Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Sunlight made my eyelids seem far too bright, even though they were closed tightly. Good Lord, what time is it?

Groaning, I rolled over and reached for my phone.

My hand hit something warm and solid instead. What the hell?

I drew my hand back slowly and opened one eye.

Kirby was sprawled out next to me, his face less than a foot away from mine. I opened my other eye. The smile lines around his eyes were softer, his expression peaceful, and I studied him, memorized the way everything about him was unguarded.

“It’s creepy when you stare at someone when they are asleep, Merry,” Kirby spoke with a gravely tone. “Go back to sleep.” He rolled over and laid a heavy arm across my chest.

“Move, you’re heavy.” I tried to lift his arm, but he was lying on his stomach and his arm didn’t exactly bend backwards.

“It’s just my arm, you’re fine. Go to sleep.” He pulled up the covers and pulled me in closer. His body was so warm, so inviting. I dozed, even as part of my brain tried to register that I was sleeping next to Kirby.

Basically cuddling.

And I liked it.

It was a sweet middle ground between sleep and awake. I rolled to my side and paused. My body was pressed up against Kirby… only Kirby.

As in, there was nothing between us. No blankets, no clothes.

“Holy shit, you’re naked,” I whispered, freezing in place.

“Holy shit, you’re really slow in the mornings. You’re naked too. Go back to sleep.”

“Wait… why am I naked? Why Kirby?” I thought back over last night. It was kind of blurry, I remember losing at cards…

“Kirby?” I asked, my heart starting to pound. I didn’t sleep with him… did I?

“Lass, if I’d bedded ye, you’d not be wondering.” He heaved a deep sigh, rose up on one arm, and regarded me. “Give me a little credit.”

“So we didn’t…?”

“No. But…” He grinned, his gaze raking across the quilt covering my body. “You were right about one thing…”

I swallowed. Oh no. “What?”

He leaned in. “You don’t snore. You do purr. Like a freaking lion.”

“Shit, you freaked me out! I told you I purr!” I grabbed the pillow from under him and smacked him with it.

“Yeah well… let’s just say I get it now.”

“Pain in my ass.”

He chuckled, then smacked me in the head with the pillow.

“Fine, we’re even.”

“Not even close.” He rose from bed and walked to the bathroom. “Oh, and check your phone. It’s been ringing like crazy, and I finally silenced it.”

“When did you silence my phone?” When did it ring for that matter? I must have slept really hard.

“Mid purr.” He gave me one final and glorious view of his naked body and then closed the door.

I bit my lip. Even with the mild headache starting to pulse through my head, I was still more than tempted to blame it on the whisky and meet him in the shower.

I took a deep breath and got out of bed. First thing I pulled my clothes from the dryer and put them on, then searched for my phone.

I pressed the home button and my phone was lit up with green missed calls and texts.

All from Roxi.

I shot her a quick text.

Me: Alive.

She wrote back immediately

Roxi: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU AND WHY AREN’T YOU ANSWERING YOUR PHONE!

I was not telling her that story.

Me: Nothing. Sorry. What’s up?

The little bubble popped up. Then disappeared. I waited. Then my phone rang. Without paying attention, I answered the call.

Then realized it was a face time request.

Damn!

The camera didn’t lie and I looked like hell.

“Meredith!” Roxi shouted once the line connected.

“Hi?” I gave a sad little wave.

“Whoa… what happened to you? Are you okay? Where are you? This doesn’t look like your hotel.”

“I know, I’m… sightseeing?” It was too early to think of a believable lie.

“Where?” She asked slowly, her gaze raking across the background.

“It doesn’t matter—”

“What the… who is that?”

My heart stopped. No. Anything but—

“Merry! Pull your arse from bed!”

I closed my eyes.

“He’s hot… and naked. Way to go girl! Get some!” Roxi wagged her eyebrows.

“Roxi?” Kirby’s voice took on a strange edge, and I heard him hit the deck. “Merry for the love of all that’s holy tell me you’re doing speaker phone and not face time,” Kirby whispered softly.

“Kirby?” Roxi’s face clouded with confusion. “Why do I hear Kirby’s voice…”

My cheeks heated with anticipation.

Kirby swore.

“Holy. Shit.” Roxi paled, her hand covering her mouth as she turned a pale green accented by her red nail polish.

“Uh…” I started, not sure of how to even begin.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Roxi croaked. “I just saw Kirby’s—”

“Hey!” Kirby yelled, interrupting her.

“Meredith, why… why is Kirby walking around naked and why aren’t you freaking out?” I could see the pieces falling together.

“I’m not sleeping with him!” I shouted, then promptly dropped the phone.

“Smooth,” Kirby called out from his position on the floor.

“Thanks.” I pointed to the dryer and Kirby nodded and rushed after his clothes.

“Meredith? Are you there? And please tell me if I’m going to be seeing Kirby’s ass again. Give me a chance to close my eyes. Dear Lord I can’t unsee that! Agh!”

“Sorry, I dropped the phone.” I picked it up and took a deep breath. “Roxi, I’m not sleeping with Kirby.”

“Yes you are!” Kirby shouted from his position by the dryer and away from Roxi’s view.

“What?” I shouted, spinning toward him.

“We totally slept together last night. You purred.”

“I-I-I, no. No we didn’t.” I turned to Roxi.

“I’m… really confused.” Roxi blinked. “Not that I’m against it. I actually always kind of suspected something but… you… you hate each other.”

Kirby’s arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back against him. “Makes the sex that much hotter.” He kissed my head and walked away.

“There’s no sex.” Why was Kirby doing this?

Wait! Had he lied? Had I actually slept with him last night?

Damn it all, stupid whisky I couldn’t remember!

“Well, uh, good for you guys!” Roxi smiled, small at first then it grew. “This is actually perfect. I mean, one of them worked.”

“Huh?”

“You know, the guys. All these guys that were supposed to be perfect, idyllic, the alphas… one of them worked. Never thought it would be Kirby…” She shuddered delicately. “But to each his own.”

“But we’re not…”

“I’m glad for you Meredith. I mean, it’s been at least two years since you had any sort of relationship… and Kirby—”

“See you later, Roxi, I need her right now.” Kirby pressed the red button to end the call and took the phone, tossing it on the bed.

“Care to tell me what that was all about?”

He regarded me, his blue eyes icy, then melting into something softer, warmer. He opened his mouth, took a step toward me. “No.” He tugged my hand toward the bathroom. “Clean up, let’s get some breakfast.” He pushed me into the small room and closed the door, leaving me more than confused.

I glanced in the mirror; thankfully, it was much better than last night after the water fight. I washed my face, brushed my teeth with my finger, and smoothed my hair into a ponytail, all the while distracted by the parallel universe I seemed to have awakened in.

“You done yet?”

“I’ll be done when you quit being annoying.”

It was silent for a moment. “I’m going to need rent then, if you plan on moving in here.”

“Smart ass. I’m done.”

“Finally.”

I opened the door and before I had taken a step Kirby was holding my hand, leading me toward the door.

And of all the weird things that had happened that morning, the strangest was that Kirby was holding my hand.

And it didn’t scare me at all.