“Nothing’s wrong, sweetheart,” I murmured. “Go back to sleep.”
Everything was right.
She shook her head. “No, we’ve got a huge day today and I want to be ready for it.”
I chuckled. “It’s hardly a huge day.”
She gave me a dirty look and rubbed her eyes. “Don’t you give me grief, Donovan Brookes. If I say it’s a huge day, it’s a huge fucking day.” She pushed the bed sheet back and got out of bed.
As she padded into the bathroom, I said, “Okay, you win, it’s a huge fucking day.”
Stopping, she turned back to look at me. This time she hit me with a grin. “Baby, when will you understand that I always win?”
I shook my head and muttered, “Oh, I fucking understand that, don’t you worry.”
Her grin grew, if that was possible, and she left me alone.
Today we were going to lunch at Madison’s house.
My mother was also coming.
Madison had pushed for it, and Layla had encouraged me to agree.
It had been nearly a month since Marcus’s death, and we were all moving forward, leaving the past behind us. Bringing my mother and half-sister together seemed like it could be a mistake, but everyone was looking forward to it.
Everyone except me. I still felt apprehension.
Layla came back to the bedroom and threw a t-shirt at me. I looked at it and chuckled when I realised it was a new one. “Have you been shopping again, baby?”
“I’m ignoring that,” she said as she began rummaging in her drawer for clothes. Once she’d found what she was looking for, she looked back at me and said, “I’m going to have a shower. Don’t come in there and disturb me. I need time today to get ready.”
I raised my brows. “When have I ever disturbed you?”
Her eyes widened. “When the fuck have you not disturbed me? You can’t keep your hands to yourself.”
I moved fast, and a moment later I had her in my arms. Bending my mouth to her ear, I growled, “That’s not disturbing you, sweetheart. That’s giving you what you want. If you’d like me to show you what disturbing you is, I’d be happy to do that at any time.”
Her breathing picked up and she attempted to push out of my hold, but I tightened it instead.
“Are you going to keep me trapped or can I go have a shower?” she asked, feigning annoyance.
“I’m going to let you go, but I need your answer first.”
“My answer to what?”
“Your answer to whether or not you’d like me to show you what disturbing you is.”
Her eyes widened again, but in a completely different way than before. This time, they flashed her desire for me. Her desire for me to disturb her. “Yes,” she whispered, clearly affected.
“Yes what?” I demanded, moving my hand to her neck, gripping her firmly there.
“Yes, I
want you to disturb me,” she said, her voice all breathy.
I let her neck go, trailing my hand down her chest and over one of her breasts. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and when my hand slipped down the front of her top to take hold of her breast, she let out a whimper. “Good, baby. Tonight,” I promised, and then let her go. I smacked her lightly on the ass and said, “Now go and get ready. I promise to leave you alone.”
As she walked out of the bedroom, I thought about everything we’d been through over the past month.