“It’s just … what about you?”
He grinned. “All in good time, little one. I want you to be sure you’re ready. Besides, a hard-on won’t kill me. I promise.”
She bit her lip.
His thumb caressed her cheek. “I promise you. You’ll get to the point that nothing between us will embarrass you.”
She snorted. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“I do. Now let’s eat.”
He watched her take dainty little bites and smiled. Everything about her was so feminine. He loved it.
“How about we watch a movie tonight?” he suggested.
“I’d like that.”
She stood the same time he did, and as he grabbed both plates, he said, “Sit down, and I’ll be right there.”
“I can help.”
He shook his head. “Some other night.” He was gone long enough to rinse the plates off and put them in the dishwasher.
He sat in the corner of the sofa and grabbed the remote. “What do you want to watch, baby?”
“Something funny or romantic.”
Kaleb grinned. He should have guessed that. He couldn’t find any John Wayne movies, so he found one of the older funny videos he’d heard about, and he thought she’d like it.
“How about this?”
She nodded and smiled at him from her seat in the middle of the sofa.
He dimmed the lights with another remote and settled in. He kept glancing at her as she watched the show, but her eyelids moved slower.
“How about you come over here, baby? You’re starting to nod off.”
Aleena scooted over to him and plastered herself to his side, making him grin.
“There. Now relax.”
“Shouldn’t I be going home soon?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to worry about it. Let me take care of you. All right?”
She nodded and turned her attention back to the movie.
He noticed she’d fallen asleep soon after. He turned off the TV, picked her up, and took her into his bedroom where he laid her on the mattress. He tucked the blankets around her and then walked into the bathroom. He carefully shut the door and turned on the shower.
He hissed when the first drops of cold water hit. It was unpleasant, but he couldn’t go to bed and hold her and poke her with his hard-on all night. He stayed in as long as he could and then washed quickly.
He brushed his teeth and pulled on a pair of boxers before he walked into the bedroom. He turned off the lights, climbed in on the other side, curled his body around hers, and sighed. He thought about taking her clothes off her, but he knew she’d already be freaked being in bed with him, and he didn’t want her running because he was going too fast.
It was fucking perfect. Everything about her was exactly what he’d been looking for. He stuck his nose close to her head and drew in her scent, cursing under his breath when his cock started to harden again. He took a few breaths and relaxed.
He had always been an analytical man, so he knew Gregory might pose a problem. He thought about his best course of action and decided he’d go to his office on Monday and tell him when he dropped her off at work. Face-to-face, he’d also tell him that he was the best man to take care of her, and if Gregory trusted him at all, he’d agree. If not, he might just lose his friendship, but he was willing to take the chance because he wasn’t giving Aleena up. Ever.
Chapter Six