It was the smile. It was that damn, sexy smile. Then he had the audacity to kiss the tip of her nose.
“I’m going to do so many naughty things to you, Miss Eastman. Just not right now.”
“Fine.” She sighed. “I’m holding you to that. I’m betting you know a lot more than I do.”
“I’m not going to take that bet.” He settled her closer. “Now close your eyes, Sweetheart.”
She did. The last thought she had is how safe she felt in Drake’s arms.
Chapter Eleven
Drake woke breathing in the beauty and warmth that was Karen. Damn he hurt, but that was secondary. Thirdary was getting that asshole relative Huey. Fourthary was having another conversation with his dad because something had finally solidified in his mind, while he was sleeping. Fifthary is that he needed to stop saying ‘ary.'
Karen stretched, and he was back to the first most important thing. The woman smelled, looked, and felt wonderful. He’d never had a thing for redheads, and here he was in love with one.
How in the hell could it be love so fast? He played through different moments, like hearing her lie to those assholes and say she didn’t know where Piper was when they were beating her. That memory still humbled and terrified him. Seeing her with Bella. Having her hold her own with Evie. But shit, was it really any of those things, or was it just those first few seconds and knowing she was the one?
“Drake? How do you feel?”
“Pretty damn awesome. The question is, how do you feel?”
“I got to sleep with sex-on-a-stick, I’m feeling pretty good myself.” She grinned up at him.
He bracketed her with both arms and stared down. “Sex-on-a-stick, huh? I like that.” He considered kissing her but knew if he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop. She didn’t look fragile this morning. She looked feisty.
“I’ve got to get up,” he peered out the window. It was still snowing.
She twisted her head to look. “Is the snow good or bad?”
“We’ll make it work to our advantage. But it could have slowed down the DEA agents. I need to check on Aiden.” He looked at his watch and winced. He’d been sleeping for five hours. None of the alarms in the house had gone off. That also meant that nobody was home from the hospital. He would have thought that Mason would have been back by now.
“Come on, let’s get going.”
When they got downstairs, everyone was at breakfast except for Aiden. That included Mason, Evie, and Darius. Drake scowled. Evie looked guilty.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?” Mason immediately asked as he looked between the brother and sister.
“Evie knew the protocol. When we’re in residence somebody isn’t allowed to just key into the gate, there is also a buzzer that requires somebody inside the house to allow them in. It’s a double security, that was apparently overridden last night.” Drake glowered at Evie.
“You needed to nap,” she said crossing her arms over her chest.
“You don’t fuck with the security.”
“You needed to nap, Mason said so,” she insisted.
“We can’t jeopardize people’s lives because I need a damn nap!”
“He’s right, Evie,” Mason said. “I actually wondered about that when she keyed us into the Chalet this morning.”
“Thank God you thought better of me than that.”
“How about you thank Evie for staying up all night, and then cooking your favorite breakfast?” Trenda asked as she handed Drake his niece.
Drake smiled down at Bella and realized he couldn’t continue to bitch at Evie without upsetting his niece who was grinning. She was holding a biscuit in her jelly covered hand. He noted that Piper’s sweatshirt had a small jelly handprint on the front of it. Nobody was immune.
“Can I get a bite?”
She carefully pulled off a corner and dropped the piece in Drake’s mouth.
“Karen and Drake, why don’t you sit down, and help yourself. Evie’s been slaving away.”
“Oh cut it out, Trenda. I can take my lumps. Drake was right, I was out of line. You made most of the breakfast.”
Drake laughed. Evie always led with her chin, she wasn’t going to hide behind anyone. “I appreciate you trying to take care of me, Evie. Thanks. And thanks for the biscuits and gravy.”
Evie brightened. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Karen’s impressed expression. He felt like preening. But he also noticed she hadn’t sat down. When he lifted his eyebrow to ask why, she just continued to stand there, smiling at him with that kindergarten teacher smile. Dammit, he’d forgotten to introduce her to Mason. He adjusted Bella on his hip and put his arm around Karen.