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“There you go. Stop fighting to wake up. Your body needs rest—that’s why you can’t wake up all the way. It was probably all that pounding that woke you.”
He lays me down and spoons behind me, his body a shield against the outside world. With Sheba against my stomach, I’m sandwiched between two blazing hot furnaces. No chill can penetrate me here. No danger.
“That’s my girl,” he whispers against my ear, his fingers stroking up and down my arm. “Go back to sleep. Rest. I’m here. Nothing’s going to get through me tonight. If you wake up and I’m not here, don’t be afraid. I’m going to check the property and see if anyone’s around, but Sheba’s here. I’ll be back in a flash if anything shows up again, okay?”
I manage to make a soft humming sound this time. He doesn’t leave, not yet, his heat against my back. Between one breath and another, I slide into the void of heavy sleep.
20
Ididn’t feel him leave, but I do stir when he comes back to bed. His hair is damp and I smell his shampoo, a botanical that makes me think of jungles. I pillow my head on his chest and drift back to sleep.
When I wake again, it’s hours later. The sun is up and the room is bright. He forgot to shut the blinds. I twist my hand up so I can see my watch. Nearly eleven in the morning. I must have been out of it.
The part of me that makes me submissive thinks I should stay in bed until the Master rises. He might want me and it’s my duty to be present and ready. After all the stress last night, I’d love to simply lie in his arms and listen to him breathe.
But I’d love it more if I could finally surprise him with a cheesecake, and it’ll take at least an hour to bake.
Watching his face, I sit up and carefully move to the opposite side of the bed. He doesn’t budge. His breathing is deep and heavy. Weird. He wears a T-shirt. Did he ever wear anything to bed before? He must have been too tired to strip out of his clothes last night.
He still hasn’t moved after my shower as I slip through the room. I take a minute to twist the stick on the blinds to darken the room. Maybe he’ll sleep until I can get the cake baked and stashed away so it’ll be a real surprise. Sheba jumps down soundlessly and follows me into the main living area.
The broken sliding glass door is nailed shut with plywood, and all the glass and blood is cleaned up. Geez, no wonder he’s so tired. That must have taken forever. I take Sheba out the front door. The slap of frigid air steals my breath. Off to the north, the sky is heavy and gray. I guess that storm is rolling in today. Good thing I’ve already gone to the grocery store for a few days’ worth of basics. Plus he keeps a pretty nice pantry stocked. Maybe I’ll finally get my wish to be snowed in with him for a few days. We’ll lounge in front of the fireplace and sip wine and make love while snow piles up outside.
Sounds like heaven.
I feed Sheba, whip up the cheesecake and get it in the oven, and start a huge batch of chili for dinner. If it’s going to snow, we have to have chili and cornbread. Chuck roast trimmed and pieced, onions chopped, chili simmering on the stove.
And Charlie still isn’t up.
I pull the cheesecake out to cool. My stomach growls, but I can’t stomach chili for brunch. So I fry enough bacon for two, scramble some eggs and toast English muffins.
Not a sound from the bedroom.
It’s almost scary. He’s never slept this long.
I leave the bacon and eggs on the stove to warm and tiptoe down the hallway. Peeking into the room, I see him sitting on the edge of the bed. His head is bowed, his arms braced on his knees, but he isn’t moving.
“Charlie? Breakfast’s ready.”
He doesn’t lift his head. “Thanks, but I’m not very hungry. Just set some aside for me. Go ahead and eat.”
“Are you alright?” I start toward him, drawn to help him, or at least stroke him, hold him. He needs something. Immediately. My instincts scream at me that something is wrong, but I don’t know what.
Straightening, he pushes up to his feet and turns enough to toss a smile over his shoulder. “Just sleepy. I’m going to jump in the shower.”
He disappears into the bathroom. Without giving me a hug or a good morning kiss. Plus he already had a shower. I remember the way he smelled when he came to bed last night. Gnawing on my lip, I make the bed and tidy up my stuff I slung all over his room. Yet he still hasn’t come out. Sighing, I return to the kitchen and eat my lukewarm breakfast. Alone.
When he finally does join me, he pours a cup of coffee but doesn’t take any food. He sits down at the table and stares at the board covering the door. “Smells good in here. You’ve been busy today.”
“When I took Sheba out, it definitely looked like a storm brewing. I figured we’d want to stay inside most of the day.”
He nods, but still isn’t looking at me. “I might have to go out, even if the weather gets nasty. I don’t like not having a door, though honestly, the plywood will be harder for an intruder to get through than glass.”
“It’s New Year’s Day. Nobody will be selling doors today.”
He nods again, but he doesn’t seem to hear me. “I need to replace some of the security components. The motion sensors were disabled too easily, and the floodlights didn’t come on until it was too late. This guy’s good. Real good. I’ll use that to our advantage.”
“Did you find anything when you went out last night?”
