He nodded. “It won’t help either of us sleep, though.”
She shrugged, then walked over to the cupboard, grabbed another mug and poured him a cup. “Cream? Sugar?”
“Both.”
She mixed them in, added a bit more sugar than he might have used, then rounded the counter, offered him the cup. “You take any meds, yet? Because you should based on how tense your muscles are.”
“That was next on my list.”
“I’ve got some in my room.” She paused. “Unless you somehow filled a prescription while we were being chased?” She smiled at his guarded sigh. “Didn’t think so. Take a seat.”
She darted past him down the hall as he made his way to the couch, sank onto the cushions a few moments before she appeared beside him. She dropped some pills in his hand, waited until he knocked them back with a gulp of coffee, then settled in next to him.
A comfortable silence stretched between them as more lights blinked near the horizon, the helicopter eventually returning to the hangar. The pain killers finally kicked in, his leg easing to nothing more than a dull ache as he rested it on the chaise part of the sofa.
Rowan sat beside him, mug cradled in her hands, eyelids occasionally drooping, but she kept blinking herself awake, the odd side-eye sliding his way.
Bodie sighed. “Rowan. You’re exhausted. Go back to bed. My leg’s feeling better, and I’m sure I’ll drift off shortly.”
She continued to stare out the window for a minute before finally glancing his way. “You tired of my company, already?”
“Do you always deflect questions and comments? Or am I special?”
“You’re something, and…” Her voice faded, a few lines slowly creasing her brow.
“Is the bed uncomfortable? The pillows too hard or soft? Not enough blankets?”
“The bed’s great. Nicer than mine, actually. It’s just…” She blew out a rough breath, fluttering the hairs around her face. “Let’s just say you’re not the only one who has nightmares. Once they start…” She shifted slightly, then twisted to face him. “It’s easier out here. Open spaces. No expectations of lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling while I count how much sleep I could still get if I drifted off right then.”
He gave in to the urge to tuck some hair behind her ear. “I don’t suppose those dreams have anything to do with all the files you’re gonna share?”
“Like I said. This case is personal. But you should really try to get some sleep. Let your leg heal before we’re running from more mercenaries because there’s not a chance this is over, yet.”
“Which means, you need sleep, too.” He leaned over and grabbed a blanket out of a basket on the side of the couch, then motioned her closer. “I don’t bite.”
She arched a brow but shuffled against him, leaning her head on his shoulder as he draped the blanket over them before flipping on the TV, starting an old movie.
She laughed. “The Princess Bride?”
“It’s a classic.”
“As you wish.”
He smiled, relaxed against the cushions as the movie began, his muscles easing for the first time since that resounding click. Rowan started fading before they’d gotten ten minutes into the film, finally turning slightly and burrowing against him. Bodie lifted his arm, tugged her into his chest, the gentle weight of her against him oddly peaceful. As if she quieted all the voices in his head.
He mulled the thought over, drifting off as the movie played in the background, when she twitched, mumbling nonsense in her sleep. Her hand moved across his chest, brushing against his ribs before she blinked, staring up at him still mostly asleep.
Rowan smiled as she slid her fingers across his neck and behind his head before tugging him down enough to slant her lips over his — taste his mouth. He hesitated for maybe a heartbeat before he was all-in — had his hand fisted in her hair, the other cupping her cheek. She didn’t rush, repositioning a couple times as if she needed more contact until she finally eased back — hummed to herself, then drifted off, more of her body wrapped around his.
Bodie stared down at her — thick eyelashes resting against porcelain skin, her lips slightly kiss-swollen. He still had his hand tangled in her silky hair, his thumb resting against her cheek, all the adrenaline from the kiss kicking his pulse into triple digits. A hint of coffee lingered on his tongue, along with something sweet he guessed was all her. He’d never been overly romantic or believed in love at first sight. But there’d been something about the way she’d kissed him — how his stomach had jumped as warmth spread through his core — that had him questioning if this might be the start of something more.
Something long-lasting.
Like what his buddies at Raven’s Watch had found with their partners. All the happy endings he’d witnessed over the past couple years.
The idea bounced around in his head as he gathered her close, drifting off into a numbing haze only to have his cell buzz a few hours later. Not overly loud but enough it roused him — Dalton letting him know Wade had stabilized, would be out of the ICU later today. Rowan must have felt the vibrations because she scrunched her face, deep lines furrowing her brow.
He rubbed her arm, lulled her back for another thirty minutes until she blinked, stared up at him, all that blue making him smile. He’d never seen eyes that color, that mesmerizing.
