Page 141 of Embracing the Beat
I wake to the murmur of voices, blinking my eyes open as the sun filters through the blinds on the bedroom window.
What time is it?
Stretching, I sit up, ready to find out what’s going on, when West steps through the door wearing his shorts and t-shirt. His hair is sexily disheveled from my fingers.
He’s mine. And that knowledge has my blood heating.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks with a lift of his eyebrow.
“I heard voices.” The breathy quality of my voice tells both of us how turned on I am by his presence alone.
Maybe pregnancy hormones aren’t so bad after all.
“Mia,” he sheds his shirt and stalks toward the bed. “Checking on you.”
“Is she still here?” I bite back my smile as he kicks off his shorts and climbs under the blankets with me.
“I told her you were still sleeping.” He pulls me flush against him, my back to his front, his hand splaying across my abdomen.
“How long was she here?”
“Not long. Just a few minutes.”
“What were you guys talking about?” I smile at him over my shoulder when he drops a kiss to my nose and wraps me even closer.
“You. She’s worried.”
“But I’m fine, and I’ll drink more water.”
“Not that.” He grimaces. “Me. She doesn’t want me to break your heart again.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. She was pretty graphic in her description of how she would hurt me if I ever screwed up again.”
I giggle as I imagine Mia’s over-the-top personality and what her brain came up with.
“I’ll protect you,” I promise and turn to face him.
“Do I need protection?” he asks, eyes wide, but a smile twitches his lips.
“Did she tell you she’s a black belt in karate?” I try to keep a straight face, but fail as soon as my eyes meet his.
“You’re evil.” His fingers find all my ticklish spots, not relenting until I’m breathless.
“You still love me,” I tell him when I can breathe again, sticking out my tongue.
“Always.” His eyes are so earnest, so open, he takes my breath away.
And I don’t expect him to reach up and lick my tongue with his.
I can’t help but laugh, the happiness bubbling out of me as I shift, leaning down to put his tongue to better use. Breaking the connection of our mouths, I trail kisses down his jaw, nibbling at the same tendon I did last night.
His eyes pop open, glittering as they take me in.
“I remember now,” he growls. “I promised you’d pay for that last night.”
“You did,” I say, trying to hide my smile.
“And I always keep my promises.”
And he keeps them really, really well.
