“What?” his voice had gone from deep and powerful to terrified in no time.
“No, no. I’m fine . . . I just stopped breathing there for a while.”
His chest rumbled against my back when he laughed, and he bent to kiss my neck. “Okay, I’ll get you in your bed soon.”
He quickly cleaned us both up before turning the shower off and helping me out of the tub. Wrapping a towel around his hips, he grabbed another and wrapped it around my body before dipping down and lifting me into his arms.
“Oh my God! Put me down,” I laughed. “I can walk, I said I was fine.”
“I know you are, but I’m having more fun this way.”
He dropped me down onto my bed and crawled on after me. Pulling me close, he kissed me softly and settled down beside me.
“Where have I been, Maci?”
My suddenly heavy eyelids slowly blinked back open. “What do you mean?”
“Why did it take me so long to finally notice you . . . notice this?”
I studied his eyes for a few moments before finally lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t know; I’m just glad you did.”
With a soft smile and another lingering kiss, he pulled me into his chest and held me there as I drifted to sleep from the exhaustion of the last hour.
Three hours later, my stomach woke me up.
Connor cracked one eye open, and his lips tilted up into a smile. “Jesus, woman, was that you?”
“Mmm, don’t judge me. I didn’t have lunch today, I’m starving.”
“Well then, let’s feed you.” He jumped off the bed, and tried pulling me with him, but I forced my way back down.
“No, the bed is so comfy right now. I don’t wanna.”
One dark brow rose. “Are you about to fall in love with your pillows this time?”
I sat straight up, and didn’t even bother with the towel when it fell to my waist. “Fall in love with my pillows? As opposed to . . . ?”
Grabbing my hands, he pulled again, and this time I let him take me off the bed. “Let’s just say you’re a very affectionate drunk.”
My face fell into a look of what I’m sure was horror. “Oh no. What did I do? You still haven’t told me.”
“I’m not sure I remember. Do you want Chinese food?”
“Connor . . .”
“Pizza?”
My stomach rumbled again, but I was still glaring at him and wondering what I had done almost a week ago.
“Pizza it is. Come on.”
“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“Ha. Fuck no. I need to have something to hold over your head.”
“I’m going to punch you.”
He kissed my cheek quickly and pulled me into the hall. “I’m sure you will.”
Pulling on his jeans, he leaned back down to grab his shirt, and I stole it from his hands. When he looked up at me, his blue eyes were dark, and he began biting on his bottom lip as he watched me put it on. He reached for me, and I twisted away from his grasp.
“Hey, you were the one who wanted to get out of bed. This is what you have to deal with now.”
After another few seconds of shameless staring, he shook his head and grabbed my hand and dragged me into the kitchen. “You’re going to kill me, Maci. I have no doubt of that.”
Depositing me on my kitchen counter, he felt around in his pockets until he found his phone and pulled it out. After dialing the number and ordering a medium pepperoni, half with black olives on it, he positioned himself between my legs, and I just sat there shocked.
“How’d you know I wanted olives?”
“I may not have noticed you, sweetheart, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know you.”
I smiled and leaned into his next kiss, slowly putting my arms around his shoulders when his tongue began teasing mine.
“Holy f**king hell, you weren’t shitting!”
I jumped, and Connor gripped my body harder, pulling it closer into his chest like he was getting ready to protect me.
Turning my head, I huffed loudly and eyed Amber standing in the doorway. “Jesus, don’t you knock?”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Don’t you lock your door?”
“When I leave . . . but, f**k, you scared the hell out of me! What are you even doing here?”
“Considering I just ran into your brothers, and they asked where you were . . . I’m saving your lying ass.”
Both Connor’s and my body locked up. “Oh my God, I forgot to call you on my way home.” Looking back over to Connor, I explained, “That’s how I got away from them so fast. I said I had plans with Amber.”
Connor was still tense when he looked over my shoulder at Amber. “What did you tell them?”
“That you’d gotten a beer thrown on you and went home to change, because that’s kind of what I felt like doing to you when I realized you were using me as a cop out, and I didn’t even know about it.” She sat down on my couch, and I looked at her like she was insane.
“Um . . . I love you for saving me, but you’re kind of interrupting.”
She looked at her phone and then looked up at the ceiling as she counted on her fingers. “We’ve supposedly been together for four hours. I’m sure you’ve had more than enough time for me to interrupt, and I’m still saving you by not leaving your side in case they come to check on you.”
I looked up at Connor, and laughed lamely as I let my forehead fall onto his chest. “Christ. She’s really not going to leave, you might want to go get another shirt, because I’m not taking this one off.”