He swore under his breath, then made a decision. He checked the door was locked, then switched off the light, carefully climbing into the double bed and letting out a long, contented sigh as his tired body was finally able to relax.
Kenzie would probably be furious when she woke up and discovered he’d slept in the same bed as her, but if he made sure he was awake before her, maybe she’d never even know.
Eighteen
Kenzie opened her eyes and listened, trying to figure out what it was that had woken her. She turned her head as a low moan sounded close by, letting out a small gasp as she registered the large form under the covers next to her, before she realised where she was and who was under the blanket. He made another small sound before he let out a low, anguished cry … then went silent.
Kenzie didn’t dare move. She could tell by his breathing that Ewan had woken up from whatever dream he had been having, though it sounded like more of a nightmare. She could feel the heat of his body despite the fact she was still on top of the covers. How could she have been so stupid as to risk falling asleep on his bed?
She closed her eyes and willed herself to go back to sleep. It was perfectly innocent. They were both fully clothed and justmaking the best of an inconvenient situation. There was nothing romantic whatsoever about sharing a bed. She swallowed hard as a collage of images flashed through her mind of that one time, in another life, when they’d last shared a bed. It was in that moment—caught in a memory—that she allowed her gaze to roam across his face. In sleep his guard seemed to be down, and she took in the rough goatee beard that had started growing since their first meeting at the reception venue. She’d never particularly liked them on men before, but on him it looked …dangerous, a breathless little voice whispered in her head. It should have been a warning, but instead it somehow sounded exciting. Her gaze moved down the smooth column of his neck and across the soft material of his T-shirt to settle on the bare skin of his hip and stomach that his tossing and turning had revealed. It was a limited view from where she lay on her side with her arm tucked under her head, and she didn’t dare move in case it woke him up, but it was enough to set off a tingling sensation that she quickly shut down.
She heard his breathing even out once more and allowed herself to relax slightly. Tomorrow was going to be another long day and no doubt stressful, meeting his parents. They both needed a good night’s sleep, and they’d have all day tomorrow to deal with this. She closed her eyes and forced herself to go back to sleep.
When she woke sometime later, it was due to something tapping her shoulder. She opened an eye, finding a small face leaning down close to hers. ‘Mummy, can I get into bed with you?’ Poppy whispered.
Kenzie blinked and tried to focus on the bedside clock, seeing it was only five-fifteen, before instantly stiffening as she realised where she was.
In bed. With Ewan.
She slowly turned her head and breathed the tiniest sigh of relief when she saw that he was asleep.
‘Mummy?’ The loud whisper sounded again, forcing her to focus on her daughter.
‘How about I come and get into your bed?’
‘I wanna get into the big bed,’ she insisted. Kenzie closed her eyes briefly against her rising discomfort, but seeing her daughter’s fixed expression, she knew that if she continued to discuss the situation, Poppy was going to wake him up—she could only whisper for a few moments before she forgot and started talking at her normal volume.
‘Let’s go and see if we can find something to eat.’
Ewan moved slightly to try to ease the lump under his back, frowning when he couldn’t. Suddenly he realised where he was. He opened his eyes and turned his head, but the pillow next to him empty … as was the rest of the room. He sat up, relaxing slightly only once he’d spotted the suitcases sitting on the single bed. She hadn’t run off in the night then.
So much for his plan to get up early. He winced slightly as he imagined Kenzie’s reaction to waking up in bed beside him. A vague memory of rousing in the night came back to him. He’d had a dream about his brother and woken, slightlydisorientated, unsure if he was back there or in the present … until he’d felt Kenzie’s warm body beside him. He’d longed to put his arm around her and pull her back tightly against him, wishing he could have that connection to chase away the lingering nightmare, but that wasn’t his right.
He got up, changed into jeans and a fresh T-shirt and packed his gear. He had just finished loading their luggage when he heard Poppy calling his name.
‘Hey, there you are. I thought you two had run away,’ he said as Poppy came to a stop before him, holding out a brown paper bag.
‘No, silly. We got you breakfast.’
‘That’s a relief,’ he said, looking up as Kenzie reached him.
‘I thought it would save time to get it before we left,’ she said, only briefly holding his gaze.
Yep, she was self-conscious about waking up to find him in her bed.
‘Good thinking. I’ve packed everything, so if you’re ready, we can get going.’
‘Ready when you are,’ she said, opening the back door for Poppy.
He went back inside and took one final look around the room before closing the door and climbing in the car.
This was the last leg before he reached home.Coming, ready or not.
Nineteen
The landscape changes were a constant distraction as they drew closer to Laire-Mor. Giant hills rose from the flat land and sloped down to make valleys. Some were dotted heavily with trees, while others were vast, barren-looking hills that seemed dry and rocky. Here and there, paddocks of green ran along the road, followed by various crops and pasture, breaking the endless miles of brown.
Nullan was quiet at this time of the afternoon, with a long main street and a pretty park beside a wide, brown river. She judged it to be about the same size as Burrumba, but most of the buildings were made of sandstone instead of timber.
