Defending Everly (Mountain Mercenaries, #5)(62)

She grinned as she passed him and disappeared up the stairs toward his room with Everly’s bag.

Everly came up beside him, shaking her head. “Guess she’s good.”

“Guess so.”

Everly wrapped her arm around him and pulled him toward the stairs. “Come on. You look dead on your feet.”

He was, but not so dead that his dick didn’t twitch in his pants at the thought they’d soon be lying together in his bed. Telling himself to chill out, Ball let her lead him up the stairs.

“Are you going to let me look at your wound?” she asked.

Ball immediately shook his head. If she saw it, she’d get worked up, and they’d never get any sleep. “Not tonight. It’s fine for now. When we get up, you can help me clean it.”

She sighed but didn’t protest. That was another thing Ball liked about Everly. She didn’t always insist on having her way all the time. Holly was the queen of getting her own way.

“I’m going to go find Elise and make sure she’s good. Then I’ll change,” Everly said, gesturing to the bathroom. “Okay?”

“Of course,” Ball told her. He wondered what she’d say if he requested she change right there in front of him, but decided not to push his luck. She disappeared out into the hall, and a few minutes later she returned and headed for the bathroom. Ball quickly removed his dirty jeans and shirt. He stripped off his boxers and put on a fresh pair, and then pulled on a T-shirt just as Everly came back into the room. He normally slept in nothing but his boxers, but he didn’t want Everly to worry about his wound. And if she saw the bandage, she’d worry.

She looked adorable in her pajamas. Her hair was in disarray on her head, and he wanted nothing more than to muss it even further.

Telling himself to cool it, Ball strode toward her, kissed her on the forehead, and went into the bathroom behind her without a word.

He brushed his teeth and washed his face, not bothering to shave since he’d done so not too long ago.

The view that met his gaze when he went back into his bedroom made him stop in his tracks.

Everly had turned off all the lights except for the one on the nightstand next to his side of the bed. She was under the covers, and all he could see was her shoulders and her hair spread out on his pillow. She looked nervous, but so exactly right, he almost couldn’t breathe for a second.

“Ball?”

Without a word, he came toward the bed. He lifted the covers and slid in. The sheets were cool against his skin, but the second he came in contact with her body, warmth engulfed him. He turned her and pressed his chest to her back.

They both sighed.

“I’ve missed this,” he told her softly.

“Me too.”

Ball kissed her shoulder and finally let himself fully relax. He’d been on alert for more than four days now. But the second he closed his eyes and inhaled Everly’s familiar scent, he was a goner.

He should’ve checked on Elise, made sure she was settled in all right and didn’t need anything.

In the past, he’d also lie in bed after a mission and go over it in his head. But tonight . . .

rather, this morning . . . his body immediately shut down after he gathered Everly into his arms.

She was here. With him. In his bed. All was right in his world.





Chapter Thirteen

Everly wasn’t sure what woke her. She’d been sleeping like the dead. Hadn’t slept as deep and as hard as she had the night before in years.

Something tickled her neck.

Her eyes popped open, and she was moving before she thought about what was going on. She heard a grunt but ignored it as she fought to get out from under the covers.

The morning light coming through the curtains made it easy enough to see where she was . . .

and who she was with.

Panting, she stood next to the bed and stared down at Ball—who was lying there with one hand over his nose, staring back at her.

Awareness found her all at once. She was at Ball’s house. In his room. In his bed.

And she’d just hit him in the face.

“Holy shit, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” she asked, climbing back onto the mattress and reaching for him.

The second she did, he lunged, and before she knew it, Everly was flat on her back once again.

“Where was I?” he murmured.

“Ball! Did I hurt you?”

“No,” he said, then lowered his head to nuzzle at her neck once more.

“Seriously, Ball. I’m so sorry. I woke up disoriented and felt you touching me and panicked.”

“It’s okay, Ev,” he said.

She shivered as his lips caressed her vulnerable neck. Goose bumps broke out on her arms.

“Ball?”

“Mmmm?” He didn’t stop his exploration, and now his hand got into the action as well.

Sliding under the sleeve of her T-shirt so he could touch her skin, he brushed his fingertips against her shoulder even as his lips closed around her earlobe.

“I should check on Elise,” Everly said, holding back the moan that threatened to escape by sheer force of will.

“She’s fine,” Ball mumbled. “She’ll still be sleeping.”

“What time is it?”

“Don’t know.”

“Ball!”