Page 121 of Right Number, Wrong Man
46
COLT
When I return,Hailey is sitting on the bed, scrolling on her phone, and I immediately forget how to speak. Or walk. Or breathe.
I stand in the center of the room, gawking. There’s something so intimate about the damp hair framing her cheeks and her bare face in the soft shine of the lamp on the nightstand.
It ain’t the first time I’m seeing her like this, but all the other times, it was through a scope, spying on her from across the street. Now, she’s showing herself to me like this. Voluntarily.
“Do you need something?” she asks, fidgeting with the lace straps of her pastel pink nightdress.
“I was, uh, thinking about brushing my teeth…” I mumble, cringing.
Super smooth, genius.Good dental hygiene is a turn on, though, right?
Sighing, I drag my bag into the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and having a quick shower, I dig underwearand a fresh T-shirt out of my luggage. I can’t sleep topless or Hailey will recognize the scars she saw on Jax.
When I’m done, the light in the main room is already off and I’m glad she can’t see my pierced cock giving her a permanent standing ovation just for existing. Wordlessly, I slip between the sheets, keeping as far to my side as I can without falling off.
God, the pillow is loud. Did they fill this shit with candy wrappers?
Stiff as a plank—including my dick—I do my best impression of a corpse with rigor mortis.
Don’t move. Don’t even exist. And don’t breathe too heavily or she’ll think you’re being weird! Shallow breaths, Colt. Shallow?—
A shaky gulp of air fills my head with her perfume and I lick my lips. I’m rabid. Her scent is literally making my mouth water.
The mattress shifts faintly as Hailey moves, and my hand twitches. I can’t see her, but I sense her presence next to me like a magnetic field, pulling me in. I want to touch her real bad, let my fingers drift over her waist and push up her nightgown to?—
“Sleep well, Colt,” Hailey says, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
“Goodnight,” I say too quickly, lacing my fingers to stop them from wandering to her side.
I panic. Fuck, how do I bring up the topic of her dating somebody?
The party in the barn is still going. Through the closed window I make out a low beat, but during a break in the song, I hear her breathing. It’s fast, meaning she’s definitely not off in dream land yet.
Now or never!
“Are you asleep?” I ask innocently.
Silence. Then a chuckle reaches my ears.
“Wide awake,” Hailey responds, amusement in her tone.
My lips curl into a smile. “Same here.”
“Hmm, then let me ask you something…” she muses.
The mattress moves again, and when I release my hands, I brush warm skin. My heart flips.
Why the hell did she come closer?
“With Andrea getting hitched, I wondered if you ever think about getting married? If you’re not going back to active duty, there’s nothing stopping you from finding a nice lady to settle down with.” Her breath skitters over my shoulder as she speaks and I shudder.
Damn, she isrealclose.
My brain lags and I say the first thing that springs up in my bourbon-addled mind.
