Sean
I watched Mel standing under the lot’s light, a soft halo catching the warm tone of her hair. Her expression shifted, layered, as if she was sorting things out. I didn’t need to name the emotion; I could damn well feel it in my chest. Asking her to come to the hotel had probably sounded like a proposition. Fair assumption at 5:30 a.m. with no coffee, and a faint hope of a few hours’ sleep. But what I wanted was rest, and her beside me.
“I want sleep, silence,” I said, eyes locked on hers. “A few hours without anyone needing anything from me. Cassy will wake up soon, and I’ll wake up too.”
What I didn’t add: I wanted her with me, chasing the kind of closeness only she could bring. But saying that out loud felt too bare for a parking lot at dawn.
Her shoulders eased, though I could still see the wheels turning.
“Sam’s expecting me for her going-away lunch with my parents.”
“I know. I promised her too, and I won’t miss it.” I paused, then added, “If it helps, I won’t even kiss you.”
She swatted my arm, smiling. “That’s not what this is about.”
Oh, it was, Mel. It always was—wanting more and learning not to rush it.
“Good. Then after you.” I let her lead the way.
We stepped into the hotel before 6 a.m. The place was hushed, lights low, smelled like overworked HVAC, the kind of stale quiet that made my shoulders drop without permission.
The suite was bigger than we needed—king bed, sectional couch, two big windows behind blackout curtains.
Mel walked in, handbag slung over one shoulder, luggage left by the door. I pretended not to look, but my peripheral vision had suddenly self-corrected to 20/20. First time we’d ended up in a bedroom together. She glanced at the bed, her silence thoughtful. MyCoach Dazzlerreputation had probably spread faster than a puck on shaved ice.
She moved to the couch and dropped her bag. I toed off my shoes, peeled off my socks and pants, draping them over the back of the couch. Left my T-shirt and boxer briefs on, brushed my teeth, and crashed onto the bed.
She’d probably made a mental pros and cons list in the time it took me to spit out toothpaste. Pros: plush bed, comfort, rest. Cons: proximity, potential nakedness.
“Come on, don’t even think about the couch. The bed’s big enough for both of us,” I said, patting the spot beside me.
She looked over.
“I’m a zombie right now, and to my knowledge those don’t even kiss,” I said, grabbing one of the long pillows. “And now, for your safety and mine, Operation Fortress Pillow is officially complete.” I laid it down in the middle of the bed like a peace treaty. “All skin frictions are officially quarantined.”
She chuckled, and I relaxed. Humor was my best defense against wanting too much, too fast.
“‘Night,” I said and flopped onto my stomach, the best sleep position for a sleep-deprived coach.
When I stirred, the room was hushed and dim. It was 11:40 a.m. Five solid hours. This impulsive idea—crashing in a hotel room with Mel—had turned out to be a brilliant one.
Then I felt a weight on my side. Mel’s arm, loose and stretched beneath the fortress pillow, her hand brushing my ribs.
One long leg crossed over too, angled across the border as if her body had staged a midnight rebellion.
Her breathing was even on the other side of the pillow. That soft rhythm so close made me smile; she’d managed to sleep too. A free faller, judging by the way she was sprayed out. She hadn’t wanted to share the bed, yet she ended up taking over.
I slid the pillow to the floor so I could watch her.
Hair spilled across the sheets, lips parted with the kind of soft breathing that only comes when every muscle relaxes. She looked open, free—peaceful in a way I hadn’t seen in her awake.
I wanted to pull her in, wrap myself around her and stay like that while the day moves on outside. She hadn’t said no to cuddling, not really. But she hadn’t said yes, either. My hand twitched against the sheet, temptation buzzing through me.
Don’t. Respect her line.
So I turned onto my side, propped my head on my arm. If I couldn’t hold her, I could at least memorize the way she looked—this unguarded, this mine.
Eventually, my eyes closed again, her warmth brushing against me like a promise. I opened them when she stirred and bolted upright.
