Emelie
I twisted to my side and gripped the blanket beneath me then froze. The material was thin and so unlike the feel of my flannel blankets. Opening my eyes slowly, I looked up to see Clayton, then scanned over the room, realizing we were on the couch.
The movie was now back on the main menu, the background music playing on repeat. I hadn’t even remembered curling up on him, but apparently I do unforeseen things in my sleep. Ya know, like climbing him and conforming the entire front half of my body to his own.
One arm was wrapped around my back securely, his other hand rested just above my ass. I was trapped, with no means of escape, unless I wanted to wake him. I looked up at him again and found him sleeping so peacefully, a gentle snore filling the quiet space.
It was my chance to stare at him without being caught, the chance to memorize his features, the strong jaw and lips that were too perfectly shaped. Men shouldn’t be gifted with perfect lips and long gorgeous eyelashes; it was unfair. Clayton was so masculine, but those added features made him breathtaking. It was one of the things that drove me so crazy about him. Even though I wanted to push him away so much in the beginning, I found it so difficult. He was a man I could look at all day every day and never tire of the sight.
Lifting my hand, I trailed my finger along his jaw, loving the feel of the stubble beneath.
“Hey sleepyhead,” he whispered gruffly without opening his eyes. I jerked my hand away, embarrassed that I was caught fondling him, and he lifted his own to catch my wrist. When he brought our now joined hands up toward his mouth, he pressed a kiss to my wrist and carefully placed my hand near his face once more. “Don’t stop,” he insisted. “It felt nice.”
I smiled when he moved his face in closer to my hand, almost like a cat does when it’s begging to be petted. It was quite adorable how sweet he was when he was half asleep. So, once again I began to trace over his jaw and across his chin. On my second pass over, I made sure to trace along his lower lip, feeling him twitch against me. I paused for a few seconds before repeating the action and getting the same result.
“I wanna kiss you.” I whispered this, unsure if he could hear me. When he didn’t answer I knew he’d fallen back to sleep, so I carefully moved myself up higher on him, pressing my lips softly to his. “I really hope you’re the man you’ve been trying so hard to convince me you are. Because I don’t think I’m gonna be able to stop myself from falling for you, Clayton Powell. Nothing has ever scared me more than that.”
“Fall,” he said in a raspy tone, and my eyes widened in shock. “I’ll catch you, I promise.” His hand went to the back of my neck and he lifted his head just enough to meet my lips with his own. Easily forgotten was the embarrassment I felt from him overhearing my words.
The moment his tongue skimmed over the seam of my lips, I opened my mouth and offered him more. I could feel the excitement growing within me, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. The way he gently sucked on my lower lip triggered a demand for more, fisting his hair in my hands and straddling his waist. I was feral, rubbing against him without being able to stop. When he moaned into our kiss, it only prompted yet another want as I strived to hear him moan all over again.
He moved quickly, lifting his torso off the couch, pulling my upper body tightly toward his. “Damn fine way to be woken up,” he added, continuing to kiss me hungrily. Part of me thought of stopping this, but it just felt too good to bring it to an end. So instead, I let go of that fear inside me and accepted the way Clayton made me feel.
Free.
We made out on my couch, both completely happy with that and nothing more. There was touching and grinding, which was much more pleasurable than I’d ever experienced before. I think it had a lot to do with the man providing it, though. He was unbelievable in more ways than one.
I don’t know how much time had passed, I just knew that I was now beneath him, his broad and very manly body hovering over me. He was kissing along the side of my neck, pushing his now very noticeable erection against the exact place I needed it most. My head was spinning.
“You should stay,” I said without thinking, and he lifted his head to look back at me. “It’s late.” His eyes scanned over my face and I wanted to shy away, but I fought it, remembering what he’d said to me earlier. He made my fears seem ridiculous, made my worries seem pointless. “You could sleep here.” Again he just watched me without replying. “Or you could sleep in my bed with me.” And, of course, with that I got a reaction. That arrogant smirk I’d seen many times before. “With our clothes fully intact, of course.”
“I was waiting for that.” His smile widened. “And I choose bed, with you, fully clothed.”
“How did I get lucky enough to find you?” I didn’t mean to ask that question outright, but Clayton made me feel more confident, enough so I could speak of the things I was feeling. He made it so easy.
“I was just thinking the same thing myself.” My heart soared then and there. There was no way I wasn’t gonna fall hard and fast; there was no running, no hiding that would help me now. This man was more than I ever thought he’d be.
***
I tugged on Palmer’s arm in an attempt to drag her out of my bedroom. She stood just inside my door, a cup of coffee in her hand as she stared at the man in my bed. Okay…it was much more than a simple stare. It was full-on gawking, undressing, and moseying all with her eyes. “Will you come on?”
“Stop taking all my fun away.” She ignored my tugging and parted her feet slightly to gain better leverage.
Throughout the night a few things happened. Clayton had removed his shirt and his jeans, leaving him only in boxers. My son had found his way out of his toddler bed and crawled in bed between Clayton and me and was now curled up at Clayton’s side with his head resting on Clay’s arm.
“Tell me right now that…that right there,” she pointed to my bed, “is not the one of the sweetest and hottest things you’ve ever seen.”
“Yes,” I said in a hushed tone. “It is all of the above, but the last thing I want is for him to wake up and see you ogling him from the open door.”
“Too late,” she said with a smile followed by a wink as she stared at my bed. “He’s awake and he knows. Hey handsome, sleep well?”
I hung my head and wanted nothing more than for the floor to swallow me up and hide me from the shame.
“I did,” he replied in a husky tone, “and you?”
“Oh, I slept all right.” They were literally having a conversation while he lay in my bed in all his glory, with my son at his side. As if this wasn’t one of the strangest moments ever. “Though I must say this is much better than sleeping.” Palmer apparently had no qualms with openly flirting with Clayton while I was right there in the same room.
I took a chance and looked back over my shoulder to find Clayton grinning, one arm stretched up and over his head, his hand tucked behind his head. This action, of course, only brought more attention to his arm muscle, shoulder and chest.
“Sorry,” I said, trying to apologize for Palmer.
“Oh please, like he’s not used to women looking at him.”
“I’m sure waking up to an audience isn’t exactly what he had in mind when I asked him to sleep over.” I again looked in his direction. “Though it was supposed to be a clothed affair. I’m not sure what happened to that agreement.”
“I got hot.”
“Yes, he is,” Palmer mumbled not so quietly. “And geesh, woman, are you honestly gonna stand here and complain about him sleeping next to you wearing that?”
Clayton chuckled, and my cheeks heated. “Will you go do something?” I nudged her from the room as she kept trying to gain one last look over her shoulder.
“You are no fun,” she complained, sticking out her tongue just as I shut the door in her face. I let my head rest against the door for a few seconds before turning to look at him once again.
“She is interesting.”
I laughed uncontrollably when the entire chain of events played over again in my mind. “You have no idea.”