Suddenly, the side of the bed dipped and she gasped, opening her eyes.
“Sh,” Saxon told her, looking down at her with a small smile. “Good girl for doing as you were told.”
“Pretty sure I didn’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice. To obey or not. You just need to accept that there are going to be consequences should you choose not to obey me. How is the pain level?”
“Getting better. Tired.” Her eyelids drifted shut once more.
“I know. I’m just going to move you over then you can sleep.”
Her eyes shot open. “Move me? Why?”
“You’re on my side.”
“Your side? What side?” He wasn’t thinking of sleeping with her? And how come he got to choose sides? Just because he was the Dom?
“I need to be on the side closest to the door.”
“Why? Is it a weird Feng choo-ee thing?”
“I think you mean Feng Shui,” he answered with amusement as he pulled the covers back then slid his hands under her body and glided her across the mattress. She yelped at the sudden movement.
“What are you doing?”
“The couch is too short. This is the only other place to sleep.”
“You have a bed.”
“But moving the three of you to my house requires much more effort than moving you so I can sleep here. And before you argue that I don’t need to stay, you should save your breath. I’m staying.”
She grumbled but she was too tired to argue.
“How come you want that side? Is it a Dom thing?”
“It’s a protection thing,” he replied, brushing his lips over her forehead. “I need to be between you and the door in case someone breaks in.”
“That’s crazy.” He had some very strange ideas.
“Go to sleep, Aspen. If you need anything in the night, I’ll be here. Although I’d be willing to bet you’re going to sleep through to morning.”
She came awake slowly. Her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, and her eyes were heavy-lidded. It was a huge effort to sit up, and if it wasn’t for her full bladder she’d have been tempted to curl under the covers once more and go back to sleep. She sighed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed then stumbled her way into the small bathroom to take care of her most pressing issue. She looked in the mirror, her hair was sticking up on one side, her eyes were filled with sleep, and there was a red line on her cheek from the pillow. She’d obviously fallen asleep and then hadn’t moved all night.
She walked back into the bedroom and went to grab the monitor, wondering why the boys hadn’t woken her then realized it wasn’t there. She glanced at the clock and gasped at the time. Ten! What the hell?
She raced out of her bedroom and into the boys’. Both cribs were empty. Her heart raced. Holy shit. How could she have let this happen? She should never have taken those pain killers last night. They’d sent her off into la-la land. This was all Saxon’s fault.
Saxon.
Relief flooded her. Saxon had been here. He’d stayed the night. She blushed slightly at the memory of cuddling into him. She strode out of the bedroom and down to the living area. As she moved, she heard childish giggles, which brought a smile to her face. She walked in to see the boys sitting in two high chairs, the portable kind that attached to a counter or table. They both had banana smeared over their faces and were giggling like loons.
Jamie caught sight of her first and let out a happy gurgle.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” she said with a smile, walking over to him to place a kiss on the top of his head. “You look like you’re having fun.” She moved to Caleb, putting her hand on his forehead. No temperature. Thank God. And he was looking much happier this morning. “Hello, baby, are you feeling better this morning?”
“He seems to be,” a deep voice answered her from behind. She’d been half-expecting it, and still she jumped.
“Easy, sprite,” he told her, moving up behind her to place his hands on her shoulders. The heat from his body pressed next to hers filled her, and she trembled.