Page 57 of Make Your Shot
Mia nestles her face into my neck and I kick the door shut before heading deeper into the house. I glance over at the couch where Willow is still asleep and thankfully hasn’t thrown up. I carry Mia upstairs to the second floor, walking right past the guest room she’s been occupying.
I carry her straight to my bedroom and quietly shutthe door behind me. Dropping her heels on the floor first, I then set her clutch down on my dresser and carry her over to the side of my bed.
Mia lifts her head, and pulls back a little so her eyes can meet mine as I slowly lower her down onto her mattress, pushing the covers out of the way. “This is your room,” she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know,” I murmur, as I kick my shoes off and pull off my sweatshirt. Emotion wells in my throat as I stare down at her for a moment. Her mascara is smudged under her eyes, her cheeks a little flushed still from the alcohol, her lips still bear the fainted tint of lipgloss, and I can just make out her faint pulse flickering in her slender neck. I haven’t had anyone else in my bed since Amelia passed, it never felt right. But for some reason, nothing about this feels wrong.
She rolls over, shifting her body into the center of the king sized bed as she reaches for me. “Sleep with me?”
Her sleep laden voice is so sweet, like honey dripping from her tone. I can’t walk away from her, instead I remove my glasses, and set them down on the nightstand. The bed shifts beneath my weight as I lower myself onto it, scooting closer to her as she pulls the covers over both of our bodies.
I’m hesitant at first, but once my hands find her beneath the blankets, my arms encircle her and I pull her flush against my side. Her head rests against my ribcage, the sound of my heart pitter pattering beneath her ear.
She snakes her arm around my torso, her warmth seeping into my flesh. “I’m afraid when I wake up, this will all be a dream.”
My breath catches in my throat as I lift my hand to run it over her hair. “I’ll be here when you wake up in the morning.”
“Promise?” She murmurs against my chest, her jaw widening as she yawns. She holds me a little tighter.
I lower my face to her head, burying it in her hair as I breathe in the scent of her, wanting to memorize every piece of this woman. “Promise.”
I know I’ll be here in the morning, but I can’t promise her any more than that...
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
MIA
Something warm and heavy tightens around my waist. I’m surrounded by heat as I peel my eyes open. The light shining from the window burns my eyes. I squint against it, immediately shutting my eyes once more as my mind registers that the hot thing behind me is another body.
My eyelids fly open again, the harsh light forgotten as I take in my surroundings. My mind plays back over the events of last night. Willow and I met up at my dad’s house and then we ordered a car and went out to dinner. We ended up going to two different bars, and I don’t remember having that many drinks, but judging by the pounding in my head, I know I drank more than I should have.
I remember the car wasn’t coming and Willow was in the bathroom and then Caleb texted me.
Caleb.
I’ll be here when you wake up in the morning . . .
I’m in his bed with his arm wrapped around mywaist, holding me firmly against the front of his body. I slowly stir against him and attempt to turn around to face him but his arm tightens a little more.
“Go back to sleep, pup,” he murmurs, his breath warm against the back of my neck as he nuzzles his face against me. “I’m not ready for it to be day time.”
My body protests. “I hate to ruin the moment, but I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Fair,” he murmurs. “I’ll only let you go if you promise you’ll come right back.”
I giggle, wiggling against his arm as my bladder screams at me to get the hell up. “I promise.”
“Good girl.” He presses his lips against the nape of my neck before untangling his arm from me. I slip out of bed, sprint into his bathroom, and shut the door behind me. I quickly relieve myself and head to the mirror, my eyes widening in horror as I take in my appearance.
My once slicked back hair is still pulled back in a pony-tail, but it’s looser and all the little short pieces form a halo around my head. My makeup is smudged around my eyes and I look like a goddamn mess. I take a minute to wash my hands and my face and adjust my ponytail before pulling open the door a crack. “Do you have any spare toothbrushes?”
“I don’t care about your morning breath, pup.”
I wince against the thought of the stale alcohol on my breath. “I drank quite a bit last night.”
He chuckles as he rolls over in bed to face me. “Under the sink. Help yourself to whatever you need.”
I smile at him, then close the door again. I walk backto the vanity and look under the sink where I find a pack of toothbrushes. I take one out and find his toothpaste in one of his drawers. I quickly brush my teeth and swish some mouthwash.There. Now I feel a little better.
