Who would blame her?
She does not need you.
You are the one who needs her.
I allow myself one more knock. A desperate plea for more time in her warm presence.
Sounds of stirring drift from within. The rustle of a quilt. A quiet curse that pulls a smile from my lips. The stumbling of feet as her form appears.
The most beautiful face that has ever graced my eyes materializes like a vision in the glass. Her hair is a lavender riot, a thousand times more unruly than mine.
My fingers itch to push the silken strands back from her face as she struggles with the latch on the window. When she finally manages to open it, a waft of honeysuckle washes over me, and my cock swells in my trousers. Not that I say so out loud. I will not make that humiliating mistake again.
Kerris offers me her beautiful smile, and I tuck it away in my memory for when I am alone. “I’m so sorry,” she says in her sweet voice. “I fell asleep waiting for you.”
She must not have the same eagerness in her chest that lives in mine. I could not sleep tonight even if I tried.
Although I would like very much to spend the night with her again, I do not want her to be tired when morning arrives. She has her own life to live, and I will not have her think me a selfish thief for stealing all her hours for myself. “I am sorry for disturbing your dreams. I will go back to the canyon.”
Before I can turn away, her soft fingers wrap around my wrist. “Don’t leave.”
Then I will not leave.
“Come inside. Please.”
Kerris lets me go, making room so that I can climb through her window.
The sheets of her bed are as delightfully rumpled as she is, and the robe she wears gaps ever so slightly, revealing a hint of lace and silk and sun-kissed skin.
Bite your tongue.
Do not mention the stirring.
Kerris closes the window with another yawn. “Do you mind if we lie down? I’m exhausted.” She climbs onto the mattress and slips beneath the covers without another word while I am rooted to the creaky floor.
Surely, I am misunderstanding her meaning. “You wish to share your bed with me?” The thought does nothing to quell this infernal stirring.
“There’s no need to sound so scandalized, Ever. I promise not to take advantage of you.”
She says my name so sweetly, like a sigh. The smile she offers is small, but I like it as much as the others. It feels like a secret just for the two of us.
“What do you mean by advantage?” In battle, having an advantage is when you possess the upper hand. We are both on the same level now, so neither of us has an upper hand. Unless you consider our size difference. Then I am the one with a great advantage.
“It means not to expect anything but cuddles,” she says on a yawn.
“What is cuddles?”
“Get in bed, and I’ll show you.”
I like this demanding Kerris, the one telling me to come to her bed. This night is already better than I anticipated. At least she is not trying to make me eat more cold slop.
I remove my boots, careful not to disturb her as I climb into the spacious bed. Instead of scooting away, she slots in right next to me and wraps one arm around my waist. Her head, she tucks into the crook of my neck and her leg…
She drapes it over one of mine, but her soft thigh is dangerously close to something that she does not wish to discuss.
If I do not stop thinking about the way her supple body feels against mine, I am afraid there will be no choice but to discuss it.
“You smell good,” she whispers against my neck, and I can feel her lips curve into another smile. “I enjoy filling my lungs with you.”
