Ocean (Damage Control 5)

It makes me smile.

“It’s late,” he says, his voice smoky with sleep.

“We had a rough day yesterday.” Then I check the time on his bedside clock and jump. “Oh crap. I have classes. I need to run.”

He props himself up on one elbow as I hop off the bed and hunt for my dress. “Love your ass,” he mutters, and God, that voice almost has me crawling back to bed. “And your legs.”

“Yeah. What about my muffins?” I cup them for him over the T-shirt I’m wearing and lift a brow.

“Oh

fuck, I love your muffins so much.” His voice is lower now, growly. He sits up, his pupils dilating to black. “Come back here.”

“No.” I shake my finger at him for emphasis and pull off the T-shirt.

“Kay.” It’s a groan, and he reaches down between his legs, giving his morning wood a good tug.

My turn to groan, because how sexy is that? Seriously. “Stop tempting me.”

“I am tempting you? You’re the one standing all naked and pretty in my bedroom.”

Okay, good point, but I really need to run. Pulling on my dress, next I hunt for my panties. And tights. And boots. Where did everything go?

“I’ll pick you up after midday,” I tell him when I finally locate what I’m looking for and sit on the bed to pull on panties and tights. His gaze is focused on my hands as I slide on my panties that reek of sex. “Eyes on me, Blue.”

“They are,” he rumbles but looks up and blinks, smirking.

“Pick you up. Around two. That enough time?”

“Yeah. Sure.” He glances at the door. Just beyond, in the living room, is his brother and a big part of his past. A brother who hates the fact Ocean is racing again just as much as I do, if not more.

And I have a plan. I need to do something. I can’t let him put himself in such danger today, not after seeing that spectacular car crash yesterday. Who knows if the driver survived.

It would be a miracle.

I kiss Ocean quickly on the mouth, resist when he tries to drag me down on the bed with him, and hurry through the living room and the lump of sleeping Raine under the covers on the sofa.

The moment I’m outside, I call the guys.

This is bigger than me. Bigger than my resources, my knowledge, my imagination. I need help. Ocean needs help, and I have to find a way to fix this and make sure he stays alive.

For his brother.

For this friends.

And above all, for me. I can’t imagine loving anyone but him, being with anyone but him. As much as I’m his, he’s mine to protect and care for.

Mine.

***

After classes, I meet with Ev. She comes with me to the hairdresser’s and takes advantage to put highlights in her hair.

“Summer is coming,” she informs me. “My highlights seem shocking to you with what you’re about to do to your hair?”

She has a point.

“You look happy,” she says, flipping through a magazine without looking. “Is that a hickey on your neck?”