“If we move some furniture around, we can fit your bed too,” she argued. “We just need to slide the couch and coffee table into the kitchen.”
Yeah, that would clear up space, but then I’d be sleeping in the same room as her and subjecting her to my nightmares.
I shook my head. “Better I stay upstairs. I’m a restless sleeper.” Understatement.
“If we weren’t here?—”
I cut her off. “You’d be freezing in that car. And honestly, I’d probably have still slept upstairs. I sleep better in the cold.” And alone.
“Mamma!” The baby waved her book.
“Storytime,” Nicky stated as if in apology. “Even though we’re in a new place, she knows her routine.”
Nicky moved to the couch with Zaza in her lap and the storybook held open while she read. A curious Percy perched by Nicky’s shoulder as if listening and looking at the pictures.
It was ridiculously domestic. Nice. Soothing.
Something I’d never have.
“I’m going to do a bit more work before bed,” I abruptly stated.
“Oh. Good night,” Nicky said before murmuring softly to the child who chirped, “Bueno notte.”
I gave them a little wave and headed upstairs. Percy stayed behind, most likely enjoying the radiating warmth.
My computer had an almost full battery, but two more hours of writing—where Brett and his lizard saved a damsel in distress—left it at only sixty percent. Fuck. I’d better get the power back soon or my streak would come to an abrupt halt.
When I stood, my leg ached and I grimaced. A glance at the window showed the storm still going strong, but that didn’t stop me from dressing in my bulky robe and grabbing a towel. The hot tub had a gazebo around it which meant the snow shouldn’t be too bad under it.
I crept downstairs quietly, and a good thing since Nicky lay on the mattress asleep, the baby tucked against her back.
Percy, though, appeared to be watching the tablet still. A boob tube watching lizard. Fucking wild.
I slid on my boots but didn’t lace them. When I opened the door, a gust of wind and snow blew in and I winced. A glance over my shoulder showed them all still sleeping. I eased outside and grimaced as the snow reached high enough to spill inside my boots. Cold fucking shit. I moved quickly to the gazebo, finding snow had drifted against the outside of the hot tub, but the cover remained clear.
Soon as I folded half of it open, steam greeted me. Thank fuck for a wood-fired hot tub. It made me glad I’d spent a few minutes ensuring the fire wouldn’t go out when fetching the logs earlier. I couldn’t run the jets, obviously, but a hot soak would still do the trick when it came to my sore leg.
I eased slowly into the hot water. The clash between my face getting bitten by the cold gusts and the heat leeching into my muscles proved jarring and nice all at once. I submerged my body to my neck and leaned my head back.
Ahhh.
Instant relaxation. I closed my eyes and let my mind float. Drifted off into a semi-sleep, one where I remained somewhat alert—you learned early on in the field to grab Zs where you could, but never too deep—so when someone put their hand on me, I reacted, grabbing and yanking, dragging the person into the tub before I’d even fully woke and sat up.
I gaped, then blurted, “Fuck me, I’m sorry,” to the sopping-wet Nicky.
Chapter Six
A soaked Nicky laughed, a husky sound full of mirth, not anger. “Well, that will teach me to wake a sleeping soldier.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you and just reacted.”
“Not your fault. I noticed you sneaking out so thought I’d check on you since you’d been gone a while. When I found you asleep in the tub, I worried you might drown.”
Worried? About me? The very idea almost made me snort. “I’m fine. Leg was acting up so I came out to give it a hot soak.”
“Does it hurt often?” she asked, making no move to get out of the tub despite being fully dressed. And wet. So very wet, and not in a good way.
“Every day.”
