Kelsey steps away from me completely and pulls out her phone. As she looks at the time on her lockscreen, she lets out another sigh, twirling the ring on her middle finger. It’s already almost two in the morning. Her thumb hovers at the bottom of her screen as she glances past me to the king-sized bed in the middle of the room.
“Do you… It’s just… I’m worried it’s too late to…” Kelsey trails off.
Fuck. Is she actually considering staying here?
“Itisreally late,” I say, doing my best to hide the excitement in my voice at the prospect of Kelsey spending the night here.
I’m not one to believe in divine intervention, but I might owe God, or at least Gail, a thank-you note for whatever this chance is they’ve given me.
“It’s just one night,” I say. “There’s a king bed, and we’re both adults. Plus, you look like you’re about to pass out on the spot, and I’m too tired to track down Gail and move rooms at this point. Just stay here with me.”
Kelsey looks at the bed again, indecision written all over her face.
“I can sleep on the floor,” I offer.
She smirks, clearly amused by the offer. “On the floor? Really?”
“Yeah, if it’ll make you more comfortable. It’s not like I didn’t sleep in worse places when I was in the Rangers,” I reply, my tone light, trying to make a joke out of it. But even as I say it, my body rebels, begging for the opportunity to sleep next to her just once.
She bites her lip, looking at the king-sized bed like it might secretly be hiding the answers to the universe. Finally, she nods, and there is a softness in her eyes that wasn’t there a second ago. “Okay, fine. No floor, though. You’re just as tired as I am.”
“Deal,” I say, turning toward the bed so she doesn’t see my smile. “I’ll get changed out here if you want to have the bathroom.”
“Thanks,” Kelsey says as she grabs her suitcase and rolls it after her into the bathroom.
I hear the shower turn on, and I force my mind to focus on something—anything—other than the naked woman currently feet away from me. I fail miserably, though I do manage to get changed intoa clean undershirt and a pair of black boxer briefs. I normally sleep naked, and as I’ve worn my workout clothes at least a couple of times each without washing them, this is going to have to do.
Minutes later, the shower turns off, and I hear her moving around, the sound of a zipper, and then her brushing her teeth. When the sink’s water shuts off and I hear the door open, I realize I have no idea how to play this cool.
Not knowing what else to do, I slow my breathing so she at least won’t know how hard I had to work not to join her in the shower. I stare at the wall, my back to her side of the bed. I want to flip over so I know what she wears to sleep in—if she’s more of a silk nighty or oversized T-shirt kind of woman—but I force my eyes closed.
She pulls back the covers, her movements slow and deliberate as she climbs into the bed.
“Goodnight, Carter,” she whispers, barely loud enough for me to hear.
“Goodnight, Kels,” I whisper back, and it’s like a weight lifts from me—like everything that’s been building between us finally comes to rest. I can feel her presence beside me, steady and real, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I’m not thinking about my mom’s Alzheimer’s, or contracts, or the tour. I’m just thinking about the bundle of warmth in my bed and about how everything seems right in this tiny, perfect moment.
A moment I’ll do everything in my power to make sure I have again because it’s the first time in a long time I’ve felt like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Chapter nineteen
Kelsey
Thetinglingfeelingofmy hand going numb pulls me from sleep. I stretch my back, pushing into the warmth behind me, only to encounter a hard wall. A wall with a…hard penis lining up with the center of my ass. Without thinking, I wiggle slightly, still asleep enough to enjoy the sensation without giving it more thought. Carter lets out a quiet groan, and I—oh, shit. Carter.
I stop moving, knowing I shouldn’t keep going down this path with my unconscious colleague, but alsoreallywanting to continue down this path. Maybe with a conscious Carter, though.
Suddenly, the conversation back in the office in Wild Bluffs comes back to me, JT reminding me that I’m so single, it’s painful. The sexual tension between Carter and me the past two days has also been painful. Walking in on him in a towel last night didnothingto help that, at least on my part. The cold shower blessedly cooled me down enough to be able to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Moving slowly so I don’t disturb Carter, I reach over to the bedside table, grabbing my phone to find out what time it is. Early. I still have an hour—two if I forgo my run today. That’s enough time for a little fun…if that’s what I want to do. No, I know I want to. The heat growing in my core at Carter’s proximity is enough of a reminder of that. I just don’t know if Ishould.
“Kels?” Carter’s gravelly morning voice is soft against my back, and fuck if that nickname doesn’t make up my mind for me.
I roll over slowly, my T-shirt and shorts bunching up as I turn within his arms.
“Morning,” I whisper as I take in his bronze skin and the long, black eyelashes resting on his cheeks.
“Mmmm,” he replies, pulling me tight against him.
