I laugh at my brother’s obnoxious behavior.
“All right, I’m heading to bed. We have a big day tomorrow,” Leonidas says before he disappears into his bedroom.
Trinity follows behind him, giving me a sneaky wink.
This girl and her matchmaking skills …
“Remember, I have amazing hearing, and I’ll run in there if I hear anything,” Elijah says, walking backward, his eyes pinned to my face.
Saluting him, I muster a smile.
I don’t have the energy right now to argue or be funny. I’m just dreading what’s coming. The couch seems big enough to sleep on. But I would definitely be uncomfortable all night.
Dragging my feet while walking to the torture that’s going to come, I stop in the doorway when I find Levi already in bed with the lights all off.
Huh.
I peek at the digital alarm clock placed on the dresser, and the bright numbers mock me. It’s later than I originally thought.
Tiptoeing in an effort not to wake up the grumpy beast, I gather all my essentials and make my way to our bathroom.
Putting on a matching set of silk PJs, I take off all my makeup, do my skin care routine, and gather my blonde hair in a messy bun. Placing my hands on the counter for support, I blink twice when the world slightly spins before I regain my strength again.
No amount of mentally preparing myself will make me ready for what I’m about to face out there. It’s one thing to be alone with him during the day. But in the dark, lying next to each other? That’s completely different, and I might just barf. But I can’t stand in here all night.
My clammy hands shake as I grip the doorknob and turn it slowly. My eyes adjust to the darkness as I stand and watch Levi. If he wakes up suddenly, he’s going to think I’m a creep, so I really hope he doesn’t.
His lean frame takes up half the bed, and I appreciate his muscular back as he lies on his stomach with one hand under the pillow, supporting his head. Rounding the bed since he’s taken up the right side, I look closely to see if he’s deep in sleep. Feeling satisfied, I grab a few pillows that he threw to the side and place them in the middle of the bed, separating our bodies.
Slowly getting into bed, I smile at my pillow wall, feeling proud.
But the pillows don’t change the fact that I can feel the intimidating heat rolling off the man beside me as he sleeps. I imagine him doing dirty things to me. Things I wish deep down that he were doing instead of peacefully sleeping.
I try to relax my breathing into something slower and deeper while I close my eyes.
But all night, I’m hyperaware of the man next to me, and I curse myself because of how much I want to tear down the barrier I’ve made and give in.
* * *
I’m not a morning person, which means I wake up, feeling miserable.
But the beaming sun in my eyes really saysno mercyas it blinds me. Of course I forgot to shut the blinds before I fell asleep. The only thing I was aware of was the man I’m sharing a bed with. Opening my eyes, I flinch at the brightness and let out a yelp.
“Oh my God!” I scream, jumping up and placing a hand on my now-racing heart.
Levi gives me his infamous glare, his eyes dark with a half-awake look to them. “You built a pillow wall?” His voice is husky with sleep. He points to it while messing with his tousled hair.
How is it possible to look so sexy in the morning?
“Don’t ask stupid questions when you already know the answer.” I rub my tired eyes as he glares at the pillows.
“My question is, why?” The words come out bitter. “You think I’m going to do something without consent?”
I give him a shocked look, feeling slightly bad that he thinks I think so poorly about him. “If I thought you would touch me without consent, I wouldn’t even sleep in the same room as you,” I point out, straightening my shirt.
“Then, why the pillow wall? Are we two?”
I nod, sitting up straight. “Well, I’m not, but you love to act like you are.”
