AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I was hugging your shirt for reasons I’m not willing to share.”
He’s too tired to deal with me. He takes the shirt and a new pair of boxer briefs into the bathroom with his flashlight, and then the water cuts on in the shower. And would you look at that? I’m depraved. Almost immediately, all sorts of X-rated images spring to mind. Cole discarding his last bit of clothing and stepping under the shower stream. Cole, lit by candlelight—(Shut up.It’smyfantasy and I’d rather it be a candle than a flashlight. Sue me)—as he sudses himself up with shower gel, running his hands all over his body. He doesn’t forget his biceps, his forearms, his chest and abs. He gets every single inch of himself. It’s in his DNA, after all. He’s so very thorough.
When the water turns off, I scurry onto my side of the bed and roll to face the window. I listen as he dries off with the towel. My imaginings are no less tame now than they were before, so that when he walks out of the bathroom once he’s finished getting ready for bed, my cheeks go bright red as if I have a thought bubble hovering over me, televising every naughty detail.
My eyes are shut like I’m trying to convince him I’m asleep, which is frankly absurd. Cole and I are sharing a bed; it’s not like I’m going to just conk out as if it’s a regular occurrence.
I feel his weight on his side, the bed dipping down as he lies back and fluffs his pillow.
His flashlight clicks off, and we’re back in total darkness.
I’M IN BED WITH COLE CLARK.
And he smells lovely from the shower, all clean and fresh.
I wish I could see him. I wish I could take him in from head to toe. Did he get all the water off with his towel, or is some sluicing down his abs? I could lick it off ...
GO TO SLEEP.
Go to sleep!
Go. To. Sleep.
I can’t, though. Cole shifts, and Ithinkhe’s turned on his side toward me.
I’m shaking like a leaf.
I don’t even have the benefit of blankets to hide beneath. It’s too hot for that.
I’m still wearing my T-shirt and panties. Panties.Ugh, metaphorical facepalm. I didn’t even realize that he saw me like this earlier. I was too preoccupied with him. Oh well, it’s too late now. Besides, he’s seen me in far less and I’ve lived.
Something warm and soft gets draped over my arm. Not a blanket ... a T-shirt.HisT-shirt from earlier. He’s giving it back to me.
My nose stings like I might cry.
I tug it off my arm so I can clutch it against my chest. Then I wait for him to say something more, to tease me about it in a harsh way that will make me want to throw the T-shirt across the room and be done with it. But he stays silent, and it’s louder than anything he could have said, any truth he might have revealed. I remember the conversation we had before the lightning strike, and into the dark hotel room, I let him know, “I believe you about Todd. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you before.”
Then I turn to face him. I can’t see him; it’s too dark.
I can’t hear him breathing either. The storm is still going outside, a relentless downpour. Thunder rumbles right over us.Is he sleeping?I worry.Am I alone in this?
Then his hand reaches out to close the gap between us. His warm palm finds my biceps, then my forearm—and eventually his hand slides down until it takes mine. He drags my hand to the center of the bed, where he laces our fingers together, and he squeezes. His grip is solarge. I’ve known that. I’ve felt it before, but somehow, right now, with nothing else to focus on, I’m memorizing its weight, the smooth skin versus the rough calluses, the long fingers ...
We could scoot together and touch, kiss,all of it. I can practically feel the charge in the air; a cascade of goose bumps tingles up my legs and arms. The moment hangs in suspension, but I’m too shy to scoot closer and, maybe, so is he. Still, as he keeps ahold of my hand, I can feel this tight thing unfurling in my chest. It’s not an epiphany; it feels more like coming into consciousness, holding a mirror up to something that’s been there the whole time. There is no way around it, it seems.
I want Cole.
Chapter Nineteen
PAIGE
Awareness trickles in slowly the next morning. I make note of the soft pillow beneath my cheek. The sleepy heaviness still clinging to my limbs. It’s relatively quiet now that the rain has stopped. The sun filtering through the window is what must have woken me up. We never did close the drapes last night; there was no need. Cole is still in bed. I know because he has me squeezed up against his chest the same way I was clutching his T-shirt last night. I’m his teddy bear.
His arm is a tight band around my waist. It’s like I’m locked into a roller coaster, not going anywhere.
And then . . .
ThenI realize that Cole’s hand is flat against my stomach, the edge of his pinky finger innocently dipped beneath the waistband of my panties. My butt fits into the groove of his hips, and though I try not to notice, it’s impossible not to feel how hard he is. I mean, he is absolutelyrigidagainst my butt.
