Ihad never gone to bed with someone before. I’d taken womentobed, sure. Plenty of them, but it had always gone the same way.
Drinks. Hotels. Sheets I didn’t own. Bodies I didn’t intend to remember.
But then I’d left.
Always.
As soon as I’d caught my breath in the aftermath, I’d always gone back to my own place to sleep. Even on the rare occasion when I’d dozed off for a few minutes or a few hours, as soon as I woke up, I was gone.
This, however, was different.
Jane was asleep beside me, one arm tucked between us, her forehead nearly touching my shoulder, and the realization landed as I opened my eyes that I wasn’t going anywhere. More than that, I didn’t want to leave this bed.
The storm outside hadn’t let up. Snow slammed against the windows hard enough that even the thick old glass rattled. Despite the fact that the sun had risen at least an hour ago, it was still dark. As I came fully into consciousness, I realized that the power was also out.
There was no hum of electricity and no lights, no heat drifting from the vents. The room was cold everywhere except right here. This bed was the only warm place in the house until we lit the fires again. The embers of the one in my room still glowed but that wouldn’t last long.
I shifted slightly, careful not to wake her, and felt her move with me, instinctively closing the gap again without opening her eyes. Her hand slid over my chest, her fingers curling like she expected me to still be there. I exhaled through my nose when I realized that right now, this was better than sex.
While my brain insisted that I had to get up, get away now that I was awake, my instincts weren’t saying the same thing. I lay there longer than I meant to, just staring up at the ceiling, listening to the storm and the slow rhythm of her breathing, not a single muscle in my body wanting to move.
Every once in a while, she’d sigh, or her knee would brush mine, or her fingers would flex. Each time, it sent a low, sharp reminder straight through my body.We shouldn’t be doing this, but we already are.
I swallowed a low groan, my cock already as stiff again as it had been when I’d finally fallen asleep. Shit, I was no saint and I sure as hell wasn’t a martyr or into denial. I had no idea how long I was going to be able to take this before I snapped, but when I finally got inside her, I wouldn’t be wondering if she was tipsy or if she’d regret it in the morning.
After last night,when—and notif,butwhen—we went there, we’d both be stone cold sober and wanting it so bad, there could be no regret. No going back.
My train of thought was cut off when she stirred, waking gradually and not all at once. I felt it before I saw it, the way her breathing changed and how her hand shifted deliberately this time. Her head lifted, her hair falling into her face and her eyes still soft and unfocused.
“Good morning,” she murmured, her voice rough with sleep.
“That depends on your definition ofgood,” I said. “It’s still trying to kill us out there.”
She smiled faintly and followed my gaze toward the window. “Yeah. Wow. It looks even worse now. What’s the time?”
“After eight.”
“But it’s so dark.” She brought her gaze back to mine. “Why is it so quiet?”
“The power’s out,” I said, hooking an arm behind my head and looking up at her. “We’re pretty much stuck exactly where we are for the day.”
“Yeah.” She adjusted, propping herself on one elbow, and the sheet slipped just enough to make my jaw tighten.
The hoodie had ridden up while she’d been asleep, and with the sheet where it was right now, there was an exposed sliver of skin at her hip. A sliver of skin that, if the sheet moved just a little more, would lead all the way to?—
“What?” she asked, obviously catching the look on my face. She lifted an eyebrow at me, amusement sparking in her still sleepy eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t,” I warned.
“Don’t what?”
“Move.”
She smiled wider and absolutely did not listen. I closed my eyes briefly, counted to three, then opened them again to find her watching me like she was cataloging every reaction I failed to hide.
“You look conflicted,” she said as her arm brushed against my hip under the covers, and I glared at her again.
“I am.”
