I did the only thing Icoulddo. Shirt and shoes off, I shoved a pillow against the headboard of Helen’s bed and reclined against it while I waited for her to come out. It took her a couple minutes, but when she emerged, I stopped breathing.
“Your mouth.”
She blinked. “You’re still here...in my bed. Why are you in my bed, Theodore?”
“Your mouth, Helen.”
Her hand shot to cover her mouth. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I patted the bed beside me. “Come here.”
She shook her head slowly. “No.”
Jackknifing upright, I hit the bed with more force. “Get over here.”
Helen wasn’t happy with me, but she came, one knee on the bed. “I’m here.”
“No.” I wrapped my arms around the backs of her legs, sweeping her off balance. She fell forward, landing on my chest. “Now you’re here.”
She jerked her head back, and my thumb swiped across her bottom lip. No lipstick, all Helen.
“Your mouth.”
“Yeah, I don’t wear lipstick to bed,” she stated flatly. “Can you let me go now?”
Back and forth, I rubbed her lips, bottom, then top. “Love the red, but this…”
“It’s just my lips,” she whispered.
“I’m seeing something you don’t show anyone.”
She stayed perfectly still, eyes on me while I touched her. “Except I wasn’t trying to show you. I thought you’d listen and leave.”
I shook my head. “Nope. You knew I’d still be here.”
Slowly, her gaze on mine, she lowered her head until her lips touched mine. “I kind of hoped, but I didn’t know.”
Something squeezed deep inside my chest, knowing what that had to cost her to admit. Moving fast, I wrapped my arms around her and rolled her to her back, hovering over her. Her hands came up to my neck, cupping the sides. She lifted her face, touching her mouth to mine again. The kiss I gave her back was a lot more than a touch, pushing her head down to her pillow. Her lips were smooth and warm under mine, her movement languid. It killed me to pull back, but I did.
“You should know I’m relentless,” I murmured. “But you’re tired, and to be honest, so am I. We need to talk, but we need to sleep more.”
“Are you asking to stay?”
I shook my head. “I’m not asking.” Rolling off her, I pulled back the covers, then pulled them over both of us. “I’m not going to take anything you don’t want to give, and I will keep telling you that until you believe it.”
Her lids were heavy as she looked me over. “You’re in my bed without permission.”
Arm around her, I slid her into my side. Her head settled on my shoulder. Her arm draped across my middle. “I saw the bat you keep next to the bed. If you really minded, I have no doubt you’d let me know.” My mouth pressed to the top of her head. “Go to sleep, Tiger.”
She shifted and flung a leg over mine. “This doesn’t mean anything.”
I pulled her deeper into me. “Nothing.”
Warm and wet. Over me. Everywhere. Silk sheets on my skin. Soft hands touching me. Too good to be a dream.
Fuck.
My eyes opened. Helen was in front of me, her body aligned with mine, head tucked against my chest. But she wasn’t asleep. She was exploring, and I was her terrain. Her fingertips traced down the length of my spine. Tipping her head, she pressed her mouth to the base of my throat, sucking gently. My cock responded to her in an instant, swelling behind my zipper.