Bedding the Billionaire

Sutton

A loud crash woke me from my sleep. Out of instinct I grabbed the bat by my doorway and raced into the kitchen. In horror, I saw that Mark lying spread eagle on the floor with a nasty gash on his head. That wasn’t the only surprise, either. My neighbor Earl also had a bat in his hands, it was clear what had clobbered Mark, and it looked like Earl might be going in for another swing.

“Stop!” I yelled, causing Earl to pause in his assault.

“Sutton, this here is a burglar,” Earl explained. “It’s called self-defense.”

“No, he’s not a burglar. I invited him to stay for the night!”

Earl’s eyes bobbed between Mark prostrate on the floor and me standing across from him. “Oh,” he murmured, slowly lowering the bat. “I must not have heard that part. Thought he snuck back in.”

“Earl, put that away, and then come and help me see if you’ve killed him.”

“I’m not dead,” Mark mumbled from the floor. I watched as he raised his hands to the bump and noticed that they came away sticky with blood.

“Maybe we should call an ambulance,” Earl suggested as he came back into the room without the baseball bat.

“Earl, where are your pants?’

I had just noticed that Earl was in his tighty-whitey undies and that they were in serious need of a washing. I was a little surprised that he had managed to knock Mark down so readily. Of course, Earl was swinging a Louisville Slugger and Mark was an innocent party not expecting the blow.

Sinking to my knees, I looked into Mark’s eyes. I knew from the emergency room that dilated pupils or uneven dilation could indicate a concussion. “Are you alright?” I asked, hating how my voice shook a little.

Mark looked at me for a long moment. I decided that his pupils looked fairly normal, but still wondered if we should call an ambulance. Mark had sat up and seemed to be gathering his wits.

“What was that?” he asked.

“An old Louisville Slugger,” Earl replied helpfully. “One of those boyfriends left a few when he moved out several years back.”

Mark looked to me with a raised brow. It looked rather ridiculous with his injured forehead. “Not my old boyfriend,” I answered Mark’s unspoken question. “It was one of Mama’s.”

Earl laughed. “Sutton doesn’t have boyfriends. She’s a good girl. Never had any trouble out of her. You should ask my Martha.”

I shook my head. “This is crazy. Mark, are you alright? I can drive you to the hospital in your car or we can call an ambulance if that makes you more comfortable.”

“Never been better,” Mark croaked as he forced himself to stand. At first there was a bit of wobble to his stance, but I noticed that his snark was right on point.

Grabbing some paper towels, I thrust some into Mark’s hand and moved to the sink to get more of them wet. Then I guided him over to a chair and told him to sit. We needed to mop off his injury to see if he needed stitches. I also sent Earl after the first aid kit, just in case.

hell was that about?” Mark demanded.

could start cleaning him up. I tried to ignore the fact that I was in teeny tiny pajamas and he was in a white t-shirt and boxer briefs.

Earl stay often?”

“Why would you ask that?” I paused in my ministering to his

and I noticed that he seemed rather intrigued with the fact that I don’t sleep with a bra. I

I answered his question with a question. “I don’t know. How often is often?”

grunted something unintelligible that I was grateful not

tumbling out of my mouth. I helped him up into a standing position. I tried not to think about the proximity of our bodies as we

“No, that’s not at all often.”

in my avocado green kitchen. I tried to tell myself it was retro, but in truth, it was just

by way of explanation. “He barely nicked me with the bat.”

bad as I had thought it would be. He wouldn’t even need stitches. I also knew that head wounds

call someone?” Earl came back in, scratching his left butt cheek and holding the kit

Control?” Mr. Williams

being specific. I felt a

careful, I would soon be drooling. Hot damn! Who would have thought that the overly stuffy Mr. Williams would have

cleaned up his wound, nor did he complain when I put on the bandage. He was a very good patient, but I wasn’t sure if he would accept that as a compliment

am

soon enough,”

“But I would feel better

looked at me dryly, “Have you ever gotten a cut, Miss Landry?”

course, I have,” I

he continued, “scrapes or tears of any kind?”

I said, a little bit of irritation slipping in. What

said tersely. “Accidents happen.”

right. They certainly did happen. Although, I am not sure that getting attacked with a bat by my elderly neighbor in the wee hours of the

been using. I threw away the soiled items and gave the first aid kit back

he grabbed my arm. Again, that surge of awareness flashed through me. I was tired as fuck and beyond cranky, but shit if the man

than I intended. Mr. Williams made me

almost as if it were forced from his

because of the way I let you sleep on my terrible couch? Oh, I know! It’s for bringing you into my

small

faded as quickly has it

a menace,” he said with a twinkle in his eye that I wasn’t used to

“You aren’t going to be suing me and the misses, are you sir?” Earl

I choked back a laugh at Mr. Williams’ expression of horror and disgust. I imagined that there was nothing Earl possessed that would be the slightest interest to Mr.

were just protecting Miss Landry. I understand.”