UNDERCOVER {Competed} 😌

chapter 12

Mercy
I steadied myself before attempting to walk to the room. Each movement was agony.
Joshua hadn't noticed. After that kisses he'd treated me with casualness,and when he was finally released from the shifts he'd spend his time talking to Janet or David.

Well,who cared? All I wanted was a good hot birth and some rest. I limped inside and grabbed the bathroom door with visions if streaming hot water in my mind

"Pepper we need to talk."
Determined to be patient, I turned around to listen to Joshua's complains.
"Look,I'm tired in the morning as I am when I go to bed... Well the floor. We need to work something our .I cant sleep on the floor every night."

"What do you suggest?" I said talking my foot unconsciously.
"Taking turns." He glared at the floor. "Will you fucking stop doing that?" He shouted

Holy crap! Was this Joshua. I watched him inhale,"its annoying. "
I planted my foot firmly on the floor,then moved my gaze to Joshua.

I had to admit he looked tired,and I almost felt sorry for him. Strands of hair had broken loose and loosely hanged around his beard roughened jaw.

Its times like this that I wondered why a man like Joshua- intelligent and well educated worked as a cook. I even wondered how I'd make through this time when he was so close and somehow always managed to look sexy even though he was in a total mess

"Can I take the birth first?" I asked,I wanted to escape for a while.
"Okay don't take too long."
"Why,sir? How gallant."
His frown deepened,but I was too frazzled to care,seconds later as I took the shower I forgot all about it.

Initially, the sweet smelling water did little to relax me. I had no idea what to do with them. Although my mixed feelings for Joshua sometimes troubled me,I still felt I was in control. He had behaved so much like my brothers who were younger but treated me like I was the younger one.

Jim was another matter. He saw me as innocent and naive,which certainly wasn't protection. He didn't care about my lack of experience or my vow to Joshua. He just wanted me in his bed, under his covers. I needed another approach to get information from him.

I decided I'll work on it later and with that I calmed down but then again became aware of my aching body. I shifted to look at my thigh. An ugly purple bruise covered the entire thigh. One problem among many. I won't be wearing shorts for a while,but it didn't look like any other harm can come to it. I closed my eyes and learned back,allowing the water to was away the pain.

I dreamt of a tall broad shouldered man with long hair the color of deep rich word: held back by a strip of leather. He was kissing me. I was kissing him back.
Oh boy I was kissing him....

I woke up to a tab frigid water. What the fuck!
Shivering I climbed out,quickly rubbing myself dry then wrapping up with a cloth robe. The man in the dream had looked very much like Joshua. The kiss began remarkably like the one I had with Joshua. Only difference is that in the dream I responded with passion.

How was I supposed to get his face out of my mind after the dream?

We'll he was out there waiting to talk about the bed. Where I'd sleep and where he'd sleep. I opened the door,I expected to find Joshua waiting so impatiently passing in the room.

But the lights were dim,the room empty. Assuming that he must have gone to the evening walk and relieved more than I wanted to admit I walked to the dresser. After pulling out the pajamas I dropped the rob on the floor.

Joshua

Maybe it was the noise made by drawer closing that woke me from my place under the covers. I wasn't sure but as I peeped above the edge if the blankets,I saw Pepper. She faced away from me, a vision of naked curves and curls.
A fresh scent gloated towards me,enveloping my senses,and my breath stopped somewhere in my heart. I stayed still ignoring my better judgement that told me I was ...
She reached up go put on her night shirt,and I followed the curvatures as her small arm,her sloping shoulders, her firm creamy back. As she into a matching trouser, my eyes moved to her tiny feet and slim ankles, continued up the hills and valleys of her shapely legs and ended at the round flesh. ...
"My God,Pepper! What happened to you?"

Hastily jerking up the pajama bottoms,she spun around.

"Why the hell are you spying on me?'
" I wasn't spying! " I answered irritably trying to disguise my embarrassment." You tool too long. I fell asleep. Now,where did you get that bruise?" I got up and took hold of her shoulder.
Oh God who had marred Pepper's skin that way?

She jerked away. She was a little frightened. I didn't mean to spy. If anything I was only just...what?
Concerned
Too concerned. Possessively concerned.

"It's not your problem," she said shortly. Then leaned over and picked up her robe,"so don't trouble yourself.

"I can't help caring if you're hurt Pepper!" My vehemence startled her. I'd give her no rest until she admits what happed to her.

"Jim's stallion kicked me this morning," she admitted sheepishly, slipping in her rob and tied a knot.
"Oh." I frowned into a confused stare
"What do you think happened Pepper?"
"I don't know."
I looked away.
"After what happened to you I think things should be different at the barn."
She laughed,"They treat me like one of the guys there.
"Is that funny?"

"If they treated me like a woman,I wouldn't be handling a stallion. I think Manuel is testing me. That's the meanest animal in all kingdom." She said

"I'll ask him to give that horse to someone else. You're too small to work with that horse."
That did it.
"No!" She was all red.
"Why are you interfering. I can handle it Joshua. Why can't you get that " she continued.

"Not interfering, am just helping! Everyone need watching over from time to time." I enclosed her fingers with my hand,holding it close to my heart,and my words melted her annoyance. Then whispered."even you"

She shivered and pulled her fingers away. "Please,Joshua, I know you mean well. But your help is not needed. Really."

She managed to grin.

"Do you still want to discus who get the bed tonight?" She asked.
"I'd be a jack to put you on the floor," I answered honestly.

"Do what you think is right." She said. This ungrateful little girl. "You keep the bed,for now,but as soon as you are healed, you get the floor or we tack in together," I said and grinned.

Was expecting her to complain about the tacking in together but I guessed she was too tired to argue, "fair enough."
She slipped out of her robe,pulled back the covers and gratefully crawled underneath.
"Think nothing of it," I said dryly and sneaked into the bathroom.
"Ouch!"
"Ice would help, unfortunately we don't have any."

I crossed the room,got a towel from the drawer then went outside. I came back within few minutes
"Try this." I lifted the blanket. She removed her pajama bottoms and let me place the towel on her bruise.

I made an ice bag. For her
"Thanks."
"No problem."
In seconds I walked out.

Unedited
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Kisses.
Alyc bee