Page 15 of Mountain Man's Bride
She laughed a little before slowly making her way to her side of the bed. She was wearing a pair of sleep shorts and a cami, and one peek at her chest told me she wasn’t wearing a bra. Swallowing thickly, I quickly focused my eyes back on her face, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable than she already was.
She blew out a soft breath before pulling back the covers and slipping into bed, settling right on the edge. I grunted but let it be. Maybe she’d begin to get tired and fall asleep. Then, I could gentle tug her further onto the mattress.
Rolling over, I turned off the lamp before going back onto my side, facing her. Her back was to me, her dark hair spread over the pillow. She still hadn’t relaxed, and her breathing indicated she was anxious, which meant she wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon.
I bit back a groan. I wasn’t sure if too little sleep had a negative affect on her diabetes, but I wouldn’t risk it.
Grunting, I scooted a little closer and then hooked my arm over her abdomen, yanking her to me. She squeaked in alarm, her body tensing even more.
“Relax,” I murmured into her hair, curling my body around hers. “You need sleep, sweetheart, and frankly, so do I. Today was a long day.”
I brushed my hand over her belly, up and down in a slow, soothing motion, and before long, she was relaxing back into me. She didn’t say anything about the problem I was currently having below, which I was thankful for. It wasn’t like I could help it. She was beautiful and soft, and I was insanely attracted to her.
“Goodnight, sweetheart,” I whispered into her hair, tightening my hold on her.
“Night,” she mumbled, her words filled with sleep—husky and raspy, which didn’t help my current predicament.
I closed my eyes and rested my chin on the top of her head, falling asleep with her wrapped up in my arms.
It was the best night’s rest I could ever remember having.
CHAPTER 9
Everlee
Tripp was already out of bed, his spot cold, when I woke up the next morning, but that didn’t mean I still didn’t feel the remnants of his arms wrapped around me. He’d been so bold, pulling me into his arms last night, but admittedly, I’d had the best night’s sleep I’d ever had.
Jesse smiled at me when I emerged from the bedroom, freshly showered and wearing a pair of jeans with a knit sweater. “Good morning,” he greeted. “You ready to eat? I just finished up breakfast.”
I nodded, taking a seat at the dining room table. He placed a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs, bacon, and pancakes in front of me while I began checking my blood sugars and giving myself a bolus. I still felt like I was being babysat, but I kept my mouth shut about it. I didn’t like it, but I also knew I’d terrified Tripp when I seized on the hallway floor. He was doing what he thought was best for me, and when I pushed aside how irritable I was about constantly being watched over, his concern was sweet and warmed me up inside.
“Looks like we’ve got snow in the forecast,” Jesse told me as we were finishing up breakfast. He was looking at his phone, and he turned the screen toward me, showing me his weather app. “Have you ever seen snow before?”
“No,” I breathed, my eyes brightening at the prospect. Miami didn’t get snow. In fact, it rarely ever got cold. “Do you think we could go outside while it’s snowing?”
He chuckled, setting his phone down and picking up his cup of coffee. “We can go outside once you finish your breakfast, if you want. Fresh air is good for you anyway, and the exercise probably wouldn’t hurt.”
I quickly finished my breakfast, and after helping Jesse wash the dishes and put them away, he put me in one of Tripp’s jackets. It swallowed me, and I protested, but when he opened the door, I was glad he’d ignored me. Because holy crap, it was cold! The temperature had basically dropped overnight.
Winter clothes were about to become a necessity.
“Oh, my God,” I breathed as we stepped outside. Jesse took a pair of gloves from his pocket and placed them on my hands before shoving his own hands into his jacket pockets. “Don’t you need gloves?” I asked him, a frown pulling at my lips.
He chuckled. “Tripp would kill me if I didn’t bundle you up correctly.” He grabbed the edges of the hood on the jacket I was wearing and pulled it up. “Keep that hood up.”
We headed down the porch and began to walk to the stables, and just as we were halfway there, a light snow began to fall. I squealed, bouncing on my toes as I looked up at the sky. One of the snow flakes fell on my lashes, and another hit my nose, instantly melting.
“Hey!” Tripp called, heading down the hill toward us on horseback. I raised my arm and shook my wrist, making the sleeve fall down some so I could shake my hand. When he was in front of us, he quickly dismounted, smiling at me. “First snow?”
I nodded. “It’s so magical,” I whispered.
He chuckled. “It’s magical until you’re stuck in a blizzard,” he commented, looking up at the sky before focusing his attention back on me. “Fancy a horseback ride?”
I nodded, looking over at Jesse. “You don’t mind if I ditch you, do you?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “No. Spend time with your husband.” He winked when my cheeks darkened. It still felt both weird and really good to think of Tripp as my husband, even if everything had been rocky thus far. “I’ll go catch up with Nash,” he told Tripp before resuming his walk to the stables.
Tripp grabbed my hand in his and Brewer’s reins in the other before leading me back to the house. “Doesn’t Jesse need his gloves?” I asked Tripp.