Page 20 of Reaper

I watch as she tiptoes around the room. She’s trying to be quiet and not wake me. I’m usually all for that. I fucking hate waking up to a woman in my bed. But I’m beyond pissed that Esme is trying to sneak out of her own damn bed.

"Esme," I say, my voice rough with sleep.

She stills, clutching her clothes to her body. "You're awake," she says softly. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

I sit up, hitting the lamp beside the bed. The room illuminates and I keep my gaze focused solely on her. "What's goin' on? You thinkin' of sneakin' out?"

Heat works its way up her cheeks. "Not at all," she lies. "I was going to get dressed and make some coffee."

I stare at her, my lips twitching as she looks anywhere but at me. "Esme," I say, this time unable to keep the humor from my voice.

She releases a heavy sigh. "Okay, I don't know what to do. I've never done this?" She places her hand over her eyes and snarls. "Can you cover up? Christ, Reaper, it's too damn early to see that beast."

I chuckle. "Beast?"

She glares at me, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Reaper," she cries. "For the love of God, cover your cock up."

"I'd much rather you covered it with your mouth," I quip as I reach for my jeans. "What's got you so uptight this mornin'?"

"I'm not uptight," she says, her voice once again soft. She ducks her head, though not before I see her cheeks heat once again.

"Sure," I say as I step closer to her. "Now, what do you mean you've never done this before?"

She shakes her head, releasing a frustrated sigh before pulling on her clothes. I don't move back from her. I have an idea as to what she's talking about, and if it's what I think, she's in for a surprise.

"Let's go have coffee," she tells me, her stance softening. She's no longer tense as a fucking bow.

I leave her be, knowing that no matter what, we're going to be having this conversation.

"Okay," she whispers as she takes a seat at the table a few minutes later. I take a sip of the water she handed me while she drinks her coffee. "This is beyond embarrassing. I've only ever been with Harry. I don't do one-night stands, Reaper. I don't know what to expect from them, nor do I even know how to feel."

"This ain't a one-night stand," I tell her. "Far fuckin' from it."

Her lips part and her eyes widen. "But?—"

"You're fuckin' fantastic in bed, honey. I know you're nowhere near ready for anything more than sex, and truth be told, I ain't either. I've got a fuckin' lot of baggage, Esme, a fuckin' ton of that shit. But I like you. You're sexy, cute, and phenomenal in bed. I'm goin' to need a repeat of last night."

Her cheeks tinge red, and she grins. "I'd like that. But I honestly can't do anything more than just sex, Reaper. I'm trying to find my feet after a long relationship."

"To an asshole," I state. "That fucker calls you or shows up, I expect you to call me, Esme. For as long as this lasts between us, you're mine, and I don't want that fuck to be around you."

She stares at me, her face slack and her mouth open. "Why?" she whispers. "Why would you want me to call you? Surely you'd want to be kept out of the drama. Hell, I want to be kept out of it."

I chuckle. She's so fucking cute. "Because that asshole has caused you to doubt everythin' you are. Not to mention, he's a fucking bastard. If he gets near you, he'll start spoutin' his bullshit again, and it's not somethin' I'll tolerate. So if he calls or stops by, you call me."

"Okay," she says, and I feel my chest settle. I hadn't realized it was tight until she said she'd call. Fuck, what is this woman doing to me?

"You ever need me, Es, just call."

She blinks, tears filling her eyes. "You make no sense to me," she confesses. "My entire life, only Seri has been at my side. No one would ask me to call them if I needed them."

I shake my head and get to my feet. "Then they're assholes, honey. I don't know what it is that we have but it's more than just a fuck. You understand that, right?"

She nods, seemingly a little shocked by it all. She stands, lifting her coffee cup with her.

"Good. Now, I’ve gotta go. I've got work to do. But I'll be back this evenin'."

She opens her mouth and then closes it, almost as if she wants to say something but can't. I get closer to her and slant my mouth against hers, cutting off any thought she had. She sinks against me. The kiss is chaste, but hard and filled with promise of what's to come later. I pull back, and she's still clinging to me, her breathing labored and her eyes filled with lust.

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