipped.
He squeezed her. “Wise ass.”
Only with him, probably because so many of their interactions
over the years had occurred while she’d been pretending to be Jaci whose
personality lent itself to sarcasm and playfulness. “I was checking to see your
level of orientation or if I need to drag you back to the hospital.”
“My name is Justin Rangore,” he whispered.
“Now here’s a toughie,” she said, “Who am I?”
He rocked his hips. Something firm poked her butt cheek. “You
are the lovely, and when I say lovely I mean alluring, sensual, and charming Jena Piermont.”
His emphasis on “Jena” made her smile and delighted her beyond
measure. She reset her alarm to go off in an hour. “Back to sleep,” she said a
bit surprised when he didn’t balk and continue putting the moves on her and
actually seemed to drift right back into slumber.
The next three times Jena’s alarm startled her back to
consciousness she could barely stay awake long enough to gently shake Justin,
determine him to be oriented to person, place and time, and reset her alarm
before falling back into an exhausted sleep.
“Hey, beautiful.” A man’s soft voice interrupted a delicious
dream. Lips, she assumed his, pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Rise and
shine.”
Lying on her side, Jena opened her eyes to sunshine and
Justin’s face less than an inch away. She slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Relax,” he said so at ease with their position. “Two morning
breaths cancel each other out.”
“Are you speaking from your vast experience waking up in bed
with women,” she asked from behind her hand, “Or saying the first thing that
came to mind to keep me from leaving the bed to gargle with mouthwash?”
“Yes.” He smiled.
“How do you feel?” she asked.
He took the hand covering her mouth, slid it down his naked
chest, to an impressive morning erection. “You tell me.”
Oh my. Great. He felt great. Awesome. “Well, that’s a pretty
big indication you no longer need me around to take care of you.” She started to
roll away but came to an abrupt stop on her back, when Justin pounced on top of
her, pinning her hips beneath his.
“But I do.” He rested his upper body on his elbows and leaned
down to kiss her cheek.
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