I meander that direction anyway and pile up a bunch of pillows against the headboard before flopping down.
“You wanna watch something?” I ask, then mentally kick myself for opening the door to him again.
His head pops up from the foot of the bed, a million questions in his eyes.
I roll mine and pat the bed next to me.
“Come on. You can at least sit up here, there’s plenty of space. Your butt has to be numb from the floor by now.”
One side of Asher’s mouth curves up as he stands and rounds the opposite side of the bed. I hate how his predatory movements create a different, but equally unwelcome, tingle low in my belly.
“I didn’t realize you cared about my ass.”
“What! I don’t! I was just saying—” My cheeks flame and my emotions can’t decide whether to settle on embarrassed or angry or… something else I’ve been avoiding when it comes to Asher.
He chuckles and talks over me before I can dig myself an even bigger hole. “I’m kidding. What do you want to watch?”
Flicking on the TV, he scrolls through the guide, stopping when he gets to a FRIENDS rerun and quirking an eyebrow at me.
“Uh. YES.” I snatch the remote and hit enter. My love of this show borders on obsession.
I startle awakewhen Asher shifts on the bed next to me. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but FRIENDS is my comfort show, so I should have realized it was likely to happen. Especially after that muscle relaxation exercise we did earlier.
“Sorry sunshine,” Asher whispers. “I was just going to get ready for bed.”
“You’re good," I whisper back. “I don’t want to sleep in these clothes anyway.”
We end up brushing our teeth side by side, and I try to ignore the buzzing sensation of bees on my skin every time I feel his eyes on me. I close up my toiletry bag, avoiding eye contact as I squeeze past him out of the bathroom. Somehow, I’m wide awake and full of tension again.
Sighing, I scoot under the covers after dropping some CBD oil under my tongue and forcing my eyes closed. Unfortunately, they don’t stay that way for long, that restless buzzing is incessant and my body doesn’t listen to my mind when I tell my eyeballsnot to look.
As soon as Asher steps back into the room, my eyes squint open to take in the low slung shorts and broad, shirtless chest I’ve been trying not to stare at every night this week. It’s a lost cause, but I don’t have long to berate myself before he sinks to the floor, out of sight.
In an effort to distract myself, I send Zuri a text.
Me: You up?
Zuri: It’s a bit far for a bootie call
Me: Hilarious
Zuri: What’s up?
Me: Nothing, just can’t sleep
Zuri: You’re on your own then, I’m busy
Thinking about sex is exactly what I was trying to avoid, and here Zuri goes throwing it straight back into my brain. She’s obviously not a good distraction. I drop my phone next to me and stare at the dark ceiling.
Being kept up by thoughts of an annoying man when all you want to do is snuggle into a cozy, deep sleep is the absolute worst.
14
PILLOW WALL, SHMILLOW WALL
ASHER
I can’t stop tossingand turning, unable to get comfortable on the floor despite how many blankets I have piled under me. I also can’t help being hyperaware of every little sound Raya makes. The memory of her pulse thrumming beneath her skin when I trapped her in the pool the other night is on repeat in my brain, torturing my vampiric senses. She takes deep, slow breaths, like she’s willing her body to succumb to sleep, although I can tell it’s not working.
