Page 79 of The Strike Zone

“That’s good.” I chuckled, staring up at the ceiling as my eyes adjusted to the darkness until a soft glow shrouded the room.

“Is this the mattress you have at home?” The gruff, sleep-coated tone of Scout’s voice was not going to help me fall asleep.

“Yeah, awesome, isn’t it.”

“So comfy, I feel like I’m on a cloud.”

“Same.”

“Parker?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for sharing your bed with me.”

“Anytime.”

“Good night, Parker.”

“Night, Davison.”

There was silence.

I held my breath, waiting for the moment when she finally succumbed to tiredness and her breathing leveled. Thirty seconds passed…sixty…and then the pillow between our heads moved, and I found myself staring at Scout’s sleep-filled face barely six inches away.

Her warm breath ghosted over my skin. Her eyes barely opened as she leaned in and brushed her lips against my cheek. They burned as a brand would, intensely hot and shocking me awake.

Call it tiredness. Call it whatever you want. But a man can only take so much of having the girl he’s wanted for a year lying in bed next to him.

Twelve months of pent-up frustration, of longing, of lusting after this girl in my bed, and I couldn’t hold it anymore. The feel of her lips on my skin was a step too far.

My fingers speared through her hair, pushing into her pale gold strands, barely held together with the tie until they loosened in my hands, and I pulled her to me.

My mouth surrounded hers, spearmint and peppermint clashing as my tongue slid inside, warm and wet.

A soft moan rumbled up her throat and down mine as she relaxed into me. Warm fingers tickled my beard, my grip tightened on the back of her head, trying and failing to get closer, deeper. I needed more, but the mountain of pillows between us thwarted me, though without their protection, I knew I’d already be nestling myself between her thighs.

That one truth had me pulling away, because when the time came, it wouldn’t be an exhausted and rushed ten minutes. No, I planned to worship her for hours.

Her eyes were still closed when I pressed my lips to hers one last time and rested back on my pillow, falling into the deepest sleep I had for months.

When I woke up, she may have been gone, but I was still wearing the smile I’d had when I closed my eyes.

TWENTY

SCOUT

How long can you stare at someone sleeping before it’s considered creepy?

My eyes flicked to the clock. I’d been sitting here for fifteen minutes, give or take an hour. That was probably entering into creep territory, right?

I’d never stared at someone sleeping before, so I wasn’t sure on the etiquette. Come to think of it, there probably wasn’t any etiquette.

Yep, this was weird.

The problem was I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the lump in the bed, also known as Parker King, currently so fast asleep the fire alarm could go off and he probably wouldn’t stir. On the other hand, I hadn’t had many opportunities to reallylookat him, so I was taking it.

A lone shard of morning light sliced through the blinds and landed on the pillow in front of his face. The glow highlighted his perfect bone structure and razor-sharp jaw that even sleep couldn’t soften, along with a set of lashes I’d kill for.

---