“That’s so sad. I’m sorry we’re in this position,” she says.
“Don’t worry, it’s alright. But on a serious note, are you sure you’re comfortable with this? Us sharing a room?”
“I mean, it’s obviously not my first choice.” She sighs. “But we’re adults, and I trust you.”
Those three words hit me harder than they should. They almost feel like a test coming from her. Though I have no idea what I’m being tested on, I can only hope I don’t fail.
Or is this a test from You, Lord? Give me the strength to pass.
She fidgets with her hands. “I’m going to change and brush my teeth.” Opening her suitcase on the floor, Romilly retrieves a small, purple bag from it, as well as something burgundy and satin before heading into the bathroom.
I open my bag as well. I imagine Romilly coming out while I’m still undressing and blush like a teenager. Ridiculous.You’re a grown man, Bash. Relax.But it’s hard, because my feelingsfor her are practically suffocating me, and now she wants me to sleep in this room with her and not touch her and pretend I’m okay being around her without her being mine.
Romilly emerges from the bathroom. Her face is freshly washed, hair in a loose braid, and that satin object she grabbed is now on her body.
It’s her set of pajamas.
They’re casual, nothing more than a tank top and shorts set, but they’re silky and smooth along her body like a river of dark wine, and the shorts stop well above her knees. I’ve never seen her legs before, but there they are, along with her bare arms and an alarming amount of her neck and collarbone.
I feel like I’m going to die.
“So much better,” she sighs. “I’m glad it’s so warm in here.” Brushing past me, she pulls the quilt back and sits on the edge of the bed. I’m frozen for a beat before I grab a pillow and spare quilt and settle onto the floor.
She peers down at me from the bed. The way she’s laying on her stomach with her head resting on the edge of the mattress has our faces perfectly aligned, since I’m still sitting up on the ground. We’re much too close. “I feel bad taking the only bed the night before your big fight. Maybe I should take the floor.”
“Absolutely not. I’m fine, pumpkin. Don’t worry.”
Her presence is practically tangible, even with this respectable distance between us. The quiet of the room wraps around us like a blanket, broken only by the faint creak of the old building and the muffled sound of cars outside.
After a few moments, Romilly looks at my lips and blushes. And then her gaze lingers on my arms, my shoulders.
Hope swells up inside me. She’s made it clear she doesn’t want to date me, but maybe there’s a chance shedoeswant me romantically as much as I want her. Though it feels impossible,I know I’m not misreading the signals clearly present in her expression.
I scoot even closer to her face, making my voice soft. “I have to admit, I was worried you’d be plotting my demise after failing to get you a separate room.”
“Your demise? No,” she murmurs. “I’d miss you too much. When you’re not being infuriating, that is.” She hesitates, then reaches out, letting her fingers brush my arm. The touch is light, tentative, but it sends a bolt of heat straight through me. She’s somehow both too close and too far away.
Lord, give me strength. I simply cannot resist this woman.
Before I can stop myself, I tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I’d miss you too. Even when you’re bossing me around.”
Our gazes lock, and then her eyes dip down to my mouth once more.
“Do you have any idea how badly I want to kiss you?” I ask.
“Bash.”
“Tell me you don’t feel the same way. Tell me you don’t want me to.”
“But…” She swallows hard. “If I told you that, I’d be lying.”
And then she pulls me closer by the back of my neck and kisses me. My heart stutters, then picks up in a frantic rhythm, the sound of it pounding loud enough to drown out every rational thought left in my head.
She’s going to push me away any second. She’s going to get angry or laugh this off as a mistake.
But she doesn’t do any of that. She gets off the bed and kneels beside me.
I pull her closer, deepening the kiss, every nerve in my body sparking to life. It’s like a dam breaking. My hands move on their own, finding her face, cupping her delicate jaw as though she might vanish if I’m not careful.
