I pull down the soft blanket that’s laying across the back of the couch and spread it over me. It’s only ten so I should be able to catch a few hours of sleep before Carson gets home which is good since Carson was right, I actually do have to work in the morning. I toss and turn a bit but the couch is comfortable and it isn’t long before I fall fast asleep.
Chapter Ten
Carson
It’s been an extremely long evening, especially knowing that I’d be going home not only to Oliver, but to Bianca as well. That was an unexpected benefit of having her watch him.
I told Rafe about the notes I’ve been getting and showed them to him. He agreed that they aren’t something we should just ignore since the second one has crossed the line into threatening. He was able to get in touch with a friend in the forensics department who is going to run any prints they can lift off the paper. I can only hope whoever it is has committed a crime before and is in the system. I still need to call and get that alarm system installed.
I pull into the driveway and see that the house is completely dark which doesn’t surprise me since it’s after two a.m. Both Oliver and Bianca should be fast asleep at this point. I’m a little disappointed because I would have loved to spend some time with her but she probably has work in the morning.
Closing and locking the door behind me, I divest myself of my gun, badge, and cuffs, locking them away in the safe next to the door. It takes me about two seconds to home in on the sleeping form of Bianca lying on the couch.
I slowly move closer, careful not to wake her up. Bianca is gorgeous when she’s awake but shit, there’s something about her when she’s sleeping. She’s stunning. Her features are softened and there’s a vulnerability to her that she hides when she’s conscious. She’s snuggled under the blanket I left out for her. It’s one that usually sits on the end of my bed, and I know I won’t be washing it anytime soon. Her chest is rising and falling in the gentle pattern of her breathing, and I have to suppress a laugh when she lets out a rather unladylike snore. Somehow that makes this picture even better.
I take another few moments to study the dark lashes that rest against her cheeks, the delicate shape of her neck that’s peeking out from under the blanket, and her full lips that are slightly parted as she breathes. I do my best not to think about how those lips felt against mine last night. I guess I better wake her up before she finds me standing here, staring at her like some kind of weirdo. Though that’s exactly what I’m doing.
“Bianca,” I call softly as I crouch down in front of her sleeping form. She doesn’t move an inch so I call her name again, a little louder. This time she gives out a combination of a snort and snore, stirring slightly beneath the blanket but doesn’t wake up. A piece of chocolate colored hair has fallen forward over her eyes, obscuring her face. I gently tuck the piece of hair behind her ear and say her name again.
With a gasp she bolts upright before I can move back and knocks me onto my ass. She’s clutching her chest and breathing hard, eyes darting around the room. “It’s just me, Bianca.”
“Jesus Christ, Carson. You scared the shit out of me,” she says before slapping my shoulder.
“I can see that.” I raise up off the ground and offer her a hand. She eyes it for a second like she’s considering rejecting the simple offer to help her up, but instead grabs it and lets me pull her to her feet. “Did everything go okay tonight?”
“Yeah it was fine,” she says with a yawn, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and looking downright adorable. Now I know I’m in trouble. “What time is it?”
“Just after two. I got home as soon as I could, sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, at least I was able to catch some sleep on the couch.” I start walking her towards the front door, sorry to see her go, but knowing that she needs to go home and get some more sleep if she’s going to be able to function in the morning. That’s when I spy the tiny pieces of clay on the table.
“What is this?” I ask, picking up something that looks like a rotund ball with four appendages sticking out of it at all angles and something resembling a rectangle squished on top.
She gives me a wide smile. “I’m very sorry to inform you that Oliver is not quite the artistic genius we once thought. He can’t work clay for shit.”
“What is this supposed to be anyway?”
“It’s a giraffe. Duh.” Her voice is completely serious like I should absolutely recognize this lump as the majestic animal. I look at her and can see the amusement sparkling in her eyes.
“If it’s a giraffe, then where’s its neck?”
“Maybe you should take him to the zoo.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. In fact, I think I’ve laughed more in the past few weeks since I’ve known Bianca than I have for years. “I haven’t gotten a chance to thank you for the art class recommendation. I was able to get him into the program over at Branson. In fact, his first class is this weekend.”
She claps her hands together in excitement. “Really? That’s great! He’s going to love it. Just keep him far away from the clay. Very far.” She gives me a wink and a smile.
“Well, it’s all thanks to you. I spoke to Roxy like you suggested and she said they had a wait list a mile long but since you’re the one that sent Oliver to them, they found a spot for him. It seems like you have a lot of pull around there.”
She brushes the compliment aside. “Nah, it’s just that I recently graduated so I still know a lot of people there.”
“Well, she seemed a little shocked you were recommending a kid. She seemed to imply that’s the last thing you would ever do.”
She just gives me a shrug like it’s no big deal. “I’m not really a kid person. They just aren’t for me. They tend to get on my nerves more than anything. That’s one of the reason’s I never helped out with that program. It’s only for young artists. I work much better with adults.”
“Well, you seem pretty good with Oliver. I can’t thank you enough for helping get him in. He’s beyond excited, it’s the only thing he’s talked about for days.”
“Like I said, it’s no big deal.” I can tell she’s uncomfortable with the topic of children as she quickly shifts gears. “Oh, there’s some pizza in the fridge if you want some.” She lets me know while hunting for her purse.