Page 25 of Secret Admirer

I wake up,my body feeling as if it’s being scorched by the sun and disorientated with hot breath on my neck. Slowly opening my eyes, I lift my head to see blonde hair cascading across my chest and down Coco’s back. Taking in my surroundings, we’re still in the living room, the fireplace blazing with the TV on mute. My back is in the corner of the sectional with one leg on the couch and the other foot on the floor. Coco is practically lying on top of me with one arm wrapped around my waist and a leg thrown over mine.

My dick has definitely noticed. Luckily it hasn’t woken Coco up yet. That would be awkward. Before she can wake up and see my reaction to her body, I start to slide out from under her, but her arm tightens around me.

“Don’t go,” she mumbles into the side of my neck, each word a jolt to my body. “I haven’t slept that good in…forever. Give me a few more minutes, please,” she whispers as she nuzzles my neck.

What the hell is she doing? Does she know who she’s snuggling with?

I can’t deny her, so instead, I lie there staring at the ceiling thinking about every disgusting thing I can think of to will my hard-on away. A toothless meth addict giving a blow job under the highway, old lady naked, but nothing does a better job than thinking of running up on Coco getting attacked last night.

Shifting to sit up, Coco stretches her arms above her head and yawns. Her sweatshirt rides up and I see a sliver of her toned and tanned stomach and I have to fight with my dick again not to embarrass myself.

“Good morning. How’d you sleep?” She sits back and crosses her legs with a smile on her face. Coco seems to be a morning person. I’m not sure what I am. My body is used to getting very little sleep from being out on the streets and needing to keep one eye open.

Surprisingly, I slept great. Better than great. I stretch and put my other foot on the ground. Coco’s eyes follow my every movement darkening with—am I reading her expression right? “Really good. How’d you sleep?”

“Like a baby. I’m surprised I didn’t have a nightmare or wake up, but you make for a great resting place.” She smiles sweetly at me.

“I don’t think it was me. Your couch is surprisingly comfortable.”

“I know, right?” she says excitedly with a smile. “When I was at the store and sat on it, I knew I had to have it. Plus, it fills up the space well, don’t you think?”

I look around the room taking it in. The sectional does work well with the space, so I shrug. What do I know?

“It’s going to take me forever to fill all the rooms. Before this, I lived in a tiny apartment.” My shock must show on my face since she continues. “I wanted out of my parents’ house and there weren’t a lot of options, so I took the first open apartment. It wasn’t the greatest, but I wasn’t living under my parents’ thumbs.” Pulling her knees up to her chest, she sighs. “It seems stupid now. I would listen to them disapprove of every decision for the rest of my life if only they were still alive.”

Placing my hand over hers, I give her a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Coco. I know what it’s like to lose your parents young.”

“Are your parents dead too?” she asks quietly with heartbreak in every word.

“I’m not sure about my father. I never knew him.” I pull one of the blankets up over me as if to shield myself from the truth. “He took off before I was born. He told my mom he’d take care of her, but the second she started to show…he took off and she never heard from him again. My mom worked her ass off to provide for us, sometimes working two or three jobs.”

Scooting closer Coco takes my hand in hers. “That very commendable. I can see how much you loved her. Your face brightens up.”

“I do love her. She died right before I turned eighteen. I managed to stay out of the system for the short time between then and high school graduation. After that, I ran away from her memory.” I shake my head at my stupid eighteen-year-old self. Maybe if I had stayed in Nebraska and attended community college, I could have made more out of myself than the failure I am now.

“I wanted to run, and I would have if it wasn’t for Trixie and her threatening to hunt me down. So, I understand the need more than you might think.”

It’s hard to believe she’d want to leave when she has all this, but I do know that just because you have money doesn’t make you happy or for the pain to be any less.

I squeeze her hand. “I can tell you from experience it does get better with time. You’ll always miss them, but it won’t always hurt so bad.”

“That’s what they say. It’s still so fresh for me that there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel, but I hope you’re right.” Coco squeezes my hand back before standing up. “I don’t know about you, but I could stand to use the ladies’ room and a cup of coffee. Would you like a cup?”

I shake my head and stand, stretching out my body.

“Do you remember where the laundry room is? Your clothes should be clean and dry by now.”

“Thanks for taking me in last night.”

“Yeah,” she frowns, her big blue eyes looking sad, “I definitely didn’t do a very good job of taking care of you, but I guess it’s safe to say you don’t have a concussion.”

Pretty safe to say, and it was all worth it for me to be here last night when Coco was scared.

“Go get dressed,” she orders with a smile.

After getting dressed, I decide to go outside in the light of day to see if I can spot anything that seems amiss. Coco’s in the kitchen making her coffee humming along to some song that seems vaguely familiar.

“Can you deactivate the alarm?” Looking up at me, Coco’s eyes widen. “I want to go outside now that I can see and look around.”

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