I gasp dramatically. “Jamie Trent! My lemon decor is not shit!”
He chuckles. “Okay, lemon.”
“Oh no, is that going to be my nickname from now on?”
“Maybe.” He cocks his head, visibly rolling the name over in his head. “It’s cute.”
I’m a sucker for a romance book in which the love interest gives the main character a nickname. I try to imagine him calling me lemon in a non-cute way, perhaps when he’s hovering over me, my legs spread…
Too far, Raegan.
When I don’t respond, he nudges me playfully. “Well? What do you say? Are you moving in with me?” It’s hard to focus on Jamie’s sincere expression with my vision currently clouded with lust. He takes my silence as hesitation, so he backtracks a little. “We’ll just see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll help you find a new place. I promise. Just let me do this for you.”
It’s sweet that he always considers my comfort first, but I think I’m done fighting against what I’ve secretly wanted for a long time now. Sure, I might be opening myself to be crushed, but who’s to say I can’t enjoy some close proximity with him while I can?
I nod and smile, confirming my choice. “Okay.”
I want to be near him. I want to feel safe and secure, and I know Jamie is the best person to do that.
He stayswith me again that night, and I fall asleep easily knowing he’s next to me. Even without touching him, his presence is enough to soothe any anxious feelings still burrowing into the back of my mind.
There’s no doubt now that there’s something different about the way I’m drawn to him. It isn’t just a history of friendship and trust, or the feeling of safety from being around someone who knows me better than anyone else.
Somewhere deep in my chest, it feels like imaginary hands are reaching out toward him, begging to pull us closer. It’s raw and primal, and the further I wade into these new feelings, the more consuming it feels.
It sounds impossible, but I have never needed something as much as I need to be close to him. Just having him in my sights is a powerful thing.
As I drift off listening to the sound of his steady breathing, I wonder if it’s possible for humans to have soulmates.
If so, I’m pretty sure he’s mine.
Chapter Twelve
RAEGAN
I’m the first to wake on Wednesday morning. It’s nine thirty, and typically Jamie would already be drinking a cup of coffee and almost done making breakfast by now. Yet, when I look behind me, I find him still sound asleep in my bed.
His left arm is draped haphazardly across his forehead, mouth gaping. I silently laugh and grab his forearm to reposition it at his side, but when I do, I feel the scorching temperature of his skin. I touch his forehead and confirm it’s burning up.
Reaching over to dig in my nightstand, I pull out an electronic thermometer. I pull the trigger and wait for it to read. With a beep, the screen shows 101.3.
“Shit,” I whisper.
I try to rouse him awake by rubbing his shoulder, but he only groans and rolls over to face the window. With his back facing me, I feel a wave of heat coming off his body.
“Jamie, I think you’re sick.”
He stiffens, clearly awake, and I spy his hand on the other side of the bed creating a fist in the sheets.
This time my voice quivers. “Jamie?”
He bolts upright and stretches dramatically. “That was the best sleep of my life,” he says, totally casual.
“Jamie,” I say his name again but more forcefully to grab his attention, “your temperature is high. Do you feel okay?”
He turns to face me with a bright smile and absolutely no sign of discomfort. “I’m fine. My temp runs naturally high.”
“Over a hundred is natural?”
