I yawned. “Say it in the morning. I don’t want to fall asleep halfway through your heartfelt gushing.”
“Deal.”
I watched Jane wrap Connor up in a fluffy blanket with dancing bunnies around the border. I itched to ask her about her past, but once again I bit my tongue. We were both tired. Thiswasn’t the time to be digging around for her secrets. She would talk in her own time.
Rowan poked his head into the room, staring at the floor. “I’ve made up a room for you guys. I need a cup of tea. Do either of you want one?”
“Hot chocolate?” Jane’s eye widened.
“Sure. Hot chocolate.”
“You’re on.” Jane turned to me. “You coming?”
I shook my head. The corners of my eyes drooped. “I need sleep.”
Jane wrapped her arms around me. “I’ll see you tomorrow. After everything you’ve been through today, I hope you sleep like a baby.”
Connor’s eyes flew open. His tiny face screwed up, and he started to wail.
Jane held him over her shoulder, frowning as she felt his diaper. “Oh, I’d better tend to that. Hopefully, the walls are thick enough that Connor won’t wake you when he cries.”
I smiled. “Here’s hoping. Goodnight, Connor.”
Jane followed Rowan toward the kitchen. I was just lurching to my feet when warm arms wrapped around me, lifting me off the ground. I found myself staring into Arthur’s kind eyes. A loose strand of his long blond hair fell across my face, tickling my skin.
“Allow me.” He pulled me against his warm chest as he started for the stairs.
“Again? Icanhandle stairs on my own.”
Arthur lifted an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’re going to refuse this generous offer in the name of feminism to walk up to your room under your own steam?”
“Hell no.” I snuggled down into Arthur’s arms, relishing the safety of his enormous frame and his hot, distinctly-Arthurish scent. I remembered the very first time he’d carried me up tobed, and we shared that intense kiss – the first kiss I’d had in Briarwood – a kiss that, more than anything, loosened the strings around my numb, grieving heart.
Arthur lurched up the narrow spiral staircase leading to my bedroom, stumbled across the corner of the rug, and plopped me down on the bed. He flopped down beside me on his back, his long hair falling around his head like a golden halo.
“I should get up,” Arthur said, even as his eyes fluttered shut. His long eyelashes tangled together. I reached across and ran my hands over his bicep, admiring the taut, bulging muscle, tracing the lines of his intricate tattoos, trailing over the bumps in his flesh below his elbow formed by rows of parallel scars.
As soon as I touched the scars, Arthur jerked away. “It’s late. You need to sleep.”
“I want you to stay,” I said, my hands falling to my sides. “We could sleep together. Not…do stuff, just sleep.”
“I think you’ll sleep better by yourself.” Arthur stood up, heading for the door. He turned and smiled at me, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sweet dreams, Maeve.”
“Arthur, are you?—”
But he had already disappeared.
I flung the shirtdress off my head and crawled between the sheets. Mmmmmm. I was going to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I had never been this tired in my whole life, not even after that time Andrew and I stayed up to catch the Leonid meteor shower, or when Mom and Dad went to bible camp and Kelly and I stayed up all night for aSupernaturalmarathon.
Maybe I’ll fall asleep dreaming of Dean Winchester…
My phone beeped.
I groaned, my eyes barely opening as I fumbled for my nightstand. I grabbed the phone and held it up to my face. Red welts danced in front of my eyes as I squinted at the message. It was from Kelly.
Hey Maeve. I think it might be about 9 PM over there, but this time zone thing
doesn’t make any sense. If you get this, can you call me? No reason, I just miss you :)
