Page 75 of Playboy’s Purgatory

I don’t want to leave.

Even if she regrets inviting me up last night.

Even if she wishes I were gone when she opens her eyes.

An alarm that sounds like a fucking Chernobyl fall-out siren starts going off. Lara jolts awake, her limbs flying so suddenly that I tumble to the floor with a loud thump. I’m sure it’s barely audible over the cacophony.

“Holy shit. What the fuck is happening?” I’m not sure if I’m yelling or whispering.

In the next second, the alarm turns off. The silence that follows has an aura to it. It rings through the room. It’s almost like the air itself is thanking Lara for turning off the racket.

Lara’s head snaps around as I stand up and rub where my elbow hit the floor. She looks at me with wide eyes.

“You’re still here?”

“Why does that surprise you?” I know I sound defensive, but damn, my heart is still pounding in my chest from the shock of that alarm. “Has Sheriff Lyons never gotten complaints about your alarm? Holy shit,” I gasp and press a hand to my chest, “it sounded like I needed to look for the nearest bunker because nukes are about to make landfall.”

“It’s not that bad,” she grumbles.

When she looks down to find her tits out, which I was not minding, by the way, she grabs the sheet and clutches it against her chest. One side of my mouth tips into a smirk, but I don’t comment.

She can read it on my face though. I was enjoying the show.

Silence stretches between us, but it’s not as awkward as it could be. I guess I have her special brand of wake-up call to thank for that.

“Fine,” she wines and flops back on the bed. She waves her hand in a circular motion like it should be obvious. “With your road name and all, I figured you weren’t really the sleepover kind of guy.”

Maybe I should be offended, but it’s not like I can really deny it now. My road name isn’t an oxymoron like it is for some people.

“Fair point,” I admit with a chuckle as I sit back down on the bed.

“So, why did you stay?”

When I look into her eyes, there’s a softness there I haven’t seen before. Everything in me wants to grab hold of it, but I’m terrified of reaching for too much too fast.

“It looks like you were on your way.” She looks me over and sees exactly what there is to see given my half-dressed state.

“I was,” I admit because lying to her will do me no good. “I couldn’t do it.” My gaze travels to the door; it was right there. “The only reason I wanted to leave at all was because I was terrified that you’d wake up and regret last night.”

I don’t turn my head to look at her. I can’t.

The bed shifts and her fingers slide through my hair before she twists her body until she’s straddling my hips, sheet and all. One of my arms wraps around her, my palm sliding up her bare spine until I’m cradling the nape of her neck to hold her steady. Safe.

“You wanted to leave because you were afraid of me waking up and regretting having sex with you last night?” Her eyebrows pull together and the most adorable fucking crease forms right between them. “You weren’t just freaking out because you actually spent the night in bed, not just fucking, with a woman?”

The pout I give her is epic. “That’s just rude. You don’t need to say it like that with so much judgement.”

She laughs. She fucking laughs. When the sound gently fades, she shakes her head like I’m being silly.

Lara is completely clueless about what she does to me.

“I need to get ready for work,” there’s no real impetus to get moving in her tone.

I make a humming sound and stand up with her in my arms. “Drop the sheet,” my voice is rough and my cock is pissed that I put my jeans back on.

It was a mistake; I can see that now.

Lara’s eyes darken and she releases her death grip on it. When I arch an eyebrow, she rolls her eyes and pushes it out from between us. The moment we’re free, I stride into the bathroom and turn on the shower. After I set her down on the vanity, I grab a condom and shuck my jeans.