And it felt just as safe—just like it had when he’d figured out I needed Teddy last night—to bare mine to him, too.
But before I could figure out what to do with any of that or get my racing heart under control, a loud knock sounded at the door, making me jump.
Edward’s eyebrows went up. “Did you order room service, sweetheart?”
Had he forgotten that it wasn’t an option? But if he had forgotten, he thought I’ddothat? Without asking? When it would have been charged to his room?
“Ofcoursenot,” I said, horrified that he’d think that of me. Then the knock sounded again, the rhythm of it even more urgent, and I remembered… “It’s Sam.”
For a split second, I worried that that might make Edward mad, since Sam had been so harsh with him the night before, but he just grinned and boosted me off his lap, then patted my butt to move me in the direction or the door. “Well, then, you’d better answer it and reassure him I haven’t eaten you yet.”
A pulsing heat shot through my body, making me stumble over nothing at all.
Edward had been joking, and I knew he hadn’t meant “eat me” likethat… but my lower parts apparently didn’t.
Answering the door with an erection, though?
“Rene,” Sam’s muffled voice came through the door, accompanied by more knocking. “Are you still alive? Are you still in the shower? Mr. Garrett, if you’ve doneanythingto him, I swear, I’ll—”
“Give us a moment, Sam,” Edward called out from right behind me, cutting off whatever threat Sam had been brewing up. “Rene is coming.”
His hands landed on my shoulders as I looked down at my tented sleep pants in a panic, and the heat of his body behind me almost made that prediction about me coming, come true right then and there.
“Stay right here, sweetheart,” Edward murmured, his breath warm against my scalp and a smile in his voice. “I’ll grab you a robe.”
I swore I felt him press a kiss against the top of my head before he disappeared into the bathroom, but I was too busy worrying about whetherhe’dseen my erection to enjoy it.
But of course he’d seen it.Obviously, he had. It was why he’d offered me the robe.
I… wanted to feel mortified about that—or at least I thought I should?—but instead, my body was having a totally different reaction.
Oh God, Iwantedhim to see me, didn’t I? I liked it when he called me “beautiful.” I enjoyed being on display for him like this.
Maybe something was wrong with me.
Edward was back in an instant with a plush purple robe from the bathroom, but when he held it out, I couldn’t take it from him. I was frozen in place, still torn between wanting to hide myself from him and wanting the opposite.
But just like I’d asked him to last night, he took charge, making everything okay.
He didn’t comment on my panic, just smiled at me, leaned in to kiss my forehead, then lifted each of my arms just like I would have with Teddy if I was putting one of his cute little vests on him. It made something inside me settle right down. Not my erection, for the record, but even that didn’t seem to matter anymore. Not with Edward handling things and nothing expected of me except to stand there and let him.
He slipped my arms into the arms of the robe, then settled it around me before lowering my arms back down and closing the robe in front.
“Perfect,” he murmured as he tied it off, smoothing the soft material over my chest and then straightening the folds. “You look beautiful, Rene.” His voice had gone low and husky, sending fresh shivers through me. “You’d be beautiful in anything, I’m sure, but I especially like seeing you rumpled in the morning like this, after a night spent in my bed.”
Inhisbed. I liked how he said that, even though I was still sure he hadn’t slept there with me.
He’d provided it for me, though.
He owned it, literally.
He brushed my hair back from my forehead, fussing with it like he was straightening it or styling it or just… just enjoying what was his. Not thatIwas his, of course, but…
I’d like to be.
My face heated, and even though he didn’t say anything about it, he didn’t miss it, either.
And Istilldidn’t move away or try to hide from him.
