Page 38 of Rules, Roses, and Rivals
She was yawning as she opened the door. Her hair was combed straight, and it was still damp. It always took her thick hair time to dry. She was in pajama bottoms and a tank top. She also wasn’t wearing any kind of bra and her nipples peaked at the front of the tank. Everything about her was sleepy and deliciously rumpled. As good as the pizza smelled, I’d rather eat her.
I locked the door behind me as she retreated through the galley kitchen to the living room and I followed. “You really do look tired.”
“Keep telling me how bad I look. It’s really doing it for me,” she actually made a face at me and it was the most normal she’d sounded in months.That’s it, baby girl, give me shit.God I’d missed that. “Crap…”
“What?” I asked as I joined her on the sofa, she was half sprawled backwards and looked like she’d just been dumped there.
“I need to text Coop and tell him I’m home.”
Since her phone wasn’t in evidence, I pulled mine out of my pocket. “I got it.”
Me:Frankie’s home, safe and sound. Leave her alone, she’s exhausted and needs to sleep.
Coop: Thanks for the update.
Smirking, I clicked off the screen and shoved the phone back in my pocket. “Done. I also told him not to come over cause you’re tired. That cool?”
“You know, it’s presumptuous but I am tired and I really don’t want to argue so—cool.”
“Accepted.” I shoved off my shoes and dragged one of the pizza boxes onto my lap. Then I patted the sofa next to me. I don’t bite.”
She snorted. “Yes, you do.”
“What?” I scowled at her.
“You bit me in the third grade.” The words threw me back in time.
“Youbit me first.” I gave her a smug look. “Can’t blame a guy for biting you back.”
Her narrow-eyed look jazzed me up. That expression promised me that she was going to retaliate. “You pulled my hair.”
“Oh.” Shit. “Yeah,” I sighed. “I did do that.” I’d kind of forgotten that I had pulled her hair. “Don’t even remember why I did it.” Certainly wouldn’t be for why I’d like to pull her hair now. That thought went straight to my groin and I was glad that the pizza box covered that up. “Point to you.”
The soft huff of her laughter was pure music, especially when she scooted over to sit right next to me. Her knees brushed my thigh and a little bubble of contentment spread out through me. “Remotes are there,” she said, pointing to the side table.
I turned the television on and scrolled to YouTube. Good, she was already logged in. I tabbed over to her Watch Later and then handed her back the remote. “You pick.”
Pizza in one hand and remote in the other, she studied the list. Finally, she picked out a video, it was a funny as fuck historyone where the historian debunked a film’s accuracy with regard to the actual facts. Yeah, I was nerdy enough to appreciate it.
Much to my delight, however, Frankie mowed through four pieces of pizza without slowing down. I loved that she could eat. She didn’t pick at her food or pretend she wasn’t hungry when she was starving. It did mean I had to account for her appetite and mine, but that was easy enough.
We pretty much slaughtered the first box and started on the second before she settled back with a little sigh. After setting aside the second box, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“This okay?”
“It’s nice,” she admitted, but her eyes were drooping some. She started to put her head against my shoulder but then stopped.
“It’s fine,” I nudged her head back toward my shoulder. I wanted her to lean on me. Her wet hair was hardly going to make me melt.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure,” I promised her with a smile. She gave a little shiver. Her nipples were still two hard little pebbles in that tank top. I had to drag my gaze off of them. Goosebumps spread over her arm and I curled my own around her a little more tightly so I could warm her up.
“Jake?” she murmured, and her eyes were practically shut.
“Hmm?”
“This isn’t a great evening for you.” The sleepy words just added to her.
