Chapter Nine
Myalarmgoesoffat the usual five AM. I blink my eyes open, taking inventory of what muscles are sore this morning. My shoulders are the worst from the work I did yesterday.
A shift behind me has me fully alert. It doesn't take long for me to remember that Bennett is in the bed with me. We watched a movie together, fell asleep together. This is so crossing the line, but I didn't care about that last night.
Shit.
I remember him falling asleep with his arm wrapped around my waist but as some point last night, he moved to his back, so at least I don't have to try and move his arm. I sit up slowly and turn the alarm clock off. I start with stretching my arms above my head, then crossing each over my chest to loosen my muscles. There's an audible pop when I straighten my back.
"I'd think you were auditioning to be a Keebler elf with all the snap, crackle, and popping you're doing." Bennett's voice is sleepy, barely audible in the early morning. I turn around to see him with his eyes half open. The blanket is only covering hiswaist and the shirt, my shirt, he slept in has risen up to show off the bottom half of his stomach. I can't help but look.
"This is because of you," I say. I'm about to elaborate that it's because of all the work I had to do while he stood there yesterday, but he sits up and slings one arm around my shoulder. His fingers scratch lightly over my clothes, sending chills down my spine.
"You'd be feeling a lot different if it was because of me," he whispers in my ear. His hand moves to slide over my shoulder and trails slowly down my back. I feel his breath against the back of my neck.
"You need to get some more sleep," I retort. Not just because I have animals waiting to be fed and stalls to be mucked, but because last night was a fluke. We shouldn't be crossing the line like this. Bennett is great to talk to, he's funny, kind, and knowledgeable, but he's also my professor. It would be the one guy that I actually could like in a long time would be someone that I can't have. "I'll be back in about an hour or so to get you for breakfast, then I can take you home."
Bennett's hand falls away and I move to the dresser to find my clothes for the day. I catch his glance in the mirror. I can see the confusion and hurt obvious in his expression. I sigh, knowing that it would be stupid to leave him sitting here questioning if I'm mad or whatever. I would be if someone I spent the night with, even as innocent as we were, said that and just left. I turn around and look at him.
"I'm sorry. I just… This is new to me." Bennett tilts his head to the side, but I keep talking. "I mean, being intimate and sharing a bed isn't new, but I haven't been in a relationship in years and you're my professor, even if you are younger. I just don't think it's smart for us to keep going down this path."
Bennett pushes the blanket away and moves to stand in front of me. My arms are crossed over my chest and he rests one of hishands where my arms cross. "I have the same hesitation with the whole student thing," he starts. "But I do enjoy spending time with you. Plus, I'm only your teacher for five more weeks." The room goes silent for a moment before he speaks again. "We can be friends, right?"
I want to point out that friends don't almost kiss or share a bed, but I'm smart enough to know what he means. If neither of us are comfortable with crossing that line, but we only have five more weeks of the class left… We can decide if we want to do anything further then. I nod instead of saying anything. His expression falters just slightly and I see the beginning twitches of a smirk. That settles something in my stomach and I push him away from me. I'm smiling as I do it.
"Go back to bed. I'll be back to make breakfast."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Bennett says. I watch him flop back onto the bed, rolling onto my side and smiling at me. I roll my eyes, doing my best to pretend to be annoyed and not fighting whatever is making my stomach flip.
I don't see Charlie or Joyce out on the porch as I drive my truck to the barn. The animals are all awake when I open the doors, some giving me the silent treatment for being late on feeding them. I lead the horses out to the pasture for the day and get to work cleaning out their stalls. We're scheduled to do a deep clean on these stalls in the next week, something I'm not really looking forward to. My thoughts constantly travel back to last night, replaying every moment, overthinking all that was said. I made it through almost all of the movie before falling asleep, enjoying the way Bennett fit so perfectly against my body.
It has been a while since I've been with someone for more than a couple of hours. My last relationship was serious, but it didn't end well. I was given an ultimatum of the farm or him. If I knewthen what I do now, that the farm would be sold, I'm not sure I would have made the same decision.
I let out a deep sigh when I finish with the last of the chores and head back to my truck. The sun is rising quickly in the July morning. I can already tell it's going to be a hot one today. The house is quiet when I creep back in. It's barely seven-thirty so I'm sure Bennett is still asleep. I wouldn't mind sleeping for another hour or so either, but I need a shower.
"Mmm, good morning in deed." Bennett's voice travels from somewhere under the blanket on my side of the bed as I walk into my bedroom. I'm wearing a pair of jeans with the towel slung over my neck. I need to dry my hair before I put a shirt on and I realized too late that my hair dryer is in the hallway bathroom where Bennett used it last night.
My only response to him is to throw the towel as I pass around the bed. His laughter follows me out into the hallway. A few seconds later, a sleepy-eyed Bennett is leaning against the doorway while I dry my hair. It's not long, but enough that drying it properly takes a few minutes.
"You do this routine every morning?" Bennett asks when the noise dies down. I can practically hear the yawn he's hiding.
"Except Saturdays," I say easily. "Sometimes I have help, but today it was just me. I've always been an early riser."
"Can't say I'm the same," Bennett says. This time, he does yawn. I fail at hiding my smile.
"And yet, you're teaching an eight A.M. class. How does that work out?"
"Lots of caffeine," he answers with no hesitation and a seriousness I haven't seen yet this morning. "The consumption of which has never been studied in the human body."
"You're full of it, you know that?" I laugh at his ridiculousness. He steps forward and plasters himself against my bare chest. Hisarms snake around my sides and hug me tightly. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to absorb some of your energy."
"How about I make you some food and you can make coffee?" I feel him nod his head, but neither of us move for another moment. "Come on, you're burnin' daylight, sleepyhead. Let's go eat and I'll get you home."
His arms fall from around me and he tilts his head back to look at me, scowl perfectly in place. "You're very bossy for someone who spent the night being the little spoon, you know that right?"
He looks so adorable the way he's grumbling his words that I don't even say anything back. I have to fight the urge to lean forward and kiss the frown off his lips. Instead, I take a step back, officially breaking the contact between us. "Come on, let me get a shirt and I'll make us some omelets."
