I managed to shake my headno, but words were still hard. “You.” Sniff. “Go ahead.” Hiccup.
“I ate on the road. Permission to koala?”
I shrugged and scooted off of his pillow—tissue in hand—without the slightest idea what he meant. He plopped down where I’d been and scooped me up under my knees to put me in front of him with my legs over his. He circled me in his arms, pressing my cheek into his chest with his chin on my head, wrapping around me like …oh.
A koala.
Jude took slow, deep breaths, and somehow it caused me to do the same. After a few peaceful seconds, he loosened his grip long enough to grab the remote and start a Marvel movie with the volume low. Captions flashed on the screen as he reclined,and I shifted to wrap my arm around his back, releasing it from between us.
He kept his arms locked around me as he spoke low and soft. “I texted Annie and told her you had a rough night at work and you’re with me. She asked if you were okay, and I said yes. Is that good?” I curled into him harder and nodded my face into his shirt. His voice purred in my ear like an engine. “Jace was wrong, you know. It wasn’t hard to get you into bed at all.” I choked out a laugh. He caught my hand as I pinched his side and held it to his chest. “I’m kidding. I won’t tell him, but he’ll be home eventually, and if he finds out, he’ll never let this go.” I nodded again.
But I didn’t care. All I wanted was to listen to his voice reverberate through his chest and breathe with him. For a long time, I wasn’t asleep, but I didn’t move, speak, or worry. I didn’t think about the past or the future. I just soaked up his peace.
After about an hour, he tried again to make me talk.
“Since you have me pinned to the bed in this vulnerable state, I’m going to have to beg you not to take advantage of me,” he said, barely above a whisper. I was startled until I realized he was kidding.
“I probably won’t,” I whispered hoarsely.
“What?” He turned his head to put his ear closer.
I stretched up, repeating my weak whisper against his ear. “I probably won’t.”
His big, warm hand came up and pushed my face back down to his chest, putting his chin firmly back on my head. “Probably? No means no,” he teased, making me cough on a laugh.
“Thanks, DC,” I rasped near his neck as my eyes filled again. He glanced at me quickly before he shifted his eyes up toward the ceiling and blew out a forceful exhale.
“Strike two. Stop trying to seduce me.” He pushed my head back down again.
I complied, smiling at his consistent playfulness. He knows I hate being whiny and sad. I hate showing weakness at all.
His hair was longer then and so close to my face. The scent was hypnotic. I was suddenly curious if it was still wet, so I ran my hand up his chest and over his shoulder to touch it. The Zenlike comfort I found twirling the cool, slightly damp pieces between my fingers was irresistible. It was that moment when I concluded I might never experience an uncomfortable emotion ever again if I could weave my fingers through his baby-soft hair whenever I wanted.
My heart rate slowed, and I was nearly asleep when he abruptly placed his hand over mine to stop the movement.
“I don’t know what base you’re trying to reach, but…”
My face caught fire, and I quickly shifted to move my legs off his, but he pulled me back and put his leg over mine to trap me gently in something like a scissor hold.
“I better go.”
“Nooo, no, no, my foot’s asleep. You can’t leave me in this condition. I’m sorry, Lu.” He pulled me back to his chest, whispering in a slow, rumbling hum. His hot, breathy words in my ear gave me chills and burned me up, while his stubble grazing my neck and cheek made me squirm. “Please don’t leave. I was just trying to make you laugh, but I’m human, and you found my weakness.” I swatted his leg to tap out of his grip and catch my breath. “And I already knew yours, so now we’re even. Behave yourself, little girl,” he said, returning to his light, playful tone before he pulled my head back to kiss the top with a loud smack.
Wait, what did he mean, he knows mine?
“Sooo your hair’s your weakness? Like Samson?” I asked, dizzy from his breath in my ear.Ahhh, that. Yep, that’s my weakness.
I tilted my head to the side and shrugged my shoulder up to rub the tingly sensation from my ear.
“You …playing with my hair.Youare my weakness.”
What the …what?
“I didn’t mean anything. I was just … I was almost asleep,” I rambled with a whole truckload of awkwardness.
“I was …not.” He whispered a low chuckle into my hair.
“I’m sorry,” I said, hoping my splotchy red embarrassment would blend in with the puffy red crying. Was he messing with me?
