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And for the first time in months, maybe years, I closed my eyes and did just that.
No swirling thoughts.
No worries keeping me up.
No new development ideas flickering in my mind, begging me to dig deeper before I lost the thought altogether.
Just sleep.
Deep, glorious sleep.
FIFTEEN
GEORGIA
Icringed at the screech of metal against metal as I shifted through the rack of jeans, casually checking the price tag and swallowing before tucking it back inside the waistband, out of sight. Sharp pain radiated from my lip, but I kept worrying at the raw spot as I scanned the small boutique store Trap brought Gracie and me to for her “first day of school shopping spree.” His words, not mine. It wasn’t a large shop, just an old house that was converted into the tiny clothing store, but it was packed full of clothes and accessories.
The material moved beneath my fingers as I ran them down the cute jeans. Three months ago, these would’ve been a steal, but now the fifty-dollar price tag would take up almost all the money I had left from what Max left for food and necessities for the week. I pulled the few bills from my purse and counted it again, hoping it had somehow doubled and I could get myself something new too.
It hadn’t.
“This fucking sucks,” I mumbled under my breath.
“You hate shopping for clothes too?” Trap asked, suddenly behind me.
I whirled around and smiled. “That, too, but more so the fact that I have no money. It’s all just—” I waved a hand, “—frozen.”
“What do you mean? I thought you said they closed your company?”
I grinned, loving that he remembered fine details like that. It proved he listened when I talked, which was hot as hell.
Okay, everything he and Shade did was attractive.
“They did, because of the massive debt Barrett put us in, but I own the intellectual property for the code that started it all. It’s patented, so any money that’s brought in because that line of code is used, I get paid for it. But right now, with everything tied up because of the divorce and his indictment, all my accounts are frozen by the wonderful FBI.”
I shrugged and turned back to the jeans, sighing. “It’s fine. It’s just been a while since I’ve had to pinch pennies. Is everything all set for Wednesday?” Turning to the next rack, I fingered through the selection of jackets, pulling one free that looked warm and cute.
“Slight change. We’re still meeting Max after we drop off Grace, and then he’ll tell us where we’re going, but….” He avoided my gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. “Shade really wants to go too.” My lips parted to object because of Gracie, but Trap reached up and pinched them together. “He was wondering if you’d be okay with her staying with Anne and Grayson. They’re open to taking and picking her up from school while we’re gone.”
We lacked a lot of important details, which made me even more anxious about the trip. We didn’t know where we were going, what Barrett wanted to talk to me about, and no one could tell me how long we’d be gone.
“I’ll have to ask her,” I whispered. Turning, I found her dipping behind the dressing room curtain to try on the enormous pile of clothes draped over her arm. “It would be nice to have you both there supporting me.”
A small smile pulled at my lips from between my teeth, remembering waking up wrapped in Shade’s arms this morning.
Trap’s elbow knocked at my shoulder. “You just want more Shade snuggles.” I huffed and rolled my eyes, but there was no hiding my growing grin. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Best night's sleep I’ve had in a long time. Though it sucked that he had to leave so early. Does he normally get up at five?”
His head tilted to the side. “Maybe if he wants to work out before a shift, but that’s not why he got up that early this morning. You said you didn’t want Grace to know about this between the three of us. He was trying to get his cuddle on while also respecting your boundaries.”
Oh wow.
“Cuddle on?” I laughed.
Trap just nodded and started flicking through the rack of women’s coats. “Shade is a big teddy bear. Bastard loves to cuddle.”
Warmth blazed in my chest. Of course, the massive man was a cuddler. It was clear that physical touch, not just sexual, was Shade’s way to communicate his feelings and affection.
