Unintended Consequences

Chapter 44

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"Baby, we have to get up now," Archer mumbled sleepily. I was almost fully asleep when I felt his warm fingers lift from my hair as he tried to rub his eyes awake.

"Not yet," I whined then grabbed his hand and put it back in my hair, wiggling his fingers around to get my point across. His deep laughter washed over me and made me smile, especially when his fingers began massaging me again. I practically purred as he kneaded my scalp with his strong yet gentle hands.

"You know what I love?" I added dreamily. A throaty grumble was Archer's response so I continued. "I love that on the outside you are this big bulky monster, but then on the inside, you are just a gentle little love bug."

Archer sat up and pulled his hand away, eliciting a whimper from me. I opened my eyes to glare up at him and try to pull his hand back to my hair. When that didn't work I wobbled my bottom lips and stopped blinking so my eyes would tear up. He stared down at me as though he were trying to stay strong but then sighed and dropped back on the mattress, pulling me into a hug.

"Fine, but don't tell anyone," he said as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. I felt him smirk against my skin, "I have a rep to protect."

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure no one can tell," I giggled.

Archer rolled onto his back, bring me up onto his stomach. I rested my hands on his chest to prop my face up so I could smile at him.

"I guess we're perfect together then hey?" He mused. I furrowed my brow, not quite sure where he was going with this. I mean yeah, I thought we were pretty freaking great. But it seemed random. Archer laughed at my confusion, "You don't see it? You are this tiny little thing that looks like you'd blow away if it was too windy outside—"

He stopped to glare at me when I pinched him. I was short sure, but that was a ridiculous exaggeration. "Way to prove my point. On the inside, you are seven feet tall and three hundred pounds of muscle."

"HA! And there was a time you doubted my inner Hulk," I laughed at him.

"Alright, Hulk it's time to get ready. We have to be downstairs soon." The slight whoosh of air was a warning and I braced myself just as Archer's hand came down hard on my bottom. I glared at his proud smirk as I climbed off of him, rubbing my tender flesh.

"I take it back you aren't a love bug. If you were you wouldn't love the sound of my pain so much." I turned to walk into the bathroom to get ready. It was the Graduation Party tonight which I had learned has absolutely nothing to do with graduation at all. It was just the rookies' initiation into being full members of the football team.

Archer came up behind me as I was wetting my toothbrush and grabbed his own. "Please. It doesn't even hurt you." He smiled at me in the mirror.

"Archer sometimes I swear my bum has fallen right off you smack it so hard." My words came out garbled around my toothbrush.

"You are such a drama queen." He laughed with his head tilted back to keep the toothpaste in his mouth.

I went to my duffle bag to grab some clothes and hesitated before I picked up the outfit I had bought recently. It was totally not my normal style, but Madeline had convinced me to try it on in the store and I had to admit—I liked it. The pink skirt was short but flowy as it sat high on my waist then flared over my thighs. There was the thinnest gap of skin showing at my ribs before the simple white long-sleeved crop top skimmed over my upper body. I thought it was cute in the store, a tiny bit saucy but still generally modest.