Page 34 of Roman

CHAPTER 9

ROMAN

Iwoke up, something tickling my nose. I fisted the thick material in my hand, slowly realizing what I was holding was not material, but hair.

Someone—a woman—was in bed with me, and I was holding her hair. She was lying across my chest, snuggled tightly against me. And she smelled really good. I opened my eyes, confirming I was in my private suite.

I searched my memory. I never slept with a woman. If we made it to a bed, once sex was done, I was gone. There were rarely repeats, and I never brought them here. Ever. And I never snuggled.

I blinked away my confusion when the woman cuddled into me made a little noise. I recognized that noise.

Effie.

I was in bed with Effie. I had come to comfort her and lie down to make sure she fell asleep again, only to fall asleep myself. How we had gotten into this position, I had no idea. But now, I was awake, and so was my cock. He had no objection to Effie being so close. In fact, he wanted her closer.

And naked.

I lifted my free arm, shocked at the time. It was past seven. I had come in here at midnight.

I had slept for seven hours. That never happened.

I lifted my head, wondering how to extract myself before Effie woke up and discovered we’d slept together and my morning wood was hoping to make her acquaintance. Intimately. I decided I would carefully slide out from under her and leave.

Except as I lifted my head, she did too. Her eyes were sleepy, still too drowsy to be scared or filled with memories. They were a lovely violet-blue in the morning light, and for a moment, I lost myself in her soft gaze.

Then I cleared my throat. “Morning.”

She blinked. “Morning?”

“I came to check on you. I guess I fell asleep.”

“How did I get here? With you?”

“Well, you cried yourself to sleep on the floor, and I couldn’t leave you there. I brought you to bed. How you ended up on my chest, I have no idea. Gravity, I suppose.” I managed to slide out from under her, feeling a strange loss when we were no longer touching. I dragged the pillow with me, hiding my erection. “Nothing happened.”

She was calm. “I had a nightmare. I remember that.”

“Yes. Hardly surprising.”

She sat up. “Thank you.”

I really wished she’d stop saying that. She had nothing to thank me for. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

“Whatever. It means nothing,” I snapped. “I have to get ready for work. Excuse me.” I spun and walked to the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and headed to the shower. I needed relief and some space.

Maybe then I’d forget how good it felt to wake up next to that tiny woman. How right she felt snuggled into my side.

It wasn’t happening again.

But as I scrubbed my face, all I smelled was her on my skin.

And it was her name I groaned into my arm as I came under the hot spray.

And that pissed me off.

Royally.

EFFIE