Page 78 of Protect Your Queen

Her smile widened, and I swiped my thumb against her lower lip.

“That feels nice.” Her voice was rested, but heavy and thick with sleep. I liked it.

“I like knowing how you sound in the morning,” I confessed. “It’s a different kind of music.”

“I slept really well.” She pulled herself across my chest, so that her chin rested between my pecs. “I could hear your heartbeat in my dreams.”

“Sounds scary,” I said, as I lightly ran my fingers over her ribs.

“It wasn’t.” She stretched her legs out and yawned before she relaxed back into me. “It was soothing. I get sleep paralysis. I know I’m asleep, and I’m trying to wake myself, but never can.”

I held her closer, feeling a sudden need to shelter her from this problem.

“It can be scary, sometimes, knowing I can’t wake up, or move. It’s just all these weird visions. Different kinds of black. I can hear my own heartbeat. It feels so heavy and empty, and I hate it. I hate sleeping.”

I ran a hand through her hair, my nails lightly scratching her scalp as I pulled those tendrils from her face. I let her keep talking.

“But I didn’t have that with you. I could hear your heart, and I felt safe. I could even dream that I was in this room, with you, resting. Before I knew it, I was waking up.” She tilted her head down and placed a kiss at my Adam’s apple, and I groaned, wishing I could stay here just a little longer.

If I stayed, I was going to get hard and want another round, and that just wasn’t in the cards. We’d be too likely to get caught. Hell, her family were in and out of this house without warning, and the last thing I needed was Jareth walking in, just as I snuck out.

“I’m glad to hear that, Songbird,” I kissed her nose. “But I’ve gotta get up and get to work.”

“What?” She feigned surprise, her eyes growing wide. “If I’m your client, shouldn’t you stay right here to protect me?”

She lightly bit my chest. My earlier attempt to keep my dick out of the conversation was an immediate failure. The damn thing woke up, ready and willing, wanting to recreate last night’s activities.

“Leo is guarding you today,” I said, trying to keep from groaning. But I knew it was a failure the moment she giggled and looked down in the space between us. She looked back up at me with a coquettish raise of her brow, and I was reminded of the image of her, on the piano, in a red dress that only existed in my imagination, legs spread wide as I leaned up and took her clit in my mouth from the piano bench.

Jesus, this fantasy was becoming more pornographic the longer I stayed with her.

“Where will you be?” She kissed my nipple.

I had to stop her as she tried to drag her hand down my stomach. If she touched my cock, I’d lose all my damn resolve.

“Another part of my job, Songbird.” I leaned down to kiss her temple.

Did she know that we were on a hunting expedition? Probably not. With Jareth’s guidance, we had decided not to tell her about Pesci. We weren’t likely to tell her about Dryden either.

She cutely pouted, her full plump upper lip disappearing as she pushed the lower one out. She was so cute that I actually laughed out loud.

Her facebecame serious, as she looked up at me and asked, “What happens with us now?”

“Now?” Her question hit me like a bucket of cold water. Truly, I didn’t know. I knew what I wanted, but it wasn’t the right time. “I don’t know. I’m getting too involved, that’s for sure. But I also don’t want to leave you unprotected.”

“Could you quit? Could you… could they assign someone else to be with me?”

“It’s complicated, sweetheart. I just started with Caledonia Security. I can’t afford to quit.” I thought of Elyse and Julliard. I thought of four years of fucking expenses. Did I think Jestiny was worth a bit of hardship? Yes. But I was out of options if this one fell through.

“What if I helped... I could…”

“Now, now,” I said, bopping her nose with my finger. “Don’t you dare try to pay me. Don’t turn me into your gigolo.”

She meant well. I knew that. But she didn’t owe me for taking her virginity. It would just add a strange transactional sheen on something that was so close to perfect.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know…” She sat up, bringing her legs up so that her shins rested against my naked thigh. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

“There’s nothing to know, Songbird.” I reached out and cupped her cheek. “When there’s no more threat against you, we’ll talk and come up with a plan. But until then, I need to keep you safe.”

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