Teddy Bear Sir (The Sloan Brothers Book 3) by Jo Willow Page B

Pandora’s box she’d opened.  It was one of the “rules” I’d planned on discussing with her, but she’d refused to discuss road conditions - much less the rules of conduct at my parent’s house.  Now, she could live with the consequences just like I’d have to.  That would teach her.
     
    I took a cinnamon roll out of the warmer in case she denied me access ten minutes from now.  I was a coward, but I wasn’t a stupid coward.  I loved cinnamon rolls too.
    She watched me take my first bite and it must have shown on my face.  Because her grin was contagious.  When I whimpered, she knew she had me.
    “ We’re both in trouble.  Deep trouble.”
    Confusion clouded her grin.  She put the biscuits in the oven and started cleaning off the island before she spoke.
    “ They’re not good?  You look like you’re enjoying it...”
    “ Enjoying it?  How many did you make?”
    “ Three dozen.  You don’t think that’s enough?”
    I growled and finished my roll, quickly fetching another one.
    “ You put chocolate chips in them.”
    “ Is that not okay?  Is someone allergic to chocolate?”
    I couldn’t help but mumble, “I hope so.”
    She put her hands on her hips and came to stand in front of me.
    “ Pierce, focus.  You’re not making any sense babe.”
    She made chocolate chip cinnamon rolls and called me babe.  No one was around and she called me babe.  Progress indeed.
    The moment of truth.
    I put the cinnamon roll down and licked the icing from my fingers.  Then I put my hands on her hips and pulled her between my legs.  Her eyes widened before she put her hands on my shoulders.  I leaned over and kissed her in what was meant to be a sweet intro to the trouble I was getting ready to wreak.  Instead, she kissed me back and it turned into a cinnamon fueled hot mess.
    Her hands went into my hair and she tugged me closer.  I pulled her blouse from her jeans and put my hands on her skin.  She was warm and soft and I’d needed the contact for days.
    I didn’t want to break the contact, but I had to.  People would begin stirring any time now and we had to have this discussion while we had the privacy.
     
    I pulled back and placed my forehead against hers.  Her breathing was as choppy as mine and we both took a moment to grasp a thought or two.
    “ Pierce, do you not like the cinnamon rolls?”
    I chuckled and squeezed her hips tighter.
    “ Baby, the cinnamon rolls are perfect.  You’re perfect.  That’s what we have to discuss.”
    She knitted her brow and it accented the fatigue in her eyes.
    “ You haven’t been sleeping, have you?”
    “ Not well.  How about you?”
    “ I never sleep well anymore without you.”
    There.  The first honest, heartfelt sentiment we’d shared in days that didn’t contain an insult.  She looked at the collar of my sweater and it made me remember how young and relatively innocent this angel in my arms was.  She had a bite to her, but for the most part, Ayla was the optime of a sweetheart.
    Ever feel conflicted?  I don’t mean the kind of conflicted where you do something bad and you know it’s bad, but you also think it’s the right thing to do.  No.  I mean, have you ever felt like you’re staring at the one thing you know you can’t live without, and yet you also know you should probably run as fast as you can away from it?  I need control in my life and she snatches that away from me as if it’s a matter of course.  She doesn’t even try half the time.  I’m close to her and bam.  Control?  Gone.
    Case and point...
    “ God I love you Ayla.”
    What.  The.  Fuck.
    Her eyes grew huge at my surprising admission.  No more huge than my own, I’m sure, and I had no idea where that came from.  It popped out when I wasn’t thinking.  And that, my friends, is why I should run from this woman and keep on running.
    I felt her tremble as I watched her tongue flick across her bottom lip.  I thought about sneaking her upstairs for