“On one condition.”
“Condition?”
“Yep. I’ll sleep there on one condition,” I declared, feeling brave.
Chris rocked back on his heels and folded his arms across his chest. The way his sweater pulled around his biceps sent a shiver through my body and I regretted going down this path. Not that I’d back down. I was halfway down the rabbit hole now so might as well leap.
“And that is?”
I took a breath. “You’re sleeping there, too.”
I watched as Chris processed my words. An awkward look crossed his face and he stared everywhere but at me. Immediately, I wanted to take the words back. Actually, it was more than my words I wanted to take back. I wanted to scoop up Noelle and go sleep in the car. Surely, if we wore all the clothes we packed we wouldn’t freeze to death. I was beyond embarrassed. I hated that the idea of sharing a bed with me made Chris so uncomfortable.
“That’s probably not a good idea,” he murmured eventually.
As humiliated as I was, I refused to cave. “It’s for one night. It’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know.”
“I do. It’s one night. We’re adults. Nothing’s going to happen. And if you’re worried I’m going to cross the line, you can build a pillow wall between us.”
I tried to make it seem like less of a drama even though my heart pounded in my chest.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Chris mumbled.
I clapped my hands. “Great! It’s settled then.”
While Chris stared at me like I’d grown a second head, I pulled back the covers and sunk onto the mattress, rolling straight into the middle.
“I’m just going to lock up. Get some sleep, Holly,” Chris offered before bolting out the door, looking like he was going to hurl.
I tried not to take it personally. Lying there in the middle of the room, burrowed under blankets that smelt like sandalwood and man, I listened to the fire crackle and Noelle’s soft snores. I hoped Chris wasn’t repulsed by me. I mean, I wasn’t expecting him to have fallen in love with me, but I wasn’t that bad. At least I didn’t think I was. No, I shook off the thought. I didn’t even want to go there. I had enough insecurities without adding unrequited love to the list. I might have an itsy bitsy, little crush on Chris, but if he didn’t reciprocate, I’d be fine. The storm would pass. My car would be repaired, and Noelle and I would be back on the road never looking back. It would be fine. I’d be fine. I just had to get through the next twenty-four hours. Easier said than done.
ten
CHRIS
“Five more minutes,”I mumbled as I tugged the covers up higher around my chin.
A murmur replied, and my eyes pinged open.
My whole body went taut.
I wasn't alone in my bed.
I wasn’t in my bed.
I took a breath and the scent of vanilla hit me, making my mouth water.
I was in bed with Holly. And not just in bed with her, tangled up with her. I was wrapped around her, spooning her from behind. She was the little spoon to my big spoon, our bodies pressed together. Our legs were tangled, and her cold toes were tucked in the bottom of my pajama pants.
Without startling her, I pulled back my hips not wanting my morning wood pressing into the crease of her ass.
My mind was racing.
This was bad.
This was really bad.
