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.
