He switched the channel and she turned, trying to watch it without feeling self-conscious. Kind of difficult, though, when she couldn’t see his face. Was he bored? Was he still looking forward to this? It wasn’t exactly exciting.
Then he started brushing her hair in long, slow strokes. Oh, that was heavenly.
“Who knew you were hiding all this beautiful hair,” he murmured. “Jesus, baby. This stuff is thick and gorgeous.”
She blushed. Did he really think that? But she was learning that Duke wasn’t the sort of guy who said things he didn’t mean. He certainly didn’t believe in beating around the bush.
“It’s a damn crime to keep this pinned back all the time.”
“It gets in my way,” she explained leaning her head against his thigh and giggling at something on the T.V.
“Hmm, maybe we should compromise. At work, you can wear it how you like, but when we’re at home you wear it down. Or in pigtails. That would look cute. You got any hair ties?”
“You know how to do pigtails?” She stood and looked down at him skeptically. He was wearing another tight T-shirt; this one was dark blue and his biceps were straining against the material. His jeans were dark and worn at the knee.
He shrugged. “Man’s gotta learn sometime.”
“You just keep surprising me,” she muttered as she walked past him, aware of his grin.
She brought back some hair ties and settled in as he played with her hair. A couple of times, he pulled at it a little sharply, but she ignored it as she watched another cartoon. She found herself relaxing more, giggling a few more times as one of her favorite programs came on.
“There. Done,” he said with satisfaction in his voice. “You want to sit up here with me?”
She nodded and he pulled her up onto his lap. His strength took her breath away. “Like the pajamas.”
“Thank you.” She gave him a shy smile. “I’m sorry I got dressed. I guess I didn’t think you meant it when you said you wanted to hang out with me.”
“I try to never say things I don’t mean. Life’s too short for bullshit.”
She nodded, relaxing into him. “Yeah. It is.”
He ran his hand up and down her back then leaned over to snatch up a donut. “You had breakfast?”
“No.” She looked at the box of donuts. Her mouth watered at the smell.
“Not gonna tell you what to eat. So long as you’re healthy, and I already know you eat way healthier than I do. But I did choose one with pink icing and sprinkles I thought you might like.”
Pink with sprinkles?
Boy, did he already know how to speak her language.
“I guess one donut won’t hurt,” she said, standing up to get the pink donut. She sat back next to him on the sofa, her donut in hand. She took a nibble of it and hummed with enjoyment.
“Good?” He grinned at her; his own donut already gone.
“Oh yeah.”
“Everything in moderation, baby girl,” he told her, bringing her in against his side. “Except for me. Because you want me in big doses.”
“Oh, I do, do I?”
“Yep.” He winked down at her and she found herself smiling at him. Thing was, she was pretty certain he was right. More of him was exactly what she wanted.
He felt her settle in next to him. He smiled as she giggled at something on the T.V. He didn’t really know what she was laughing at since he spent most of the time watching her. Sitting there in her pink pajamas, with her hair in pigtails, she looked absolutely fucking adorable.
He had the thought that he could d
o this every Saturday for the rest of his life. Not something he would have thought a few years ago. Saturday mornings were for sleeping in after a night getting wasted and laid.