Page 42 of The Vows We Keep

I like her strength.

Her composure.

But most of all, I love the sight of her ass as she crawls onto my bed and slips those long legs beneath the covers.

I set a two-hour timer on my phone, then strip down to my boxer briefs.

The sheets are cool as I climb in between them. “Come here,” I say, pulling Catalina into my arms.

“I thought we were napping,” she grumbles, but is malleable in my arms. I turn her onto her side so I can tug her to my chest.

Something eases behind my ribs as she settles against me, as the smooth skin of her legs slides against my own and her firm ass settles against my cock. My arms wrap around her.

“We are. Close your eyes, Cat. I’ve got you.”

And within minutes, we’re both sound asleep.

13

CATALINA

When I open my eyes, it takes me a couple of minutes to figure out where I am. The sheets don’t feel like my own, and they don’t smell like them either. It’s dark, while I always leave my own windows and curtains open so I can be greeted by fresh air and daylight.

Niro.

The name whooshes into my brain like a high-speed train that’s out of control. There’s force behind it.

I sit up and rub my hands over my face.

A nap.

He told me we needed to nap. And by the way I feel right now, groggy and out of sorts, I napped like a campeona.

I blow out a long breath when I realize I’m alone and move to the edge of the bed. The floor is cool beneath my feet as I stand. The room is ... not exactly messy ... just haphazard. There’s a sketchbook with what looks like an exceptional half-finished tattoo. Two piles of receipts and invoices sit on the desk, and two piles of clothes sit next to it ... not sure what the difference is, beyond the socks looking cleaner in one pile versus the other.

I pull my clothes back on, and just as the hoodie glides over my head, the door opens.

Niro steps in holding two steaming cups of something I quickly identify as coffee thanks to the nutty smell. “I wondered where you were.”

“Sorry. I wanted to wake you with coffee.”

I reach for one of the mugs. “Mission accomplished; I don’t usually wake up properly without a caffeine hit.”

As I blow on the surface, Niro watches my lips. It’s impossible to deny he flips my switch in ways Felipe never did. I think it’s his masculinity. If I’m honest, for all the times I’ve snatched my hand away from his today, something settled deep inside me when he held me firmly and led us. I liked the way he talked dirty and delivered. And I especially liked those moments when I felt protected and safe.

When he stripped the previous night, I studied his tattoos thoroughly. They cover every inch of his muscular body. I want to ask him what they all mean. Who is thewein hisWe Found Wonderlandtattoo? Why the ocean theme on one arm? And what’s his connection to the red and brown maple leaves that flutter over his shoulder?

I wonder what it says about me that I find the scar hot. When he kissed me, I loved the way the small ridge crossing his lip felt when I ran my tongue over it.

He’s odd ... no, he’s different. I can’t explain it. Forthright. Unemotional one minute, then highly emotional the next.

“Why did you almost hit Spark earlier? In the kitchen?” I ask.

Niro tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “Because he called you a bitch and I didn’t like it.”

“Thought it was brothers before others.”

Niro grins. “It is. King just asked me to go take care of something for the club. I’m headed out with Bates. I’ll drop you off at my place on the way.”