“You want to go clothes shopping now?” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Really?”
“No, but I want to sleep in something other than this dress.” I look down at my frilly smock. “It’s cute, but I can’t imagine it will be comfortable to sleep in. Nor do I think your outfit is going to be comfortable to sleep in.”
“Oh, I’m not sleeping in this.” He laughs, and I watch as he undoes all the buttons on his shirt and takes it off, so he’s now standing there shirtless.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Luke shirtless. And not even the first time I’ve seen him shirtless in a bedroom, but it has never felt like this before.
“What are you sleeping in then?” I pick up the phone and push the button for room service so that I don’t have to look at him. It’s not that I don’t want to look at him, but I don’t want to stare and ogle him.
Luke went and got himself a lean, muscular physique in the last couple of years. He is built, and he has abs, and my brain is appreciating them far too much. I feel like a sad sack, staring at my bestfriend like that. I suppose it is the consequence of not having a boyfriend for ages.
“I was going to sleep naked.”
“What?” My tone is loud.
He bursts out laughing. His eyes twinkle as he takes a seat at the edge of the bed.
“Ain’t no way you’re sleeping naked, Luke.”
“But I’ll be on the couch. It’s not like I’ll accidentally touch you with all my naked bits and pieces.”
“I said I’ll take the couch, but if you want the couch, I don’t mind taking the bed. It looks comfy.”
“It sure does.” He eyes me. “Remember when we shared a bed as teens and no-one had to take the couch? And we’d watch movies and fall asleep telling stories and then in the morning you’d wake me up by hitting me with a pillow.”
“We didn’t share the bed that often, but yes.”
“I think best friends can share a bed and not worry about it, don’t you?”
“Really Luke?” I place my hands on my hips. “Is this your way of saying you don’t think anyone should be on the couch?”
“This is my way of saying we’ve slept in beds together, plenty of times. Why not on this trip as well?”
Because you’ve never looked this sexy before.
“Luke, you can sleep in the bed with me. It’s large enough, and we can just build a pillow fort between us.”
“A pillow fort?” His lip twitches. “What is the fort keeping in or out?” He stands up and I watch as he walks over to the large French door and opens it. He steps out onto the balcony and I follow behind him. We both stare out at the ocean in the distance and the swaying fronds of the palm trees that run down the side of the property. It’s a beautiful night.
“I don’t know.” I shrug as I lean back against the wall and then my eyes catch the hammock. “Ooh, look.” I head over to it and glance back at him. “Want to give me a push?”
“Right now? He steps toward me and I feel his fingers on the slight of my back. “You want to sleep there tonight?”
“No, of course not.”
“It would protect you from my morning wood.” He winks and all I can do is blush. “Better than even a pillow fort.”
“Really,Luke?”
“Isn’t that what you’re worried about?”
“No.”
“I mean it would be awkward if there was no pillow fort and you work up and I was pressed up against your ass, all hard. Or maybe that’s okay? Makes it all the more real right?”
“Luke, really?” I swallow hard. I know he’s just joking, but I’m starting to feel hot. I’m about to make a joke to cut through the sexual tension when the phone inside the room rings, and I hurry back inside to answer it. It rings off before I can answer it, but I decide to call down to order some food instead of going back onto the balcony. A pleasant-sounding lady answers within seconds.
“Room service. Can I help you?”
