She bit her lip.
His thumb caressed her cheek. “I promise you. You’ll get to the point that nothing between us will embarrass you.”
She snorted. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“I do. Now let’s eat.”
He watched her take dainty little bites and smiled. Everything about her was so feminine. He loved it.
“How about we watch a movie tonight?” he suggested.
“I’d like that.”
She stood the same time he did, and as he grabbed both plates, he said, “Sit down, and I’ll be right there.”
“I can help.”
He shook his head. “Some other night.” He was gone long enough to rinse the plates off and put them in the dishwasher.
He sat in the corner of the sofa and grabbed the remote. “What do you want to watch, baby?”
“Something funny or romantic.”
Kaleb grinned. He should have guessed that. He couldn’t find any John Wayne movies, so he found one of the older funny videos he’d heard about, and he thought she’d like it.
“How about this?”
She nodded and smiled at him from her seat in the middle of the sofa.
He dimmed the lights with another remote and settled in. He kept glancing at her as she watched the show, but her eyelids moved slower.
“How about you come over here, baby? You’re starting to nod off.”
Aleena scooted over to him and plastered herself to his side, making him grin.
“There. Now relax.”
“Shouldn’t I be going home soon?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to worry about it. Let me take care of you. All right?”
She nodded and turned her attention back to the movie.
He noticed she’d fallen asleep soon after. He turned off the TV, picked her up, and took her into his bedroom where he laid her on the mattress. He tucked the blankets around her and then walked into the bathroom. He carefully shut the door and turned on the shower.
He hissed when the first drops of cold water hit. It was unpleasant, but he couldn’t go to bed and hold her and poke her with his hard-on all night. He stayed in as long as he could and then washed quickly.
He brushed his teeth and pulled on a pair of boxers before he walked into the bedroom. He turned off the lights, climbed in on the other side, curled his body around hers, and sighed. He thought about taking her clothes off her, but he knew she’d already be freaked being in bed with him, and he didn’t want her running because he was going too fast.
It was fucking perfect. Everything about her was exactly what he’d been looking for. He stuck his nose close to her head and drew in her scent, cursing under his breath when his cock started to harden again. He took a few breaths and relaxed.
He had always been an analytical man, so he knew Gregory might pose a problem. He thought about his best course of action and decided he’d go to his office on Monday and tell him when he dropped her off at work. Face-to-face, he’d also tell him that he was the best man to take care of her, and if Gregory trusted him at all, he’d agree. If not, he might just lose his friendship, but he was willing to take the chance because he wasn’t giving Aleena up. Ever.
Chapter Six
Aleena came awake slowly. The softness of the bed and the warmth that surrounded were the best things she’d ever felt.
“Good morning, baby girl.”
Her eyes popped open. She realized she was in bed with Kaleb, with him wrapped around her, and one of his hands cupped her breast. She stiffened.
“Easy. Everything’s okay. We just slept last night.”
She exhaled and tried to relax. She’d never slept with anyone before, and although it was shocking, she found she loved sleeping with Kaleb. He made her feel safe and loved, and it allowed her to get the best sleep she’d ever had.
She tipped her head around to see him. “Good morning.”
“I’m sorry I scared you. You were out last night.”
“I’m sorry.”
Kaleb swept the hair from her face. “Don’t be sorry. I enjoyed every minute of it.” He kissed her temple. “Are you hungry?”
She nodded. “And I have to use the restroom.”
He pointed toward a door that she assumed was the bathroom.
“Is it okay if I take a shower?” she asked timidly.
He smiled. “Sure. I’ll bring your pants in. You can wear them and my shirt until we get to your place to change. We also need to check your injuries from last night.”
“Oh, okay. That would be good. Thank you,” she murmured and then closed the door.
After using the toilet and brushing her teeth with her finger, she started the shower and then undressed quickly.
She worked the shampoo into her hair.
The bathroom was as luxurious as the rest of his condo. The place held a lot of modern things, but antiques, wood, and oriental carpets softened it.
She squeaked and froze when she heard the bathroom door open. She was standing under the shower spray, buck naked. She knew he couldn’t see her clearly because the glass was frosted, but she did notice he only had on a pair of shorts or underwear. Had she slept next to him all night while he was half-naked?
“Here are your pants, baby. And I got you a clean shirt. Remember, don’t put them on until I check your knees.”
“Oh, um. Okay. Thank you.”
“I’ll go make coffee,” he said.
Five minutes later, he knocked on the bathroom door as she was buttoning up the shirt he gave her.
“Come in,” she called.
He walked in with two cups of coffee. “I didn’t know how you liked your coffee, so I
