A brief fantasy came to mind, of me pulling her into my lap, her legs straddling me. My hands digging into her backside while my tongue invaded her mouth. Our clothes coming off—the logistics didn’t matter, it was just a fantasy—and me thrusting inside her, making her forget everything. I’d fuck the memory of that piece of shit right out of her.
But I shoved it away—decisively. She was my friend. Not even just my friend, she was my best friend. I didn’t really want to be her revenge fuck, and banging her on my couch would only lead to complications neither of us needed. It would change things between us—change everything.
I couldn’t let that happen. Especially now, when she needed me to be her friend.
The hard-on was annoying, but totally my fault, and thankfully not too obvious in the pants I was wearing.
I felt her body relax, and her breathing was slow and even. After sitting with her for a while, my arm still around her, I realized she’d fallen asleep. That made me crack a smile. The couch was probably better than my sorry excuse for a bed in the other room anyway.
I didn’t want to wake her, and truth be told, I didn’t want to leave her, either. Carefully, I slid her glasses off and set them on the other side of the couch. Then I grabbed a knit throw blanket—thanks, Mom—and draped it over the two of us. I still had my shoes on, but I didn’t care. I propped my feet on the coffee table, leaned my head back, and let my eyes close.
Gradually, I fell asleep, knowing in the back of my mind a sore neck could trigger a migraine. But I didn’t care. I wasn’t letting go of Penelope. She needed me. That was all that mattered.
CHAPTER 11
Penelope
I woketo the faint scent of clean cotton and subtle cologne. My neck was stiff, but I was so warm, I didn’t want to move—or even open my eyes. It was odd, because I wasn’t lying down, and my arm was draped across—
Oh, no.
My eyes flew open. I’d fallen asleep on Theo.
We were still on his couch with my head tucked against his chest, and my glasses definitely weren’t on my face. I’d stretched one leg over his lap and his hand rested casually on my thigh.
I tried to move, but he held my leg and grunted softly in his sleep. Biting my lower lip, I shifted again, but his other arm tightened around me.
We had a green knit blanket partially covering us. He must have done that. I’d been pouring my heart out to him and fallen asleep. Instead of waking me up, he’d gotten as comfortable as he could—he hadn’t even taken his shoes off—and stayed there.
All night.
I wasn’t quite sure what time it was, but it looked like the sun was up.
He made another low noise in his throat and shifted slightly, pulling me tighter against him. I wondered if he was dreaming. Instinctively, I moved my hand up his torso and rubbed a few slow circles across his broad chest. His body relaxed and his breathing evened.
For a moment, I thought about trying to go back to sleep. But with my body angled the way it was, his thigh pressed between my legs. Once I noticed that, there was no ignoring it. Deep pressure filled my core and the desire to move—to get just a little friction—was so intense I almost did.
This was so bad. My body was on fire. It had been quite a while since my lady parts had been touched, let alone satisfied. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to shift my hips away from him. As soon as I moved, he drew me closer, inadvertently dragging me against him. I gasped and forced myself not to rock backward again.
Do not dry hump your best friend’s leg, Penelope. Do. Not.
Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths, and the sensation gradually eased. He’d rescued me, brought me to his house, listened to me babble about my now ex-boyfriend, and held me while I slept. He was such a good friend. I didn’t want to think of him in any other way.
It would change everything if I did. Risk our entire friendship. The timing was bad anyway, but aside from that, it was a chance I couldn’t take.
Besides, guys like Theo didn’t want girls like me. Not like that.
He took a deep breath and let go of me, stretching his arms overhead. I pulled away, quickly moving my leg off him and sitting up. Without my glasses, everything was fuzzy, including Theo.
“Hey,” he said. “Morning.”
“I’m so sorry I fell asleep on you.”
He shifted so he was sitting up and moved his head from side to side, stretching his neck. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind.”
Feeling vulnerable, I pulled the blanket into my lap and clutched it beneath my chin. He reached to the other side of the couch and grabbed something, but I couldn’t see well enough to know what he was doing. A second later, he gently put my glasses on my face.
His smile came into focus first.
