Claiming Her - Tory Baker Page 0,10

I know were shut before and it allows the moon to shine through, lighting my path to the bed where I see Taylor fast asleep. But the thing that guts me the most is the dark circles under her eyes. I go toward her, needing to see more of her, the soft moan, “Slade,” has me stopping in my tracks. There’s no way she can see me. Her eyes are closed, and I see the shallow breathing from her chest.

My feet carry me to her, I lightly sit on the side of her bed, my fingers slide against her cheek before settling the palm of my hand on her sleeping face. She borrows into me with a soft mewling sound. “Slade,” she says my name again, this time with want.

“Taylor, baby. Are you okay?” I question.

“Slade, I’m cold,” she murmurs, the sheets shifting and falling off her body. I hiss out a breath. Her nightgown is rucked up above her hips, the straps dangling off her shoulders. If I were a better man, I’d pull the covers up to her chin and walk away. But I’m not. There’s no fucking way I could walk away from her right now. Her hand finds mine that’s resting on her cheek. She turns, bringing me with it, almost causing me to fall on top of her.

“Trouble,” I whisper into her ear, “I need you to wake up.”

Her eyes slowly flutter open as if nothing is wrong. Taylor says, “Sleep with me?” Who am I to deny her? I nod and she scoots over. Once I’m in bed beside her, on my back, she turns and curls into my side, I hook my arm around her hip, bringing her so close that only her nightgown and my shorts are between us. When she hikes her leg up over mine, it takes an act of God not to pull her panties to the side, pull my shorts down, and sink deep inside her cunt.

“Slade, it’s like all of my hopes and dreams have come true,” she rambles.

“Me too, baby. Me too. Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.” I kiss her forehead, wanting her lips on mine, but I know she’s not awake enough for me to have that first kiss from her.

Taylor settles in her sleep while I’m wide awake. Tomorrow, things are changing. She won’t be in this room by herself. I’m going to let her know just how much I want her.

Eight

Taylor

He may have thought I wasn’t coherent enough when he slipped into bed beside me last night, but I was, even if my body was drowsy from dozing on and off. It felt like a dream come true to stay snuggled into his warmth all night long. I’ve been cold for so long. A bone-deep chill that I can never seem to get rid of. Until last night, when Slade’s warmth gave me what I’ve been needing for far too long. It doesn’t help that it’s been over a year since I saw Travis. Plus, it’s not like we won the parent lottery. If anything, we had shit luck there. There were nights we’d eat dinner by ourselves. Travis looked after me until he needed to go into the Navy, and I never begrudged him; he needed to get away. That’s not to say it was easy, but I got a part-time job and made sure I was self-sufficient. Not to mention Travis would pay my car insurance, cell phone bill, and randomly put money in my account. It still didn’t make up for the loneliness, especially when you weren’t a social butterfly.

That’s why, as I wake up on my side, his body is curled behind me. Slade’s body against my own, I’ve never felt safer. I feel his leg wedged between my own, his thigh pressing right against my center. My body wiggles around, and he says, “Go back to sleep. It’s early.” Slade’s voice is deep with slumber, so I slowly start to close my eyes, my body starting to be pulled back under. That is until I remember something. The sun is peaking through the curtains, and I know I need to get up.

“What time is it?” I rapidly blink my eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them.

“It’s a little after ten in the morning. Why?”

“I need to take my pill. If I don’t do it now, I’ll forget.” I disentangle from Slade, though he’s reluctant to let me go, raising my arms