Page 23 of Pink and Country

People called me a player. I called it protecting myself.

Bubble Gum, with her pale-pink hair framing her face, had shattered my walls with one look. When she flashed her tits at me in her bathroom, I thought she was after my fame.

After the way she bantered with me in the woods, challenging me, I realized she was clueless about who I was.

My face was plastered all over the Internet, magazines, and TV. Cotton Candy either lived in a nutshell or hadn’t been paying attention to the world around her. Either way, I enjoyed being a regular Joe around her. Her spirit and the way she confided in Jack about fairies played with my heartstrings. For a guitar player like me, it meant a lot.

Tendrils of her hair tickled my nose.

Buried in my chest, her body grew heavier and her breathing steadier.

Did she fall asleep in my arms? Who does that? I blinked. How could she trust me? We didn’t even know each other.

Whatever.

My heart frisked in my chest with Pixie in my arms.

Like she belonged there. Like a long-lost puzzle piece, now recovered.

My lips brushed the crown of her head.

What should I do?

Not ready to wake her up, but needing reassurance her body had warmed up enough, I slid my hand between the blankets until my fingers grazed the softness of her creamy skin. A shiver ran through me, and my cock swelled in my pants. I shut my eyes and breathed in. One, two, three, four. I breathed out.

My hand found the curve of her waist and lingered there for a moment. The contact of our flesh toyed with all my willpower. With a tight grip around her body, I let my frozen neighbor sleep in my arms for the next hour, captivated by the sound of her breathing.

My fingers combed pink strands away from her angelic face. Plump lips, button nose, delicate features, soft-angled, dark-blonde brows—probably her natural hair color.

Out cold, White Bikini Girl looked peaceful and didn’t budge when I tried to wake her up. With a gentle movement, I lowered my hand down her throat. Her pulse beat at a regular pace. Our heartbeats synched, and a deep sigh escaped my lips.

With my neighbor nested in my arms, I climbed the stairs to my bedroom. I laid her on my king-size mattress, wanting to look after her in case she struggled in the middle of the night. The woman was a lightweight. One by one, I examined her every finger and toe. None of them was still cold or blueish. I knew hypothermia affected the extremities first.

Relieved, I fastened the blankets around the woman in my bed, undressed to my boxer briefs, and slid under the sheets on the opposite side. No woman had ever slept in this bed with me. Lying on my side, I propped myself on my elbow, the heat of my body rising and making my breathing harsh, clueless about what to do. Should I pull Feisty Neighbor in my arms to keep her warm? I scanned the room, and my eyes rested on her silhouette for a beat—or two. Maybe longer.

I itched to hold on to her like my life depended on it.

“For Christ’s sake,” I swore with a grimace, running my hands over my face. Finally, I gave up the idea to pull her to me and flipped on to my other side, chasing sleep.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up with my pink-haired neighbor’s body entangled in mine. Tendrils of her hair spread on my skin. Her soft breasts, under her white bikini top, pressed against the side of my torso. With my eyes closed, I breathed her in.

Fuck. How did this happen?

My thoughts froze in my head.

How will I explain this to her?

I held my breath and writhed to get out of bed, but Pixie’s arms tightened around my midriff. Her soft breathing tickled my skin. I exhaled through clenched teeth, enjoying the feeling, but fearing Sleepy Girl’s reaction.

Why did I strip to my boxer briefs last night? I should’ve slept in pajama pants and with a T-shirt on.

Neighbor’s eyelids fluttered open, and her baby-blue doe eyes locked on mine. I offered her a tight-lipped smile and a small shrug. Like a sixteen-year-old caught staring at a girl he had a massive crush on.

Half-awake, my neighbor let out a loud shriek, and cold sweat pearled on the nape of my neck.

Stay calm. Explain everything. You cared for her; she can’t get mad at you. You did nothing wrong.