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“Hmm,” she took a bite, a sad smile playing at her lips as she chewed. “Is that your way of telling me I look awful?”
“It’s my way of telling you that if you’ll go crawl into bed, I’ll bring you this plate and your wine and when you’re finished with it, I’ll stay beside you, so you don’t have to be alone.”
“Damn you, Ethan.”
He lifted a brow, unfazed by her as always. “You’re going to get used to me taking care of you, even if you’re not happy about it, and someday you’re going to explain to me exactly why it pisses you off so much.”
She opened her mouth, only to snap it closed again when she had no easy answer. How was she supposed to express her reluctance to let herself depend on him emotionally when all she wanted to do was curl into him and let him make her feel safe and protected?
“Not tonight,” he said, dropping a kiss to her cheek before giving her another bite of toast. “Tonight, you’re going to let me take care of you.”
“You make things tough, but I don’t have the energy to fight you right now.”
“Lucky me,” he said, the corner of his lips twitching. “Into bed with you.”
She went, tucking the blankets around her and fluffing the pillows even as she eyed the plate skeptically. “Eating in bed gets crumbs in the covers, you know?”
“I think we can handle it this once,” he responded calmly. “I’ll bring Winston up tomorrow and let him rummage around between the sheets.”
“You will not.” She scowled at him with a mouthful of scrambled eggs. “We can wash them like normal people. Speaking of Winston?—”
“I already brought him over,” Ethan said, anticipating her worry and hurrying to soothe her. “He’s asleep in the living room.”
“You can bring him up.” She shifted uncomfortably and pointed to the corner of the bedroom where she’d installed the new dog bed she’d bought that morning. “I just …Well, I thought he’s over here a lot so he should have someplace to sleep.”
Ethan tipped his head and looked at the bed. “Eloise, are you asking my dog to move in with you?”
“Not permanently,” she said quickly. “I’m not trying to steal him if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I’m not the least bit worried that you’ll steal my dog.” And then after a moment of hesitation. “Maybe I should be, though.”
“I won’t steal him, I just never got to have a dog as a kid and then I thought I was too busy to have one, but Winston is so cute …” She shrugged helplessly and wasn’t at all surprised when he chuckled under his breath.
“I’ll get him while you finish eating.”
He returned with Winston curled in his arms a few minutes later, the pup limp and relaxed as Ethan lowered him into his new bed. “I swear he could sleep through anything.”
Eloise smiled as soft puppy snores filled the room. “I’m jealous. I haven’t slept that well in years.”
“Not even with me in bed next to you?” He looked slightly offended as he moved the empty plate to the bedside table and climbed into what she was rapidly learning to think of as his side of her bed.
“It helps to have you here, but I’ve never been a good sleeper.”
“Well, let’s hope tonight’s the exception.” He pulled her close and tucked her head against his chest, her ear pressed to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. “You need to rest, and I need to know you’re okay.”
“I’m as good as I could possibly be.” She could already feel her eyes starting to droop as his warmth spread through her. “Thank you for staying with me.”
“I wouldn’t leave you here alone.” He hesitated and then said, “Do you want to talk about what happened? I think I caught the gist of it but I’m a little fuzzy on the details.”
She ran through the story as quickly and succinctly as possible and he stayed silent until she was finished. It was a simple thing, but she was grateful. Once she started, she didn’t want to stop until it was over.
When she’d gotten the whole thing out, he squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her head, like he could press the comfort straight into her where she needed it most. “I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
They stayed that way, in sad silence, until her tears dried. She was already almost half asleep, eyes drifting closed as he caressed her hair and the curve of her neck. Even as tired as she was, as awful of the day had been, the touch of his fingers on her skin made her nerves hum and she stretched into the sensation, opening herself to further exploration.
He seemed to know what she needed; long, slow, lingering trails of warmth and comfort that began at the base of her neck and ran like water over her shoulders and her arms and her spine. Each inch of her was slowly invigorated and brought back from the edge of sleep to the full humming throb of wakefulness, from the edge of death to the bright blooming awareness of life.
