“Right. No funny stuff,” I say, shoving that fantasy back into the darkest corner of my mind.
Trying to pretend I was never thinking it at all.
Of course she only meant we should sleep. I knew that.
Now, if only my body would listen.
You
You’re exhausted.
You’ve never felt so tired in your life.
It takes all your strength just to brush your teeth, and even holding your toothbrush feels like heavy lifting. All the coordination you had when you caught the juice bottle earlier is gone.
You practically fall into bed, flopping into the sheets as you mumble, “Hit the lights on your way in.”
Somewhere in the back of your mind, the little voice of reason warns you that you’ve only just met Ziros. Even though it feels like you’ve known him for weeks, it’s been less than 24 hours.
You hardly know this guy.
Then again.
He’s done nothing but save you and take care of you. And he’s bound by magic to protect you.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Ziros
How the hell am I supposed to sleep now?
The room is dark and quiet. At least, aside from the constant hum of electricity buzzing through the walls. How humans these days put up with it is beyond me.
But that’s not the real problem.
The real problem is that the bed is too small. Or maybe it’s that the human is spread across it like a starfish.
There’s no way to climb in without touching her.
I strip off my shirt, tossing it onto the bedside table as I slide carefully under what’s left of the covers. The rest are balled up around her, like she decided to mummify herself in her sleep.
She’s only been in there five minutes, and already she’s hogging every single blanket.
I try to tug a few inches free, and she stirs, grumbling a complaint in her sleep as she shifts over ever-so-slightly.
At least now there’s room. Sort of.
But I’ve got no blankets to speak of.
And the bed still isn’t very big. Not for two full-grown adults. At least—not without touching.
It sure as hell beats sleeping away eternity in that void, though.
And it’s a lot moreinteresting, too.
How many eons has it been since I’ve lain beside a woman?
I roll over onto my side, facing away. Trying my damndest to be the gentleman I fully intend to be, but then she rolls over, too, wrapping her arms around my back.
