Bring Me Home ✔

Collateral Damage: Part 12

Juliet could see the exhaustion in Matthew as she surveyed him in her periphery. His eyelids hung low, and his movements were tense as he leaned forward to grab another slice of pizza from the nearly empty box on the corner of her bed. The show that softly hummed through the television filled the otherwise silent bedroom, but she was unaware of what was playing, distracted by the perfect man next to her.

He had just flown back that afternoon, and she was sure any sleep he may have gotten on the plane did little for him. Having him so close after a week and a half away was like breathing in fresh air after being trapped in a burning room full of smoke. Her body relaxed, and her mind finally cleared of any of the stresses that had been with her. She didn't care about money, the progression of her book, or her new job. All she cared about at that moment in time was the man next to her, and the exhaustion that radiated off of him.

Juliet watched as he licked the tips of his fingers free of any grease before he adjusted to lean back against the pillow, his eyes still glued to the television. Something seemed to be eating at him, but when she tried to ask him about his trip, he was vague and turned the conversation back to her. It was clear that he didn't want to talk about work. She had accepted that and stopped, just happy that he had come to her instead of going home to sleep after such a taxing trip.

When soft snoring filled the room, she turned her head to the man in her bed and watched with a small smile as his chest rose and fell gracefully beneath his black long sleeve shirt. Juliet waited a few minutes to be certain that he was fully asleep before she stood to throw away the pizza box in the kitchen.

For a moment, she questioned if she should wake him so he could get more comfortable, but one glance at the peaceful expression on his face had her turning off the lights and television before she crawled under the covers next to him.

Juliet let out a small moan of annoyance as the stream of sunlight hit her face where it came in through the window the next morning. She looked down at the arm that was draped over her torso and smiled when she saw that his long sleeve shirt was gone. Their legs were intertwined under the covers, and she couldn't help but feel giddy. At some point in the night, he had woken, but instead of leaving, he had taken off his shirt and had gotten under the covers with her. It made her immensely happy, and she laid content in his arms for a few moments more before he began to stir.

Matthew let out a small growl of approval as he woke and tightened his hold on her. The sound went right to her core and caused her toes to curl.

"Good morning, Red." He said as he pulled his arm back a small distance and let his fingertips dance across her exposed hip where her tank top had ridden up in her sleep. "This is nice."

"Good morning." Juliet replied as she rolled over to face him. The weariness from the night before was gone from his face as she looked him over. The stubble on his chin was short again, and she admired the tan that kissed his cheeks. Her fingers had minds of their own as they danced along his jawline before they had moved up to trace his lips. Sparks ran down her arm as his mouth pursed to leave a gentle kiss across the tip of each finger.

"What are your plans for today?" She asked breathlessly as she focused on the hazel eyes that watched her. It took everything in her not to look down at the muscular, bare chest before her. As if he could hear her thoughts, Juliet felt him pull her in even farther until she was flush against his bare torso. A smirk spread across his face as redness filled her cheeks, and he placed a kiss to her forehead.

"I have to go into the office to report back my findings, and then I was wondering if I could take you out tonight?" His eyes scanned her face searching for an answer as she continued to walk her fingers across his stubble. She nodded with a small smile before she wiggled to look over his shoulder at the time. Like clockwork, her alarm began to beep repeatedly to wake her for the day.