I rolled the way he rolled, hung over the side of the bed, reached out and nabbed my panties. I had them on and was sitting on my booty in the bed, knees to my chest, arms around my calves, back against the pillows I’d shoved against the headboard when Chace came back out.
One could say I had no problem with his nudity. Even lucid. This could be because his body was like a walking, moving, blood-flowing in its veins work of art. Or it could be because he didn’t have any problem with it and that communicated something to me.
Whatever.
I didn’t.
There was something marvelous about him climbing na**d in my bed after making love to me that would make even the biggest prude not be embarrassed.
He pulled the covers up to his waist, put his forearm in the pillow and tipped his eyes up to me.
“I’m worried about Malachi,” I announced and his face went soft.
“Knew this was comin’,” he muttered.
He would since I texted him four times that day to give him status reports on the bags that Malachi had not been by to pick up. Not yesterday’s stash. Not today’s.
I twisted my torso to him, letting go of my legs, positioning them in an “S” beside me and leaned into him.
“Two days, Chace, and he hasn’t come to get his stash. This time, I wasn’t hanging out. This time, we were in your truck on the street,” I reminded him.
“Maybe he made us in the truck,” he suggested.
“Or maybe he saw me standing there Monday and he freaked out and he’s not coming back. When I left this evening, all the bags were still there.”
“It’s gonna be okay, Faye,” he assured me quietly.
I shook my head. “Something’s wrong.”
“Maybe but it’s going to be okay.”
I stared at him.
His arm came out, hooked me around the waist and pulled me down and in the bed so we were facing each other.
“I made a call,” he informed me.
I got up on my forearm so we were face to face.
“What call?”
He studied me before he sighed and said, “Deck.”
I felt my brows go up. “Deck?”
“Deck’s between jobs right now so Deck’s got time on his hands. When Malachi didn’t show this mornin’, I gave Deck a call. He’s gonna find him.”
“Oh God,” I breathed.
Chace’s arm got tight around my waist. “Baby, it’ll be okay.”
“Deck sounds kinda crazy,” I whispered.
“He is. He’s also not stupid. He knows this kid’s been abused, dumpster diving and scared outta his mind. He’ll go soft.”
“But –”
His arm got tighter, shifting and tugging me so I had no choice but to come off my forearm since I was back to the bed, Chace looming over me.