Chloe looked at me, her eyes barely staying open. “I waited for you.”
I rushed to the bed and crawled under the covers. Mitchell had a California king-sized bed so there was no chance of even getting near him, and then there was Chloe, my safety buffer.
“Go to sleep now, Chloe.” I whispered. “Dream of happy things.”
She yawned. “Like what kind of happy things?”
I rolling onto my side, and my eyes met Mitchell’s. “Your mommy and daddy. Patches and all the ranch animals. Butterflies and kitty cats.”
“Where’s Milo?” Chloe asked.
As if on cue, he jumped up and made his way over to Chloe where he flopped down and began purring.
“Keep going,” Chloe whispered.
“Flowers in a meadow,” I added. “Golden retriever puppies.”
Mitchell lifted his brows in question. I shrugged and whispered, “They’re my favorite.”
He smiled.
Chloe mumbled, so I kept talking. “Princess games, playing in the rain, singing songs, family.”
When I heard Chloe breathing heavier, I knew she’d fallen asleep.
Mitchell and I stared at each other for the longest time before a sexy grin spread over his face. “Looks like I got you in my bed tonight after all.”
I scrunched my nose up. “I’m only in your bed because your niece asked me to sleep next to her.”
He pouted, and my stomach dropped. I’d never grow tired of looking at him. “Is that the only reason?”
My eyes fell to his soft lips. “Well, I also wanted to keep an eye on you. Make sure you didn’t need any pain meds in the middle of the night.”
The corners of Mitchell’s mouth rose into a full smile, and my chest pulled with a familiar ache. “Goodnight, Corina.”
I softly whispered, “Goodnight, Mitchell.”
I couldn’t pull my gaze off of him as he drifted off to sleep. Tears filled my eyes as I let the truth settle in my heart. I was in love with Mitchell Parker, and there was no denying it. This man came rushing into my life like a storm surge. He’d left a permanent mark on my heart that could never be erased. The only problem: could Mitchell love me like I needed him to?
Right before I closed my eyes, Mitchell looked over at me. It was as if we were both silently trying to figure this out. He lifted his arm and laid it across the pillows above Chloe’s head. His eyes pleaded as he motioned for my hand. I swallowed hard as I moved closer and laced my fingers with his. It felt like a million bolts of electricity raced through my body. It was clear Mitchell felt the same as he quickly took in a breath at our touch.
When he smiled, I was lost in a world I had imagined a million times in my head.
After a few minutes of gazing into each other’s eyes, I let sleep take over.
Rolling over, I took in a deep breath.
“Hmm.”
The heavenly smell of Mitchell. My eyes snapped open as I sat up in bed. One quick look around proved I hadn’t been dreaming last night. I had slept in Mitchell’s bed, with Chloe tucked in between us.
Chloe’s laughter rose from downstairs, followed by Mitchell’s voice. I pushing the covers off and made my way into Mitchell’s bathroom. I splashed my face and was about to leave when I realized this was the perfect opportunity to be a bit nosy.
Chewing on the corner of my lip, I took a look around. The man was a neat freak. I opened the cabinet under his sink to reveal nothing shocking. Cleaning supplies, extra shaving cream, soap, and shampoo. I turned to face the massive shower. I stepped inside and spun around while looking at all the heads. There must have been eight in there.
I closed my eyes and pictured Mitchell making love to me in the shower. A slow smile moved over my face before I shook my head and said, “What are you doing, Corina? Get a grip, for Pete’s sake.”
Leaving the bathroom, I looked at the side tables next to the massive bed. One peek at the door and I made my way over to the side I’d slept on. “What are you doing, you idiot? You are not a snoop.”
I spun on my heels and went to leave, but froze. “Maybe one little peek.”
Turning back, I pulled the drawer open. I could hear Chloe and Mitchell downstairs. My eyes widened in shock at what I saw: a gun sitting on top of a men’s Bible study book.
“Not what I was expecting,” I whispered as I covered my mouth to hide a giggle.
Okay, enough of that. What did I think I’d find? Condoms?
I started for the door when I remembered the other side table drawer. My pace slowed and some unseen force brought me to the other side of the bed.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled the drawer open. It was filled with stuff. Chargers, a notebook, money. Money? Who puts money in a side drawer of their bed? I pushed the notebook to the side and saw a small blue box. My heart dropped when I realized it was a jewelry box.