Page 40 of Under the Lights
She was already in that lazy state of sliding in and out of sleep, and he probably should have gotten up and left a few minutes earlier. The heavier her head got on his arm and the softer her breathing grew, the more he wanted to wake up next to her in the morning.
They’d already used the second condom, but there were ways around that. Some very fun ways, actually, that he’d like to explore with her in the future, whether they had condoms or not. But it had been a long day in the hot sun, capped off for her by repeated immersion in icy water, followed by a hot shower and several orgasms. It was no wonder she was almost asleep.
He was growing increasingly drowsy himself, and he forced himself to slide his arm free. She made a moaning sound that would have turned him on again were he not exhausted, and burrowed deeper under the light blanket. But when he climbed off the bed and the mattress shifted, she rolled to face him, her eyes open.
“You can stay.”
“Tempting.”
“Because you want more or because you’re too tired to walk?”
He laughed and slapped her blanket-covered ass. “I’m not answering that. But maybe a little of both.”
“I’ll be honest. I’m not really up on the rules of casual, friendly sex, but it’s really okay if you want to stay.”
He frowned and clicked on the small lamp next to her armchair. “I might have to if I can’t find my clothes.”
“They’re in the kitchen.”
“Damn, that’s right. Be right back.” He went into the kitchen and pulled his clothes on. Then he gathered hers to take into her bedroom.
After setting them on the chair, he knelt on the side of the bed to give her a kiss good-bye. She had almost nodded off again, and she smiled drowsily. “You’re stubborn.”
“You realize I have to go sneak into Coach’s house now, right?”
She waved a hand. “I’m an adult.”
He caught the hand in his and kissed her palm. “Yes, you are very much an adult. But since I’m the one sleeping under their roof, in your childhood room no less, and trying to remember where the squeaky floorboards are, I’m not sure I am.”
“You are.” Her eyelids slid closed, and he knew she was losing the battle to stay awake.
“Do you need your alarm set for the morning?”
“It already is,” she muttered.
He kissed her cheek and turned off lights as he walked through her apartment. He made sure the top door locked behind him, and then did the same for the street-level door, hoping like hell he hadn’t forgotten anything.
Standing in the dark, chilly air, he took a deep breath. It had been a damn fine evening, and now he could only hope he made it back to Eagles Lane and into Kelly’s old bedroom without attracting attention. Since there weren’t any taxi services, he started walking.
He wasn’t sure whether it counted as a walk of shame if he hadn’t actually slept and put on the same clothes but, all the same, it wasn’t a walk he’d expected to be making back in Stewart Mills.
11
Chase spent some time silently lecturing himself in the mirror before heading downstairs to face the McDonnells. It was kind of important he not look like a man who’d had amazing sex the night before, but it would take some effort to hide it.
The kitchen was empty when he finally went down, so he poured himself a cup of coffee. He could hear movement and knew somebody was in the house. After plucking a spoon from the dish drainer, he added sugar and grabbed the milk from the fridge.
“Good morning, Chase,” Mrs. McDonnell said when she walked in and saw him at the counter.
“Good morning. I’m sorry I came in a little late last night,” he said, maybe taking a little too long to stir his coffee so he had a reason not to look up. “I tried to be quiet, but I ran into an old friend and started catching up and time got away from us.”
It wasn’t the truth, but it wasn’t exactly a lie, either, which he wanted to avoid if at all possible. Maybe it was a stretch to call Kelly an old friend, and he didn’t want to admit what they’d been catching up on, but time had definitely gotten away from them.
Was it his imagination or was Mrs. McDonnell’s smile a little tight this morning? “I told you, we’re pretty sound sleepers.”
“Where’s Coach?”
“He went out on an emergency call. I think the only thing worse than Sunday morning calls are holiday calls.”
