Page 68 of Desperate Pucker
“I’ll be right back,” I say.
Gently, I move her off my lap and onto the couch, then head down to grab her bedsheets. I make her bed, then walk back over to her.
I hold out my hand to her. “Let’s get you to bed.”
I help her up, and she looks up at me, those gray-blue eyes soft and shy.
“Will you lie down with me?” she asks.
“Of course I will.”
I lead her by the hand to her bedroom. I take off my joggers and hoodie, then crawl under the covers with her. I pull her against me, savoring the way she nuzzles her face into my chest.
I tuck her head under my chin, holding her tight.
“Ryker?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Thank you for letting me.”
She leans up to look at me. In the darkness, I see the emotion flashing in her beautiful eyes.
I kiss her softly, slowly. And then, a few minutes later, she falls asleep.
I wake up to the sound of my phone alarm.
I reach down to grab my pants from the floor, fish my phone out of my pocket, and silence it.
Beside me, Maddy stirs.
“What time is it?” she asks, her voice thick with sleep.
“Six.”
“So early,” she groans.
“Yeah, but I’ve got a plane to catch in a few hours.”
She opens her eyes. “Oh, right. You guys are playing Salt Lake City tonight.”
I sit up and stretch out my shoulder, groaning softly. I glance over at her bedroom window. The soft light of dawn peeks through the edge of the blinds.
She wraps her arm around my waist and peers up at me. Her eyes are puffy with sleep, her hair is messy, and she looks so damn adorable, I can barely take it.
“You probably didn’t get enough sleep last night because you were taking care of me,” she says in a soft voice.
I trace my fingertips along the edge of her jaw, savoring the softness of her skin.
“I’ll be fine,” I say.
“I feel bad. You need as much rest as possible before you play.”
I lean down and kiss her. “Don’t feel bad. I’ll take any reason to spend time with you.”
Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at me and beams.
