Nicole prayed her friend was right, but mostly she prayed that what they were doing with the unconscious man would help them keep her grandfather’s company.
After a few tense seconds, Nicole slid an arm under Mick to adjust him again. Mary motioned for Nicole to stop. His one arm was outstretched, so Mary lay the empty bottle beside it. Nicole pulled back a little as Mary clicked a couple of pictures.
“Let’s move him that way.” Mary pointed toward the wall.
Once again, Nicole slid her arm underneath him in an attempt to move him, but Mick groaned and rolled toward Nicole. This time, his arm wrapped around her waist and trapped her to the bed.
Sucking in a quick breath, she met Mary’s panicked stare. The position she was in with Mick had her heart beating in a different rhythm.
He moaned again and snuggled closer to her, laying his head in the crook of her neck. Tingles of apprehension danced across her skin, and she silently cursed her friend for having this insane idea. Lying this close only made the temperature in Nicole’s body climb a notch.
“This is perfect,” Mary whispered raising the camera to her eye.
“Don’t you dare...” Nicole warned through clenched teeth, but her friend had already snapped a few pictures.
“Mary, get him off me!” Perhaps her voice was louder than it should be, but enough was enough.
Mick groaned again, and Nicole’s eyes snapped open. Panic filled her as she met her friend’s worried gaze. Holding her breath, Nicole prayed that he wasn’t waking up. He couldn’t be waking up. It had only been about an hour since she gave him the sleeping pills. But that wasn’t the panic buzzing through her body right now. It was hard to breathe, but she tried to squeeze out a few breaths, anyhow.
“Okay,” Mary said softly, “maybe he is waking up.”
Nicole released a shaky breath. “Then get him off me.”
Mary leaned closer to the bed as she carefully wrapped her hands around Mick’s wrist. But just as she lifted his arm, he groaned again. This time, his leg hooked around hers as he pulled his arm out of Mary’s grasp and wrapped it back around Nicole’s waist.
Nicole sucked in a breath.Noooo!He couldn’t wake up now. What excuse would she give him for her friend being in the room with a camera... and for Nicole lying on the bed with his arm around her?
This wasnotgoing to work. Mary’s blackmail scheme would backfire on them. Nicole knew it, just like she knew the sleeping pills were wearing off and Mick would wake up.
FIVE
Mick’s head ached,but it wasn’t from a hangover. He knew the symptoms by now.
Sounds around him slowly filled his head. At first, the noises were echoing, but soon his hearing adjusted and the words were recognizable. Nicole was talking to another woman. And... why was he lying next to Nicole inthisposition?
He didn’t dare open his eyes to let them know he was awake. Instead, he wanted to find out exactly what they were doing since they thought he was asleep. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like it. However, he’d make himself go along with it. For now, anyway.
