Holding Strong
Page 68
Still peeved, Cherry crawled over to make room for him, turned her back and tugged the sheet up to her chin. He got in behind her, stretched out one long arm and killed the lamp.
Dark silence filled every inch of the room.
Never before had she thought about the quiet, but now it smothered her. Maybe because she’d let things end on a tense note. But how to fix it?
The bed dipped when Denver turned and slid an arm under her pillow, wrapped another around her waist, and drew her into the strong cradle of his big body. “Okay?”
Now that he couldn’t see her, she closed her eyes to relish the moment. “Yes.” Better than okay.
Heat, scented by his skin, enveloped her. After a few minutes, drowsiness set in. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did need to sleep. Too much had happened, with an ominous dread leaving her splintered. She yawned wide enough to hurt her jaws.
“Do you mind if I touch you?”
Her groan, long and dramatic, made him chuckle. She honestly didn’t know how much more teasing she could take.
“Like this.” Giving her time to object, he scooted her closer, fitting his strong legs to the backs of hers, tucking her so close that problems faded away.
If she could sleep like this, safe in Denver’s arms, it wouldn’t be too bad.
Time drifted by, but she didn’t doze off.
“You’re not sleeping,” he murmured.
“Not yet.” She curved her fingers over his forearm. “I’m keeping you awake?”
“No. I was just thinking. When did you paint your toenails?”
Surprise got her eyes opened wide. “You noticed?”
“That you changed the color?” Husky and low, he said, “I notice every damn thing about you, girl. You should know that by now.”
“Oh.” Well, that was nice because she noticed every single thing about him, too. “I got antsy midday and didn’t have anything to do.”
“Except worry?”
“And paint my toenails.”
He squeezed her in a quick, gentle hug. “I wish I could have been here with you.”
Somehow, she knew that talking with him like this in the quiet dark was deceptive. It felt like nothing bad could happen, like the future held only promise.
A false illusion.
“No.” She turned her head enough to kiss his bulging biceps. “I don’t want to interfere with your routine.” More than I already have.
“You won’t.” He nipped her earlobe. “I can multitask.” A warm kiss behind her ear had her brain wandering to sex again, until he added, “It’s going to take some juggling, fitting everything in—and no, I’m not talking about the size of my pipe.”
She closed her mouth, but laughed.
“Brat.” Another kiss, this one on the side of her neck. “Weekends are mostly free,” he continued. “But the weekdays start early and run late.”
In case he made assumptions, she offered tentatively, “I’m nine to five, so I’m happy to adapt to your schedule.”
“We’ll work it out.”
He fell silent after that, giving her thoughts room to roam. “Denver?”
“Hmm?”
“Why didn’t any of you ask to date Vanity?”
She felt his grin against her shoulder. “Most of us don’t do a lot of steady dating. You know that. The other guys are like me. None of us has the time.”
True. They all kept grueling schedules, at least when prepping for a fight. Their social hookups seemed to happen in spontaneous ways and almost always on a weekend. “So forget dating. None of you tried to sleep with her, either.” Or had they? Maybe Denver had and she just didn’t know, and why would she? Until a short time ago, he hadn’t shown interest in her, either.
He shifted, moving one leg over hers. “She’s Yvette’s best friend. She’ll be maid of honor at the wedding.”
When Cherry tried to turn and face him, he held her secure. “So?”
“So she’s too close for comfort if things go sour. That takes her out of bounds for casual sex.”
Possibilities churned in her brain, keeping her so unsettled she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep. Toying with the soft hair on his forearm, she asked, “Did you want to go after her, though?”
“No.”
Disconcerted that he said nothing more, she nudged him. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Not quite satisfied with his one-word replies, she decided to go to the crux of her restlessness. “Did you consider me too close for comfort, too?”
Dark silence filled every inch of the room.
Never before had she thought about the quiet, but now it smothered her. Maybe because she’d let things end on a tense note. But how to fix it?
The bed dipped when Denver turned and slid an arm under her pillow, wrapped another around her waist, and drew her into the strong cradle of his big body. “Okay?”
Now that he couldn’t see her, she closed her eyes to relish the moment. “Yes.” Better than okay.
Heat, scented by his skin, enveloped her. After a few minutes, drowsiness set in. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did need to sleep. Too much had happened, with an ominous dread leaving her splintered. She yawned wide enough to hurt her jaws.
“Do you mind if I touch you?”
Her groan, long and dramatic, made him chuckle. She honestly didn’t know how much more teasing she could take.
“Like this.” Giving her time to object, he scooted her closer, fitting his strong legs to the backs of hers, tucking her so close that problems faded away.
If she could sleep like this, safe in Denver’s arms, it wouldn’t be too bad.
Time drifted by, but she didn’t doze off.
“You’re not sleeping,” he murmured.
“Not yet.” She curved her fingers over his forearm. “I’m keeping you awake?”
“No. I was just thinking. When did you paint your toenails?”
Surprise got her eyes opened wide. “You noticed?”
“That you changed the color?” Husky and low, he said, “I notice every damn thing about you, girl. You should know that by now.”
“Oh.” Well, that was nice because she noticed every single thing about him, too. “I got antsy midday and didn’t have anything to do.”
“Except worry?”
“And paint my toenails.”
He squeezed her in a quick, gentle hug. “I wish I could have been here with you.”
Somehow, she knew that talking with him like this in the quiet dark was deceptive. It felt like nothing bad could happen, like the future held only promise.
A false illusion.
“No.” She turned her head enough to kiss his bulging biceps. “I don’t want to interfere with your routine.” More than I already have.
“You won’t.” He nipped her earlobe. “I can multitask.” A warm kiss behind her ear had her brain wandering to sex again, until he added, “It’s going to take some juggling, fitting everything in—and no, I’m not talking about the size of my pipe.”
She closed her mouth, but laughed.
“Brat.” Another kiss, this one on the side of her neck. “Weekends are mostly free,” he continued. “But the weekdays start early and run late.”
In case he made assumptions, she offered tentatively, “I’m nine to five, so I’m happy to adapt to your schedule.”
“We’ll work it out.”
He fell silent after that, giving her thoughts room to roam. “Denver?”
“Hmm?”
“Why didn’t any of you ask to date Vanity?”
She felt his grin against her shoulder. “Most of us don’t do a lot of steady dating. You know that. The other guys are like me. None of us has the time.”
True. They all kept grueling schedules, at least when prepping for a fight. Their social hookups seemed to happen in spontaneous ways and almost always on a weekend. “So forget dating. None of you tried to sleep with her, either.” Or had they? Maybe Denver had and she just didn’t know, and why would she? Until a short time ago, he hadn’t shown interest in her, either.
He shifted, moving one leg over hers. “She’s Yvette’s best friend. She’ll be maid of honor at the wedding.”
When Cherry tried to turn and face him, he held her secure. “So?”
“So she’s too close for comfort if things go sour. That takes her out of bounds for casual sex.”
Possibilities churned in her brain, keeping her so unsettled she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep. Toying with the soft hair on his forearm, she asked, “Did you want to go after her, though?”
“No.”
Disconcerted that he said nothing more, she nudged him. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Not quite satisfied with his one-word replies, she decided to go to the crux of her restlessness. “Did you consider me too close for comfort, too?”
