Sleep Tight (Best Friend Series Book 3)

by C. M. Steele

  “It’s time to go to sleep,” I said with a smile on my face. From the look on her face she didn’t believe me. I wondered if she didn’t know that I came, too.

  She raised her brow and pushed her lips out and stared at me like I was lying. “I’d believe you if your other half wasn’t shaking his head in disagreement and pointing right at me.”

  “Woman, I said we’re going to sleep. He’s just going to have to deal with it.” I wanted to come in her so bad. Hell, I’d like to come on her, but since she was new to all this on the bed was enough. I didn’t want to scare her when her body was covered in my cum.

  I laid beside her and tossed the covers over us. My arms wrapped around her body, her back to my front, and she pressed herself against me. I wanted more, but I would probably go too far. My cock was resting against her ass, already throbbing for more. It was taking all my will power to not slip my cock between those creamy thighs and take what was mine. But I liked my privacy, and a house full of people wasn’t how I wanted to lose my virginity.

  “Goodnight, beautiful,” I whispered, kissing her neck.

  “Goodnight, Pearce,” she said sleepily.

  It took a while for me to fall asleep with my hard cock against her round ass, but when I did, it felt so perfect.

  Chapter 6

  I woke up to my Lynne's limbs wrapped around me, her hair sprawled across my shoulder and her mouth on my scar. I heard Dexter's telltale scratching at my door, so I knew he needed to go for a walk. This early meant a walk in the yard, but I wanted some alone time with Lynne, so we'll take a stroll.

  "Love, wake up. I want you to come with me while I walk the dog,” I said.

  She panicked, jumping up and almost tumbling off the bed. My hands cupped her ass, keeping her from hitting the floor.

  "What an eloquent escape," she sighed. I knew she was playing off the falling, but I didn't appreciate the idea that she needed to escape.

  I growled out, “Let’s go walk Dexter before they all wake up or he pees on the floor.”

  “It would help if you let go of my ass,” she said archly.

  “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t fall again,” I replied with a smile.

  “Whatever. Quit playing. I need to get out of here before they see me.”

  Now I was annoyed. “What did I tell you about leaving? If you leave, they’re leaving with ya. I don’t give a shit if they’re even dressed or brushed their damn teeth.”

  “Are you always grumpy waking up naked in bed with a woman?” she asked with a smart ass attitude.

  “Lynne, if I didn’t have to take the dog out or a house full of cheerleaders, I would be happy to lay next to you ass naked.” She hopped off the bed this time. I watched her curves move as she straightened up. Damn, we both needed a shower. There was a bit of me on her belly this morning. Oops, I must have nutted in my sleep. She felt it, too, and made a face before scooping her scattered clothes off the floor and running to the bathroom.

  Needing to get Dexter out, I tossed on my clothes in a flash, then opened the door for my buddy. He happily tried to bulldoze me but quickly switched gears when Lynne stepped back into the room. I rushed to stop him, but was too late. He tackled her down to the floor licking and sniffing her. It was fucked up to say that I was jealous, but I was. I was the only one to lick her.

  "Down boy," I commanded. He quit and let her up.

  I reached for her and helped her off the floor. "I'm so sorry, babe. I had no idea he was going to do that. He's going to need some special training."

  "It's okay, but it was a little scary. He's no little puppy,” she said, scratching behind Dexter’s ears.

  I looked down at her and she glowed. "Damn, do you look beautiful."

  She stood back up, dressed in the short shorts and tee. "Are you ready?"

  We both walked down the way we came and I grabbed Dexter's leash. Everyone was still asleep. Except my nosy stepsister. "Did ya have a good night," she asked, resting her hands on her cheeks and leaning on my breakfast nook.

  "Yes, but it would have been better if we were alone," I grumbled.

  "Sure thing. We're going to be packing up and heading to breakfast. I'll leave your stuff in the other room and I'll tell them you had to leave early."

  "Thanks. We're going to walk Dexter."

  "Have fun!" She waved us off.

  I took Lynne's hand in mine and walked out.

  "Where are we taking him?" she asked me. I loved how she said we. How was that such a big thing? I didn’t know, but it made my heart tick a bit faster.

  "There's a path that's just around the block,” I said, pointing down the road.

  "Do you ever go sit on a bench and write?"

  "I do. It's nice to sit out and write a scene or make notes for my next book." I looked at her and she was blushing. "What's with the blush?"

  "Nothing," she said, blushing deeper.

  "Tell me. I want to know what's going on in that brilliant mind of yours."

  "How do you know my mind's brilliant?"

  I chucked, "That's easy. First, you read a lot. Second, you're here with me."

  "I do recall you demanding I not leave."

  "Yep, and I don't believe that will change."

  "I can't stay forever."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I have a job, school is coming soon." I hadn't thought about school since I kissed her last night. What if she'd had plans to go to UCLA with Erin? I couldn't let her go that far away.

  "School? What school?"

  "Oh, one of the community colleges in the city."

  "Thank fuck for that." I stopped us on the path and turned her into my arms. My lips closed down onto hers. It was a slow deep kiss. I needed her to stay close. The thought of her leaving hit me harder than I could have ever imagined. Never had I ever in a million years thought I would fall in love. But I had, with one glance I had fallen madly in love with my sister's best friend.

  Dexter started to bark and tug on his leash, pulling us apart. “I knew you had a brilliant mind, you made me forget to ask why you got embarrassed. Tell me.”

  “I just hoped that one day I’d come across you while you wrote and you wouldn’t be able to let me walk away from you,” she admitted.

  “It almost happened like that.”

  “Yes, it did.”

  “Let’s take him for the walk, so you can tell me more about you.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Anything, everything. Do you have siblings?”

  “I don’t have any siblings and I live with my parents at this point. Since I’m going to community college, I won’t have a dorm. One day real soon, I’ll get my own place.” With me. She was being conservative about our relationship, but I was ready to hit the courthouse and make this official this afternoon.

  “What do you do for fun?” she asked.

  “Write.”

  “Anything else?”

  “I work out and play with Dexter. That’s about it. How about you?”

  “I work and hang out with some friends.” I was just about to ask her if she liked partying when my phone rang.

  “Hey, Roger, what’s up?” He doesn’t call me unless it’s planned in advance. He’s a texter or an emailer but that was it.

  “She’s out,” he said ominously. Nothing else needed to be said because I knew who he was talking about. I whistled for Dexter, who was playing by a tree. Thankfully, he was ready, and I grabbed her and tugged her along with the phone still to my ear.

  “How long?” I asked, looking all around. Please let it be today. Then I would have time to hide Lynne and protect her.

  “A week,” he answered reluctantly. He was quiet.

  “A week and I’m just hearing about it now? How, why?”

  “She escaped. That’s all I know, but they haven’t made it known. It would still take her a lot to get to you.”

  “No, it wouldn’t. My parents never moved even though I suggested it. She could ha
ve easily followed me home.” I was frantic. We couldn’t get to the house fast enough.

  “Get home as fast as you can and I’ll notify the local cops.”

  “I need to find Erin and call my dad.”

  I could see that I was freaking Lynne out, but I don’t know how to calm the anxiety in me. It was bad when I thought it was just me to worry about, but she was my world now and that meant protecting her.

  I hung up with Roger and tried to quickly explain it to Lynne as we rushed back to my house. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but my stalker escaped last week. She may be after me still.” She just nodded as we got to the house. Opening the door, it was unlocked.

  I called out for Erin. “Erin,” I shouted over and over. She didn’t answer. I closed my eyes and hoped to hell that the girls got out of the house already. Lynne took her cell out of her pocket as I reached for my hidden firearm. It was one of the first things I learned after I healed. With Lynne, I completely forgot to take it with me. Erin’s phone continued to ring and I could hear it coming from the kitchen. I kneeled to Dexter and unleashed him. I gave him the drill signal and he knew what to do with a simple command.

  In the living room, there they were. Six of the girls, one being Erin. She had tears in her eyes and I could see why. The crazy had shot my sister in the leg. “You’ve made it home I see, Pearce,” Diane said with a sinister tone. I knew we were in a world full of trouble, but the gun I had was behind me. Dexter was at my side, itching to attack, but I had to think of my sister, who was Diane’s target.

  “You,” she snarled at Lynne.

  “Oh my God, you were at the store last week,” Lynne replied with a gasp.

  “Yes, and if you don’t step away from Pearce, I’m going to finish what I started right here.”

  “Erin, you’re going to be okay.”

  “Don’t baby her, Pearce. It’s her fault. She tried to call you. She needed to be punished.” I was ready to shoot this bitch, but I had to be careful or she could get a round off first. That was when I felt Lynne’s hand reach for my gun. Then she stepped to the side of me, giving Diane what she wanted.

  “I’m away from him. Please just let Erin go.”

  “Pearce, walk to me with your hands out so I can see them. I know you have a gun. I spotted it on your waist at the park and at the store. You always carry it with you.”

  “I forgot to take it this morning. My fiancée distracted me.”

  “What?” Her eyes scrunched up as her face transformed, chocked full of rage.

  “You heard me. I will never be with you and I don’t even know why you’re here. You should be locked away. Now get out, Diane.” Dexter broke away from me and attacked. I pulled the gun from behind Lynne’s back and shot Diane in the leg. I kicked away her gun. And one of the girls was on a phone as fast as she could. Lynne ran to Erin while I dealt with the crazy broad.

  “We need an ambulance, there was a shooter and my friend’s been shot.” I gave her the address and she told them that the shooter was apprehended. I didn’t even know who the girl was and she could have been dead because of me.

  “Where are the rest of the girls?” I asked, pinning her down. I took off my belt and I wrapped it around Diane’s wrists.

  “They had to go home,” another girl sobbed.

  Once I had her under control, I checked on my sister. "Erin, how are you doing?"

  "It burns, but I'm tired, Pearce,” Erin muttered, her voice weak. Shit. I was scared out of my mind. I could hear the sound of the ambulance in the air. Lynne and another friend wrapped up Erin’s leg in a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

  "You can't go to sleep, okay? The EMTs will be here soon. Do you hear them, Erin?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, her eyes closing.

  “Wake up, damn it. You can’t leave us,” Lynne shouted at her.

  “Tired,” she sighed.

  That was when the police rushed in the house with their guns out.

  “It’s the police,” they called out.

  “In here. We need a medic.”

  They came in and looked to Diane tied up. My carpet was covered in two large pools of blood, but all I cared about was Erin. “She needs a doctor.”

  “Looks like they both do.”

  “I don’t care if this bitch dies. She’s lucky I didn’t aim to kill.” They stepped past me and pulled Diane up on her feet.

  “Hey, he’s the one who shot me. He cheated on me with that whore. Hell, with all these women.”

  “Shut up, you stupid fucking fruitcake,” I roared.

  The medics came in with another officer. “We’ve got two gunshot victims. By the pools of blood, I would say this one was shot first and needs immediate attention.”

  “Sir, could you please put down that firearm.” I’d forgotten that I still had it in my hand.

  “Sorry.”

  “He saved us, officer,” the one who called the cops said.

  “Still, we need to secure the area and will need to take your gun.”

  “That’s fine, as long as this nut stays away from me. Excuse me but I need to go with my sister. Lynne, come with us.”

  “Sorry, sir, but we need to question you because you discharged a weapon.”

  “But my sister needs to be with someone.”

  “I can go with,” Lynne offered, but I needed her by my side. I wanted to make sure she was safe.

  “No, sweets, I need to know you’re safe, too.” I held her hand that was covered in my stepsister’s blood. I tried not to think about my sister not making it because it was just too much for me.

  “I’ll go with her,” one of the girls said.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name,” I said.

  “Rachael.”

  “Okay, Rachael, please don’t leave the hospital until we get there.”

  I hated to let Erin go without me, but it was only temporary. "I have to call my parents. Can you please get this trash out of my house?"

  I stepped away to call my dad. "Dad, you need to get Donna to the hospital. Erin's been shot."

  "What?" I heard the fear and panic that any parent would feel.

  "Diane escaped and broke into my house,” I informed him.

  "Where was she shot?” he asked calmly. A calm only a doctor like him could possess. He was probably working out the medical options in his head.

  "In her leg,” I replied. “I don’t know if it hit the main artery, but the girls helped stopped the flow.”

  "At Christ?" Again, the doctor in him making the first and accurate guess.

  "Yeah, that's where they took her."

  "Are you okay?”

  “I'm with the police and unharmed. I'll be there as soon as they're done questioning me."

  I walked back into the room and they were talking to the girl who called the police.

  "We were all about to leave when the doorbell rang. Erin thought maybe it was the Uber Laura ordered. The crazy woman busted through, shooting Erin in the leg. We were all waiting here when she dragged Erin by her hair and pushed her against the couch." She stopped speaking and started crying.

  "Take your time, miss," the cop told her.

  "She said she would kill us one by one if we even looked at him. Then we heard Mr. Masters call out for Erin. They argued for a moment before the dog ran after the crazy broad and Mr. Masters shot her."

  "Can we speak to you in the other room?"

  I nodded and held Lynne's hand in mine.

  "Why would she be after you?"

  "First, her name is Diane Jordan. She's supposed to be in a mental institution but somehow got out. I came home when I found out she was loose. Six years ago she found me at a book signing. It was my only one. She saw me and thought we should be together. She followed me everywhere. One day she met my stepsister and befriended her. Then she snuck into my room and I freaked out and shouted for her to leave. I was already six foot by then and thought she wouldn't attack me, but I was painfully wrong. She stabbed me in the che
st." Lynne gasped and squeezed my hand. I pulled her closer to my side in a comforting embrace.

  "Sir, from the information gathered, it seems to be an open and shut case."

  "Let's hope that it's not the mental house this time. Can we lock up my house now?" Despite my concern for Erin, my mind was trying not to freak out that my house was invaded with police and the one person I'd hope to never see again.

  We got to the hospital before my dad and Donna. They were stuck in traffic. Rachael was waiting, nervously pacing.

  “Have they given you an update?” I asked Rachael.

  “She’s in surgery, but that’s all they would tell me,” she said, her face a bit crestfallen.

  “Thanks, you can go home if you want,” I offered.

  “I need to call my parents and let them know I’m okay.”

  “Okay.” She walked off and I clutched onto Lynne’s waist.

  “Let’s go check at the nurses’ station for answers,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. We walked up there and the nurse told us that they were still in surgery.

  “Pearce,” my Dad called out. I turned with Lynne to them and my stepmother gasped. I didn’t want a fight right here, especially for nothing. Neither did Lynne, who pulled away from me, but I wasn’t going to fight and I wasn’t going to let her go either.

  “Don’t, Lynne.”

  “Any news?” my Dad asked, Donna’s eyes trained on my hand on Lynne.

  “They haven’t told us anything. She’s still being worked on. I’m so sorry, Donna. I wish I’d been there and none of this would have happened.”

  “You left them at the house without you?” she asked in surprise.

  “I had to walk Dexter and Erin told me they were all getting up to go to breakfast.”

  “She’s going to be alright, right?”

  “She will be. Let’s sit down.”

  I explained what I knew and what had transpired since we woke up.

  “Pearce, I have to call my parents. I was supposed to be going home by now.”