“Oh, thank God. I thought you went flea marketing one day and thought that looked like the perfect place to watch TV evangelists.”
He cracked a smile. “This was my grandmother’s house. I bought it when she passed away.”
“Were you close?”
“As close as you can be to a crazy Italian grandmother who chases you with a wooden spoon. Most of the furniture that’s here is hers.”
“There doesn’t seem to be a lot of it,” Harper observed.
“I keep meaning to get more, but I’ve been —”
“Busy,” she finished it for him.
“Anyway, there’s only one bed, so you can take that and I’ll take the couch.”
Horrified, Harper stared at the unwelcoming lines of the couch. “Absolutely not. I’m not putting you out of your own bed.”
“Well, you’re not sleeping on the couch.”
“Neither are you,” Harper insisted.
“What do you suggest?”
She paused weighing the options. “We are two exhausted adults who probably have a reasonable amount of self-control. Can we both sleep in the bed?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” His hands were out of his pockets now and cruising over the back of his head. He was nervous and Harper thought it was adorable.
“Why not?”
“We don’t know each other and ...” he trailed off and Harper scented victory.
“I think I can trust you can control your hormones and not jump me in the middle of the night,” she teased.
“It’s notmyhormones that I’m worried about.”
She smacked him in the chest. The very solid, warm chest. Maybe he had a point.
***
The only furniture on the second floor was in the master bedroom. A four-poster queen-sized bed dominated one wall opposite an ornately carved dresser.
“Grandma’s?” Harper lightly grasped one of the mahogany posts at the foot of the bed.
Luke nodded, hands back in his pockets.
“It’s nice.” Staring at his bed was suddenly making Harper feel a little shy.
“I can still sleep on the couch if you’d be more comfortable.” He jerked a thumb towards the hallway.
“Don’t be ridiculous. That thing looks like it would put your ass to sleep if you sat down long enough to tie your shoes. We’re adults. This doesn’t have to be awkward, right?”
Instead of answering, he turned and opened one of the dresser drawers.
“Here.” Luke held out a plain white t-shirt. “You can sleep in this.”
It was soft to the touch and obviously well worn. By him.
“Thanks.” She took it, careful to only touch the shirt.
