How the heck had he done that?
I blinked rapidly, trying to process how fast he had grabbed my waist and rolled me onto the bed so that he was caging me from above. A small, confused noise left my throat, realizing that like this, he managed to cover my frame completely, encompassing me with his muscular form. My breathing turned faster and my face flushed, loving how easily he handled me.
A shiver broke over me as his metallic gaze went dark, turning from a cool, sleepy color to a deep, warm, melted silver tinted with charcoal. No one’s eyes should be that expressive. His lips dipped to press to my collarbone as he seemed to wake up fully. Had he really been that deep asleep that he’d reacted so dangerously when I touched him?
I had never slept next to Yates before. Well I had, but he’d always been awake, so it surprised me that he moved so fast upon being woken up. It was a bit terrifying and a lot hot. It didn’t help that there was a bit of adrenaline running through me at how large he was and how hard he felt pressed against me… And no, I wasn’t just talking about his muscles.
My pulse jumped as he continued to run his lips over my body.
“Yates?” I breathed out a bit nervously as his teeth nipped my neck before he pulled back and examined my expression.
“Sorry, bunny,” he breathed out. “I’m a bit more tired than I realized. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Should I be more scared of Yates? Sometimes the man seemed more than a bit intense.
“Sleep more,” I insisted. “I need some coffee though. There is no way I am getting back to sleep.”
A familiar scowl formed on his face. “And what if I don’t let you get up? You need sleep for sure, even if you don’t think so. Both of us could use a few more hours.”
I had a feeling that I may have to bargain in the future to get out of Yates’s bed, and I loved that, but I think today he would probably understand my reasoning. I lifted a hand and ran it through his hair. “I have too many questions to sleep, but you should—”
“No,” he growled and then groaned. “If you’re up, I’m up. Your little ass is going to have a million questions, and I need to be up to make sure they are answered fully. We are taking a nap later, though. No arguments.”
He sat up and released me, my eyes sliding down his muscular frame to how hard he was. My eyes widened as that surge of excitement brushed through me again.
“Who knew you would be such a cuddler,” I teased, trying to not sound breathless.
It was possible I was maybe fishing a little bit to see if he had been a cuddler with anyone else ever… For the record, I had absolutely no knowledge of them ever dating anyone. Even Stratton. My brain sputtered at that. Was it possible… no, there was no way. These men were not virgins, it wasn’t possible.
As much as my little romantic heart would have loved to disagree, there was just no way that men like them, that confident and sexy, were virgins. I refused to believe it. My throat tightened at the concept of them being with anyone else, and then I immediately felt selfish. Here I was, wanting to be with six different men, and I was getting sad about the idea of them having possibly been with someone else. I had no proof of it and could probably ask them, but did I really want to know the answer?
Now, it was completely possible and more than likely that I was out of my league when it came to these men, especially Dermot. He was not only older, but had probably dated a bunch of stunning women from overseas. Why did that concept gut me so much?
I think it was fairly obvious ‘why.’
“Dahlia, you bring out a lot of sides of me that I didn’t realize existed.” Yates’s voice was almost dangerous as he offered me a searing look before tilting his head curiously. “What were you just thinking about?”
“Hm? I wasn’t thinking.” I offered a small smile. “But wait, what sides?”
Somehow I felt like that was a loaded question.
Yates examined my face. “Does that count as your question? I’ve decided that each question I answer today means you owe me a kiss, so better think them through, bunny.”
“That seems like a surefire way to get absolutely nothing done,” I mused.
His eyes danced with humor. “I’ll give you a free question if you tell me what you were just thinking about.”
I swallowed and decided that I may as well tell him. If anything, it would throw him off his game. I couldn’t resist a chance to mess with Yates, even if this particular situation had the ability to gut me.
“I was thinking if… well, if anyone else had ever thought you were a good cuddler.”
True confusion filled his face, his silver eyes peering into my soul as I waited for his answer. He moved forward again as I sank back onto the bed, his body back over mine as I tried to not love the way his fingers brushed through a few pieces of hair that had fallen from my braid.
“Are you asking if I have ever been with anyone else, bunny?” His tone was teasing, but his expression was anything but.
“Yes,” I whispered nervously.
His eyes turned dark as he leaned in and brushed a kiss to my lips, making me let out a needy sound as I tried to deepen it. He locked my hips to the bed and spoke in a heated, husky tone. “How could I stomach being with anyone else when I spend every single day with the woman I love?”