Free Banged Up by Jeanne St James

him.
    But he admitted to himself he was relieved when Colby returned with a glass of water. She grabbed the pills from his dresser and, after reading the label, gave him two.
    She sat down by his side and waited until the spasms subsided.
    A few minutes later, Mace unclenched his jaws enough to thank her.
    “Do you need me to help you undress?”
    “No. I think you’ve helped me enough,” he snapped. He instantly regretted his tone when she made a little wounded sound. He grabbed her hand, halting her escape. “Colby, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself. I appreciate the help you’ve given me. I would love for you to take my clothes off,” and see you with your shirt off again; I would love to suck and lick your breasts, those nipples, “but not right now. Not in this type of situation. I hope we would both enjoy it a lot more.” Mace still felt like a heel. He didn’t want her to leave him just yet. “Please. Stay with me a little while.” He patted the bed next to him. “Lie next to me.”
    Colby looked at him skeptically.
    “Come on. I’m harmless right now and it’ll make me feel better.”
    “Just for a little while,” she said, carefully lying down next to him. She lay in the crook of his arm, her head on his chest.
    This woman felt so right in his arms. She was so warm and soft. Perfect.
    His breathing deepened, and before he knew it he was asleep.
    ———
    Mace jerked awake. A heavy weight pressed down on his chest. His hand automatically moved to push it off, but connected with hair. And skin. Warm, smooth skin.
    He turned his head toward the alarm clock on the nightstand. 12:15. He wiggled his fingers into the plait of her braid and he heard Colby sigh in her sleep. The room was dark, but he didn’t remember turning off the light. Had she? Had she gotten up and turned it off and still felt comfortable enough with him to cuddle up next to him? She had to have gotten up at some point. Her hair was back in the tight, controlled braid of hers.
    Oh, yeah. Her still being in his room meant she was definitely more at ease around him. He didn’t mind the dark. Lose one sense and the others make up for it. He might not be able to see her, but he could feel her and smell her sweet scent.
    Her head was settled on his chest, her hot breath going in and out of her parted lips.
    It rustled the hairs around his nipple, making it pebble and tighten. Suddenly he was very aware of where the rest of her body was. Her shoulder was tucked under his armpit and her breasts were pushed into his left side. Her lower body was away from his legs, probably to not cause him any further pain in his thigh.
    She had one arm draped over his bare waist, her hand resting on his right hip. He reached over and stroked her arm from shoulder to fingertip. He grasped her fingers and slid her palm over his bare lower stomach, letting it settle on the V of hair inversely rising out of his cut-offs. Her fingers twitched in her sleep and he was suddenly very, very hard.
    And crooked. He adjusted himself which brought the head of his cock so close to her fingers. So close.
    His left arm was draped behind her and he brushed his fingers along the small of her back, dipping them into the gap between her shorts and her skin. He spread his fingers until he brushed the tips along the top of where her ass cheeks met. He was so tempted to stroke along its crevice until he found her tight hole. He would guess it had never been touched by any man. Instead, he traced the skin along the edge of her waistband to the front. To her soft belly. He circled his thumb around her navel. And with the third pass, he stretched the rest of his fingers out. They were long enough to slide between her shorts and panties. His fingertips brushed against the thin elastic band—he wondered if they were pink satin.
    Colby shifted, and her breathing quickened. It felt like little puffs of steam crossing his skin; a telltale sign she