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Tenley pressed herself against my back and rested her chin on my shoulder, wrapping herself tightly around my waist.
She breathed steadily while my heart raced, pounding heavily against my ribs. Willing myself to hold still, to let her stay in control, I simply waited.
“I'm going to double check on my dad. Wait here,” she whispered, and kissed my trap. I nodded, not saying a word as she gently moved backwards, and slipped out of the bed.
She wasn’t gone long, as I leaned back against the headboard and waited in silence. There was a part of me that wondered if she was actually comfortable spending tomorrow night at my place as we’d agreed upon while her dad remained here. But if he fared well for the rest of tonight, maybe she would find comfort in that.
The door quietly creaked open, and Tenley padded softly around the base of the mattress. She lifted the sheets and tucked herself into a ball.
I found myself crawling after her, sliding under the blankets and pulling her into my frame. Sliding a calloused hand around her waist, I squeezed her stomach gently. Just a couple hours of sleep would be nice.
Cuddled up with this beautiful woman.
Man, what a sap I was turning into.
Smiling, I closed my eyes and pressed a kiss against the nape of her neck. She shivered, goosebumps erupting across her skin. But all she did was wiggle back against me a little closer. That’s all I needed as I held her until we both drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 22
No matter how hard I tried, my body wouldn’t fall back asleep. I was utterly exhausted after several nights of hardly any sleep, but the amount of light that was streaming in through the cracks of the blinds had me wide awake. So I simply held a softly snoring Tenley, running my fingers through her hair. It was Christmas Eve, and even if turmoil awaited outside this bedroom, outside this house, I didn’t have a care in the world at the moment.
The woman I loved was wrapped up in my arms, looking dreadfully peaceful while sleeping. She groaned lightly and then shifted, rolling to face me. I moved my hands away for a moment, hovering over her skin as she settled back in against me. Shoving her leg between mine, she sighed and smacked her lips a couple times.
I returned my hand to the back of her head and smiled. Merry Christmas to me. A lazy arm draped across my waist and then she stretched a little. Her eyelashes fluttered, finally parting so I could see her beautiful emerald gaze.
She closed her eyes again and smiled. “Mmmmm,” she moaned, and then started patting her hand that was draped over my body against my back. Slowly, it wandered lower and lower until she found my butt, and then she grabbed it.
“Tenley, darling. What are you doing?” I asked, and she giggled, no longer as bashful as she was last night.
Letting go of my backside, her eyes shot open and she shoved me.
Startled, I rolled to my back as she rocked onto my lap, straddling me away.
“Merry Christmas Eve!” She clapped her hands in glee.
The bewilderment slithered away, and I smiled. I grabbed her waist and she placed her palms against my pecs.
“Okay, so what should I expect to happen at this massive Christmas Eve party that the Duke’s are infamous for?” She smiled.
“Honestly?” I teased.
“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes and then sat up straight, stretching toward the ceiling. Her shirt rode up slightly, exposing her tummy, and my heart stopped, a shiver ran through me. She didn’t notice and rocked forward again, the hem of her pajama top catching above a small roll that formed, leaving a tiny pudge of her belly exposed.
And I was no longer able to focus on anything else. I wasn’t sure why that excited me so much, but it did. My stomach flipped, my mind racing. How easily I could pull her toward me and kiss her. Touch her.
Flexing my fingers, I squeezed her waist a little tighter, accentuating the roll.
Her gaze flickered down, following mine, and locked onto what I was staring at and desperately craving to touch. She inhaled quickly and shoved her hands in front of it. Trying to shove me away. Which only fueled my desire more.
“Don’t you dare,” I growled, grabbing her wrists and ripping them away from her body. “Don’t you dare hide yourself. It’s completely normal,” I said again, and she took a shaky breath. This time I didn’t care about restraining myself. If she was going to do something so foolish like try and cover up, I would do the opposite. Letting go of one of her wrists, I reached forward and unbuttoned the bottom button of her shirt.
She watched me as I slowly worked my way up, exposing more and more of her body. With each button that popped open, the fire roaring low in my stomach flamed hotter. Desire making me dizzy, her pouty lips making my head swim. Reaching the last button, I left it clasped, keeping her covered just enough.
Just enough to tease me with what I knew was beneath her pajama shirt.
To leave the final step her choice.
Her breath hitched, her eyes staring directly at my fingers. She remained still, frozen and unmoving, and I slid my hands beneath the fabric, running my fingers across her skin.
