Annoyed with himself, he pulled her back to him and smiled. “I wasn’t stating the obvious to hint that you should leave. I meant maybe you should just stay. You’re coming back tomorrow, right?”
Her eyes flew open wide in that sweetly startled way they did so often when something surprised her. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”
Glad she didn’t protest for any other reason, Orlando wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. “You can go pick up a change tomorrow. Why drive at night when you can do so in the morning instead?”
Before she could respond to that, he started toward the bedroom. That was another thing he wanted to make sure he made clear. He had a few extra bedrooms, but no way was she sleeping in any of them.
By the time they’d showered together, making the most of the shower and their slick wet bodies, since they still couldn’t keep their hands off each other, Orlando was pretty sure he’d be playing hooky tomorrow. At the very least, showing up way late. They wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight that was for sure. Before they officially got in bed for the night, Orlando searched for the universal charging pad he hadn’t used in a while so Dani could charge her phone. He finally found it in one of his kitchen junk drawers and headed back to the bedroom where Dani was getting ready for bed. Surprised she wasn’t in the bedroom when he got there, he slowed when he heard her talking in a lowered voice just out of sight in the bedroom’s bathroom. He didn’t want to eavesdrop because it’d make sense that she might be checking in with her sister. Dani had mentioned more than once what a mother hen her sister could be. Glancing around, he focused on looking for the best place to plug the charger instead.
“. . . with Ted . . .”
Stopping when he caught the snippet of what Dani was saying, he froze, not wanting to make any noise so he could hear the rest. But her voice went even lower, and he wasn’t able to make the rest out. Was she telling her sister she was with Ted? Did her sister not know they’d broken up? Feeling a heat he should not be feeling this early on, Orlando turned when he heard Dani say good night to whomever it was she was talking to. A few seconds later she walked into the bedroom, looking a little surprised to see him in there.
Not sure how to ask without it sounding as demanding as he was feeling, Orlando motioned to her phone. “Who was that?”
“My sister. I was just letting her know I wouldn’t be home tonight.”
Orlando peered at her, trying his damnedest not to overreact. “Did I hear you tell her you were staying with Ted tonight?”
Those startled eyes were at it again. “No. I told her the truth: that it got late and I decided to just stay here for the night.”
That wasn’t entirely satisfying to hear because that wasn’t the whole truth. The way she made it sound, her sister could easily think Dani was staying in one of his guest bedrooms—just because it got late. Was that what Dani wanted her to think? Why?
“And she knows you and Ted are broken up? Because you are, right?”
“Of course I am.” The startled expression was replaced by an annoyed—almost scandalized—one. “You really think I’d be here if I was still in a relationship?”
With three long strides, Orlando was right in front of her, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her, feeling like an idiot. “I heard something out of context obviously, about being with Ted. I just—” He pecked her several times. “I wasn’t sure what to think.”
She let him kiss her without commenting for a few more seconds before responding to his lame explanation as to why he’d so easily jumped to such a conclusion. “I, uh . . . told her you were looking for a spare charger for me. She asked about my spare charger, the one I’d used when I stayed over at Ted’s.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Orlando pecked her before she went on. The last thing he wanted to hear about was her spending the night at Ted’s. “You don’t have to explain. I’m an idiot for even going there.”
As stupid as he did feel for having gone there, at least now she knew how he’d feel if she ever did. Without having to say it, he’d just made at least that much clear. Now he’d make another thing clear. As his kissing her got deeper, he concentrated on how terrifying it was that he was feeling this much for her already, not his already hardening dick. He wanted to convey to her without saying it that what happened today wasn’t just them giving into their lust for one another. At least it wasn’t for him. As hard and fast as they’d gone at it earlier in the kitchen, Orlando had every intention of making long passionate love to her the rest of the night. Only he made sure to have the box of condoms on the nightstand.
Chapter 21
Danica
The moment Danica opened her dreary eyes and realized where she was and then remembered all that had happened the night before, she was inundated with a mixture of emotions. Fear and regret were the heaviest, but her instantly fluttering heart was proof that excitement was right up there as well. Rotating her body around slowly so she could face Orlando without waking him was a challenge, given how closely he held her. But she managed to, smiling when she remembered why and how Orlando could be sleeping so soundly still. After their lustful sessions in the kitchen and shower, their time in bed had been far more drawn out, and they’d been up well into the wee hours of the morning. Staring at his sleeping face, she took in all his gorgeous features. She wasn’t just biased either. Since day one she’d thought him perfect. Not pretty like Nine, but still all his features were so well-defined and flawless she could stare at him for hours and not get enough. Running her fingers through his hair, she smiled when she saw him smile, despite his still closed eyes. “You awake?” she whispered.
He nodded but still didn’t open his eyes. “I was trying not to wake from my dream.” The heavy lashes lifted as his eyes opened. “But then you touched me, and I realized my reality is even better than what I’d been dreaming.”
Danica breathed in deeply and smiled bigger. “What were you dreaming?”
“It was a repeat of last night.” He smiled as he stared into her eyes. “I guess my mind was playing tricks on me, and I couldn’t figure it out—I was still trying to wrap my head around the idea of this—whether last night really happened or if I was just being delusional.”
Running her hand over his forehead, Danica touched the scar at his hairline. She’d never noticed it until last night, since she’d never allowed herself to examine him that closely. That and the beanie covered it most of the time. “How’d you get this?”
“Being bad.”
She peered at him, not understanding. “Bad?”
“Yeah, you’re not the only one with a past, Dani. I told you I ran with the wrong crowd for a long time when I was younger. Still do sort of.” He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her tighter then kissed her neck before coming back up to face her again. “Nine and Beast were part of that crowd, but we’ve all grown up and away from all the shit we were once into.”
Danica raised a brow curious now. “What kind of shit were you into?”
“Some pretty bad and stupid shit.” Her expression must’ve been as surprised as this made her feel because it had him clearing his throat and he went on quickly. “That was a long time ago, Dani. I haven’t been into any of that in just as long, especially not with the baby in my life now. Matter of fact, I was kind of worried some of that crap might come back to haunt me when they were doing all the checking on me to see if I was fit to be a dad. But it’s been that long that it prolonged the wait in getting him, but in the end, it wasn’t enough of an issue that they’d take away my right to get him back.”