Claim My Baby (Crescent Cove 2)

“Go to sleep.” I stroked a hand over her wild hair and like a kitten under a hand, she drifted right off again.

So much for spooning. She was practically on top of me.

It didn’t seem to matter that the position was a little uncomfortable, because my eyes were already closing. She’d worn me out.

I smiled. And I’d enjoyed almost every moment. Minus some of the Celine show. Only some. She had actually been pretty good.

Neutering half-complete. Will be finished by morning.

When I woke, light was filtering into the room. I’d forgotten to pull the blackout curtains and the pearlescent gray of dawn was intruding on our warm tangle of arms and legs.

I didn’t know how long we’d slept. It couldn’t have been more than a few hours. Sage should’ve been still dead to the world after the day and night she’d had yesterday.

Not so much.

Her face was still tucked into the crook of my neck, but her hands were wandering. Caressing my chest, slipping lower to toy with my happy trail. As she neared the waistband of my boxers, I caught her hand against my stomach.

“Are you sleep-fondling?”

She let out a soft giggle and lifted her head so that her crazy hair tumbled down to frame her face. “You were sleeping for some of it, but I was awake. As are you now.”

“Did you take advantage of me?”

“Oh, no, I waited for you to be conscious for that.”

I brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes. “Feel better?”

“Yes. You carried me to bed.”

“I didn’t have much choice, as you timed out in the elevator.”

That intoxicating giggle again. “It’s hard work having the best night of your life.”

Christ, I was sunk. She could’ve asked me for anything in that moment, and it would have been hers.

She might’ve been the virgin, but I was the one in foreign territory.

“Now I’d like to have the best morning.” She brushed a kiss over my scruffy jaw. “In a minute.” She started to roll away from me, but I caught a handful of her dress.

Hmm, I probably should’ve done something about that last night. Undressing her while she was asleep was a sticky spot. Eh, well, I’d have it dry-cleaned.

Not that she seemed concerned, since she pushed away my hand and rose to haul the dress over her head. It dropped on the floor beside the bed and she didn’t give it another look before she disappeared into the bathroom.

Ah, the call of nature.

Except she didn’t return quickly. By the time she came back, I was on the verge of going in there to check on her. I was half sitting up, but the sight of her in the growing sunlight knocked me flat back down on my ass.

She’d done a full face of makeup. Even curled her hair or poufed it or something so that it fell over her shoulders in sexy blond waves. And she had on lingerie, for fuck’s sake. It was skimpy, lacy, and nearly unable to contain her curves.

My already immoral dick waved a white flag and surrendered for good.

“Morning breath,” she explained as she caught me staring. “Ruins the moment.”

“Now she tells me.” I swallowed and tried to remember where my brain was so I could get out of the bed and do the same.

Minus the hair curling and makeup.

She smirked and crawled across the bed. “Don’t worry. I’ll accept you au naturel. Just this once.”