She blinked several times, his words drawing her back to the present.She turned to him and did her best to smile, though she wasn’t sure she succeeded.
“It’s fine.I just got lost in my own head.Are we going to be sharing the room?”She wanted to look around again but kept her gaze on him.He liked it when she looked at him and not away.
He crinkled his face.“Yeah, we are, sorry.We don’t have any open rooms right now.If you would be more comfortable, I’ll hunt down a sleeping bag and crash on the floor.”
Delilah shook her head.“No.I’m not running you out of your bed.If anyone’s sleeping on the floor, it will be me.I’m used to it anyway,” she said with a shrug.“We were okay last night.Can we do that again, at least for today?I can sleep on the floor tonight, if you want.”She dropped her gaze, then lifted it again to watch him after reminding herself that he wanted her to look at him.He wasn’t Warren.He wouldn’t slap her, or worse, for being insolent, as he had put it.
“Yeah, we can do that.I’m not agreeing with you sleeping on the floor later, but we’ll deal with that later.For now, let’s see how things look after some rest.”He sat on the edge of the bed and toed off his boots.“Come on and get comfortable, little dove.”He patted the bed beside him.
Delilah didn’t know why he kept calling her that, but she liked it.She didn’t want everyone to call her that, but she liked it when he did.She toed off the thin canvas shoes they’d gotten for her, looked down at her sweater and wished she had something thinner to sleep in but shrugged it off.This would do.She crawled up from the foot of the bed until she reached the top then lay down.
“What side do you want me on?”she asked.
“Get comfortable, baby.I’ll figure it out.”
Delilah closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing.A moment later the mattress shifted.Nothing touched her, but there was a warmth that hadn’t been there before along the front of her body, then she felt Hawkeye’s breath feather across her cheek.
She opened her eyes and found herself staring into the soft brown of his eyes.
“Is something wrong?”she asked, watching his face.
“I didn’t want to scare you by touching you without warning you first.”
“Okay.But I know you’re there.I know we are the only ones in the room.I’m okay.”
“Want to come over here and let me hold you while we rest?”He didn’t pull her where he wanted her.
Delilah nodded, then rolled over and scooted backward.Hawkeye’s arm came around her middle, pulling her tight against him.She couldn’t help but notice the erection pressed against her butt and froze.What did he want from her?What did he expect?
“It’s all right, little one.It’s natural and I can’t help it but that doesn’t mean I have to use it.Close your eyes and relax.”Hawkeye’s voice was soft in her ear.
She did as she was told, wondering if Hawkeye wanted her there or if he felt responsible for her since he’d found her, then the other women had threatened to hurt her.He hadn’t known she existed, hadn’t been there for her.and hadn’t planned on having the burden of a woman who knew nothing more than how to take care of a house.He didn’t have a house to care for.
Delilah lay still, unable to make her mind stop spinning.Did Hawkeye not want her?She didn’t think that was it, not with what she could feel against her back side.Why was he holding back?Did he care she wasn’t pure?Warren had insisted she be pure, untouched.It was important in Jericho, but not everyone felt that way.Her time with the Royal Crows had shown her that.Still, she wondered why Hawkeye held back.
“I can hear you thinking, little dove.Tell me what’s got you so wound up.”Hawkeye’s voice was barely more than a whisper.
She lay there, silent as she tried to figure out how to ask without offending him.After a moment, she decided she needed to see his face, so she scooted away, and rolled over.She needed to see his reactions as she asked this.
“Why did you kiss me earlier?”
He frowned.“What do you mean?”
“I mean before we ate.Before our food arrived, you kissed me.Why?”
“I was trying to show you something.”
“I know that part,” she waved one hand.“You said if you’ll kiss me, you’ll drink after me.That’s not what I meant, but let’s take that detour since you brought it up.Why are you willing to drink after me?”
“I know you’re headed somewhere, but I’ll be damned if I can see it.Tell me what you’re looking for, little dove.”
She closed her eyes.She wasn’t doing this right.She needed to find a better way.
“Okay, let’s go back to the kiss.Do you kiss everyone?”
“No, of course not.”
“Okay, then, why did you kiss me?”She let her gaze drop to his chest.
