Blue Lines(61)

When he reached the bed, his shirt was hanging wide open, displaying his six-pack abs and yummy tattoos. He looked right at her as he reached down to pull the bedding away from her and her Kindle went flying.

“Hey!” she protested but she went quiet when he took hold of her thighs and dragged her to the edge of the bed. Once there, he stopped and looked down at her stomach. “Erik?”

He looked up at her face and then back down at her stomach, which was peeking out from underneath her shirt. He reached down and she jumped when he pulled her shirt up, almost to her breasts to place his hand on her exposed flesh. He sat there for a moment, his eyes locked on her stomach as Piper’s chest rose and fell quickly and her heart beat out of control. She didn’t know what he was doing and she was a little freaked-out. Thinking that maybe he was waiting for the baby to kick, she said, “It’s probably sleeping.”

“You’re wearing my shirt.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“I left it for a reason.”

“You did?” she asked.

“Yeah, I wanted to leave a part of me behind,” he said and then he looked up at her again, whispering, “This is my baby?”

Piper was a little taken back by the questions and also confused by the previous statement. She nodded and said, “Yes.”

“Okay, don’t have sex with anyone else, okay?”

Where the hell did that come from?

“I don’t plan on it.”

He nodded and then crawled over her, his hot body touching hers as he cuddled into the spot beside her.

“Okay, good, okay. I’m sorry I grabbed your thighs,” he muttered into her bare side.

“It’s okay.”

He nodded again and then whispered, “I bet you hate me, huh?”

Her heart softened as her body relaxed. She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her and then moved a piece of hair out of his eyes. “No, not entirely.”

“I’m an asshole.”

Piper giggled as she rolled her eyes. “Sometimes, but I know how to handle you.”

“You’re a good person, really kind,” he whispered as his arm snaked over her thighs, pulling her closer to him. She allowed him to because she wanted to be held by him. Knowing he probably wouldn’t remember any of what was happening tomorrow, she whispered, “I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. See the kindness I see in you, see how much you fight it. I wish you could see how much I love you. All of you.”

She would never have the lady balls to say that to his face because of the inevitable rejection, but she could say it to him in his drunken state. It was actually easier than she thought it would be, especially when the answer she received was a loud snore. She couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He was by far the biggest pain in her ass, but she loved him. All of him.

Looking down at him, she smiled as he drooled all over the bed.

Well, that was interesting.

* * *

The next morning Piper was lying in the same spot as when Erik had fallen asleep. She liked the way his hot body warmed hers. She had only gotten up twice in the night to use the bathroom and retrieve her Kindle, but he never moved. He also didn’t stop snoring, which she knew for a fact was not the way he usually slept, so she chalked that up to him being really drunk.

With her Kindle resting against her belly, she was well into her book when he finally stirred. She watched as he stretched out his body like a cat before looking up at her. His brow shot up when he saw her, then looked down to see all he was wearing were his dress slacks.

“Well, good morning, sunshine,” she said. “Have a nice sleep?”

He nodded and she could see that he was extremely confused.

“Yeah. Why am I in the bed with you?”

She smiled and said, “Because after manhandling my thighs and poking my tummy, you crawled over me and passed out. You’re a big dude; there was no moving you.”

Erik paused, his eyes wide as he looked around the room. “I manhandled you?”

“Yup, but don’t worry. You didn’t hurt me.”

He let out the breath he must have been holding as he nodded. “Oh thank God,” he murmured as he ran his hand down his face. “I had a lot to drink and then Phillip pissed me off.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he’s an asshole,” he said with a shake of his head. “Anyway, sorry about that. Was I mean?”

“No, not at all.”

“Okay, good,” he said. Still rubbing his face, he peeked at her through his fingers. “I’ve been looking for that shirt.”

Piper smiled. “According to you, you left it at my house for a reason.”

He looked away quickly before saying, “I poked your stomach?”