A thrill zipped through the pit of his stomach as he took her hand, stood up, and followed her to the bedroom. She trusted him enough to join him in the bed and she hadn't even hesitated.
In the bedroom, she pulled back the white blankets to reveal gray sheets.
He stripped off his pants, leaving his boxers and shirt on. She stripped down to panties but left her tank top in place and they both got into bed. She crawled in with an excitement he didn't understand and turned to peek at him over her shoulder. "Cuddles?" she asked, her expression bright.
"Sure." He threw the blankets over the top of them both and curled into her. She wiggled her bottom against the front of him and settled in. Her soft curves felt amazing pressing to the front of him and he placed a hand on her hip before slipping it around her belly and holding her close. He inhaled the scent of her hair and felt the warmth of sleep creeping up quickly.
"Good night," she whispered.
"Sleep well," he growled as the world blinked out, but not before he realized he had never fallen asleep so quickly nor felt so comfortable in someone’s company.
Chapter7
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn could tellhe didn’t want to leave, but he had work and so did she, but not until later in the evening.
“Thank you,” she said softly, pulling him into a hug and realizing how close she felt to him. They’d slept tangled up in her bed and she’d woken up to him hard and pressed against her, but when he woke, he pulled away and gave her space. There was no pressure, no discomfort, no attempts from him to guilt or coerce her into anything.
And she was grateful, because even though she was interested in him, she knew that jumping into the sack with someone wasn’t her best idea. Rushing physical intimacy might set them up for failure, and he seemed determined to set them up for success. That thought warmed her heart.
“Thank you. Have a good day.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she squeezed her eyes closed, loving his touch and scent.
“Call me later? Or come by?” She didn’t want their time together to end, but it occurred to her that maybe it didn’t have to.
“Absolutely.” With that, he pulled away, pressed his fingers to his lips, then touched hers in a gesture that melted her insides. A heartbeat later and he was gone.
Kaitlyn wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the closed door before crossing to lock the deadbolt.
With the door locked, Kaitlyn walked toward the kitchen to make herself some coffee. Her brain seemed to fixate on the fact that she had spent the night next to a man who hadn't even tried to touch her. There was no doubt about it: Carter was a good guy, the kind of guy that she'd want to spend time with, to date, to be with. Maybe her bad luck with men had come to an end.
The rushing sound of the coffee maker heating up and the slight steam escaping sounded like home and the rich scent of coffee assaulted her senses. She took a few steps toward the fridge and grabbed her favorite coffee creamer off the top shelf.
Still, even with her budding relationship going well, she still had to face reality. Her best friend had been kidnapped and was in a very uncomfortable, dangerous situation, her savings were being drained through no fault of her own, and she had a guy stalking her who seemed willing to do whatever it took to win her over. Having one thing go right with so many other things going wrong didn't feel like a big win.
She wondered if she'd hear from Fawn soon, and wondered if her friend was okay. For the thousandth time, she considered calling the cops again. But remembering how she'd been mostly ignored before when she had gone to them, she didn’t see the point. Without family to report Fawn missing, nobody really seemed to care.
Lost in thought, she poured herself a cup of coffee, mixed in her creamer, and took a sip. She winced, burning the inside of her mouth so badly she knew she wouldn't taste anything for a week. Breathing through her open mouth to cool off the burned tissue, she heard a knock at the door.
Her heart leaped and began to beat double time; Carter must have forgotten something and came back to get it.
She sat her coffee down on the counter and walked toward the front door with light steps, unlatching the dead bolt and opening the door wide with a smile on her face. A smile that quickly froze in place as shock raced over her like icy hot pinpricks.
“Hello, Kaitlyn.” Devon stared at her from the front step before pushing his way past her into her home. Her enemy, her stalker, the man who’d been pushing her around now stood in her house and she had no clue what to do.
“What are you doing here?” Kaitlyn asked in a soft voice, as if speaking any louder might cause him to explode. He was an unholy mix of danger and unhinged possessiveness that was easily seen.
He didn't respond. Instead, he wandered her home, hands clasped behind his back as he looked around.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, her voice cool and even, but more forceful than her first attempt. She didn't want him in her home. Not now, not ever.
“I came to see you.” Devon’s voice was deep and soft, like a caress and she forced herself not to not step away from him. She wouldn't let him bully her.
"Why?" She didn't like how unsafe she felt in his presence, after how wonderful her night had been with Carter.
He smiled over his shoulder at her in answer. “Now, now, Kaitlyn, that’s no way to greet an old friend, is it?”
“You’re not my friend.” She crossed her arms, her heart slamming and her knees trembling. What was he going to do? She had no doubt he had something planned, and she'd let him in. She'd forgotten for an instant how much danger she was in, and in the split second her guard dropped, Devon gained access to her home, her haven, her safe space.