Waking up slowly she stretched, stopping when her hand came into contact with Caydn's chest. Sitting up quickly, she looked around, almost shaking her head to clear her mind. She met his sleepy eyes, blushing when memories of the night before her.
"Good morning Gypsy, or should I say afternoon," he grinned, pulling her down brushing a kiss on her cheek.
Sighing she rested her head against his chest alarmed at the lethargic sensations radiating from him. "Caydn what's wrong?" she asked propping on her elbow to look at him.
He brushed her hair back from her face, "nothings wrong, but for me this would be the same as my waking you in the middle of the night when you need your sleep," he explained. "I still have some hours before this passes. You go ahead and do what you need to do and I'll sleep," he whispered against her mouth, kissing her again. "Now go before I forget I need sleep and not you again," he laughed when she blushed, crawling from the bed.
She grabbed his robe from the chair beside the bed. Tiptoeing to the door, closing it gently behind her before she took a deep breath, leaning against the door she ran her hands through her hair.
Her body tingled all over, muscles she didn't even know she had protested when she stretched. Memories of his hands, mouth and body rushed over her making her nipples harden just at the thought. She blushed remembering her boldness.
"Gypsy go away woman," he said through the door making her laugh before she walked out of his study heading to her room.
"Well good morning dear," Sophie said walking out of the larger study, "Or I guess I should say good afternoon, since it's four o'clock" she chuckled seeing Gypsy's expression, looking like a child who'd got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
Gypsy glanced down at the robe she was wearing wishing she could vanish into thin air knowing what this had to look like to Sophie, "I was just going up to grab a shower and get dressed," she said quickly, "I didn't want to bother grabbing my clothes and keeping Caydn awake any longer then I had to,' she shuttered realizing she just admitted to being naked in his bed.
"What I meant was I, oh never mind I'm going to take a shower," she said turning and running up the stairs hearing Sophie's laugh following her.
Walking into the kitchen she glanced at Sophie who was sitting at the table making a list. She turned and stuck her head in the refrigerator looking for the orange juice hoping Sophie wouldn't comment on seeing her coming from Cadyn's room.
"Did you have trouble with nightmares last night?" Sophie asked not looking up from her list.
"No, I didn't thankfully," she answered walking over to sit at the table across from her. "Sophie I want you to know if I'd known any of this craziness would follow me. I would've never come and disrupted everyone's life," she said dropping her head to her hands.
"Gypsy I'm sure you've heard the phrases, 'everything happens for a reason' or 'our fates and destiny, are mapped out at birth'. I absolutely get sick at my stomach thinking what could've happened had you not been here for Caydn and the others to protect," she said firmly reaching across the table taking her nieces hand.
"If Barton's as sick and twisted as they think he's become, you wouldn't have been safe no matter where you'd gone. The man has a blood tie with you, that'd allow him to find you even if you didn't want to be found," she explained. "I know all of this has to be overwhelming. Thankfully when I was growing up I knew protectors through my parents. They were friends and acted as their aids when the need a rose. When I met Vince this was a natural thing for me to wrap my life around. For someone who had no clue or even a thought of it I can't even imagine," she said shaking her head.
Gypsy shuttered at the thought of having to face Barton by herself, as much as she hated to admit it. "I wish my dad had been able to tell me, or at least Grandpa Victor had told me when I was growing up. For some reason I suddenly feel like I missed out on so many things," she said softly.
Sophie stood up, walking around the table leaning down hugging Gypsy tightly. "You know I think fate was working over time when it gave me the suggestion for you to come live here," she grinned. "Otherwise something else would've come along if it hadn't been meant to be. The same thing goes for Caydn showing up after not having spent more than two consecutive nights in this house in over three years," she laughed, patting Gypsy's shoulder.
"I've got to get dinner started so when Vince finishes his therapy he can rest and have dinner before everyone wakes up this evening," she said walking into the pantry.
********************************
She spent the rest of the afternoon helping Sophie make her mouth watering lasagna and a large watercress salad. Laughing she snatched a chunk of crusty bread, spinning around she stopped seeing Caydn standing in the door way. Glancing toward the window she realized it was dark outside. She waved at him since her mouth was full and talking wasn't an option.
"Sophie's gone in to get Vince?" he asked. Walking over to stand in front of her, at her nod he slipped his hand under her hair pulling her against him before brushing a kiss on her forehead.
Swallowing her stolen treasure, she reached for her glass on the counter taking a drink to wash the bread down before looking back up at him. "Good morning," she smiled, "Yes Sophie and I made lasagna. She let Vince nap after his therapy so he'd be up this evening when everyone got here," she explained.
Caydn ran his hands down her arms to her wrists, pulling them up until they were wrapped around his neck. Settling his hands around her waist he pulled her against him, brushing his face against her hair, breathing her scent in.
Leaning her head back she met his eyes for a second before dropping her gaze to his mouth, sighing she leaned into his kiss.
"Well I'd say things have changed around here," Christian laughed, following Megan into the kitchen.
Glancing at him over her shoulder, Gypsy smiled, "What makes you think this hasn't been happening?" she laughed at the stunned expression on Christian's face, laughter bubbling from Megan. "He seems to think he knows everything doesn't he?" she asked looking back at Caydn whose expression was smug.
Stepping back when she heard Sophie and Vince coming into the kitchen, she blushed. Turning her back she busied herself getting plates and glasses for dinner.
Caydn drank coffee enjoying the banter while Gypsy ate with her aunt and uncle. Megan told her she'd done some web searching, finding a company locally that sold fabric by the bolt. She also had some ideas for a few of the designs Gypsy had created, and they'd look at them later.
"Gypsy I'm going out for a while with Christian. You and Megan can use the computer in my office," he said reaching for his leather jacket hanging near the door.
Finishing her drink she looked at him then at Megan before turning back. "I want to go," she said glancing at Sophie who seemed to choke.
Christian stopped as he was leaning down to kiss Megan, "You want to what?" he said staring at her.
"I said I want to go," she repeated looking back at Caydn, "it isn't like I don't know what you're doing. So I don't see what the big deal would be. Unless of course you're planning on going to a strip club, and you and Christian would rather have your time with the ladies private. Megan and I'd only be in the way, if that's the case," she smiled hearing the gasp from Megan and the groan in Christian's throat.
Caydn laughed knowing she'd planned her last statement well, the expression on Megan's face when she pushed Christian away from her priceless. "Gypsy I really don't see why you'd want to go. You also know very well I don't frequent 'strippers' as you so eloquently put that," he chuckled. "We won't be gone long so there really isn't any need in you and Megan getting out when it's cold and threatening freezing rain and snow tonight."
Sophie glanced at Vince, squeezing his hand before glancing back at Caydn. "You took Jazleen when she was younger, long before she ever met Phillip and she wasn't any trouble, or should I say much," she said with a smile. "I really don't see where as Gypsy would be a problem unless of course you might have other plans while your out."
Rolling his eyes Caydn sighed, "you know as well as I do madam the only reason I agreed to take that devil child of yours was the fact that she'd gotten into my emergency supply and replaced all of it with that god awful beet juice." He said shuttering at the thought, "it was take her or never know when she was going to do that again and leave me in a very bad situation," he finished with a huff.
Christian laughed, "She was a minx even when she was young I can see," he shook his head. "I can vouch for Megan. She wouldn't be a problem if she went but it'd be your call if Gypsy were to go with us," he said seriously.
"You two will stay in the car," he said pointing at she and Megan. "Not a sound, not a question nothing just sit there as though your statues, and just ride," he grumbled. "Get your jacket Gypsy, its damned cold outside," he snapped turning to storm out of the house toward the garage.
She ran upstairs and grabbed her jacket and her scarf coming back into the kitchen putting them on with a smile.
"Gypsy I want you to remember what you've asked to go along on. This isn't a trip to the store," Sophie said her tone serious, "What I'm saying is don't let this change your opinion of Caydn or anyone, do you hear me?" she said squeezing her nieces hand as Caydn stepped back into the kitchen.
"I warmed the car up. Gypsy doesn't have the ability to adapt to extreme temperatures as we do," he explained for some insane reason he thought shaking his head. "Are you ready or have you changed your mind?" he asked seeing Sophie holding her hand.
