“Because I want you to.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve made enemies and captured attention. Until we hear no talk on the street, I want to know you’re safe.”
I supposed I could do that.
I settled in, ready to go back to sleep, so ready in fact that I didn’t realize Vance’s body had gone tight.
“You gonna do this for me?” he asked.
“Sure,” I replied as if that was a given.
After a few minutes ticked by, his body relaxed and he said, “Jesus, you’re a pain in the ass.”
“Am not,” I mumbled sleepily into his shoulder.
His hand came up and started to play with my hair.
I fell asleep.
* * * * *
I woke up with the alarm and Vance wasn’t in bed but I heard the shower going.
There was no Boo either.
I hit the off button on the alarm and searched for my nightgown and underwear that Vance had divested me of the night before. I struggled to put them on in a lying position which was not easy. After I succeeded I slid off the bed platform.
I walked to the kitchen.
Boo’s breakfast bowl was down and had already been licked clean.
I looked at the coffeemaker. There was a pot at the ready.
I walked into the living room. Boo was lying on my chaise lounge, cleaning his face. He didn’t even spare me a glance much less a good morning kitty meow. He was sated and preparing for his morning nap.
I walked back into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee.
Then I stood with my h*ps against the counter, coffee cup aloft, staring into space, wondering how my world had turned on its head in a week and four days.
I had a boyfriend who fed my cat, made coffee, had a kickass job, took care of me, was great in bed and was hot. I had a family of friends looking out for me, calling me and wanting to spend time with me. They even got mad at me when I tried to go to the mall alone.
This freaked me out, in a good way.
My pug nestled up to me and decided he wanted to play just as Vance walked out of the bathroom, chest bare, black hair wet and slicked back and one of my mint-green, Egyptian cotton towels wrapped around his hips.
My mouth went dry.
He walked toward me, got in my space, dodging the coffee cup I didn’t move, put his hands on either side of my neck and touched his lips to mine.
“Mornin’ Princess,” he said, not moving out of my space.
“Thanks for feeding Boo.”
He grinned and dropped his hands to my waist.
“Thanks for making coffee,” I went on.