I grabbed Dash by the elbow, pulling him out the front doors with me. We were loading in my mom’s car in seconds flat. I swear the entire restaurant watched us leave.
“I have plenty of space over here. It’s gotta be more comfortable than that cot,” Dash suggested. His hand patted the fancy air mattress I’d splurged on at Lowes today.
“I’m fine,” I lied. Anything had to be more restful than this old army cot.
“Clearly not,” Dash pointed out. The mattress didn’t make a single noise as he lifted, propping himself up on an elbow. “Your legs are dangling off the end. Your arms would too if they weren’t crossed over your chest.”
“Go to sleep. We gotta get up early.” I understood I was being difficult for no reason. It was just where my head was right then.
“You’ve been awake for the majority of the last thirty hours. You’re not falling asleep because you’re uncomfortable. Hop on the air mattress.” Dash scooted to the farthest side. “Well, don’t hop or I’ll go flying, but get down here. I’ll keep my distance, but the fact you don’t want inside this bed with me concludes that you may not want me to keep a distance, and it scares you. Don’t be afraid. You’ll sleep better here.” He patted the bed again annoyingly.
He wasn’t wrong, but when the desire floodgates finally burst, it wasn’t going to end well for either of us. Well, it would end good. Great actually…just not here.
But his words still had merit. I rolled onto the mattress pressed directly up against the cot. I grabbed my pillow, tucked it under my head, and Dash covered my body with blankets. He faced me, a hand tucked underneath his pillow. We were maybe a foot apart.
“I rented us a car in Mobile. They’ll deliver it once we get to your mom’s place.” Although he whispered, it wasn’t quite the right bedtime conversation to lull me under.
“She said we could use her car,” I said, trying to understand how a rental car might be delivered like that.
“It’ll make it easier if we have a car. I could also get a hotel room.”
“You’ll hurt my mom’s feelin’s. She’s excited you’re here.” Dash eyed me, probably trying to decide how much truth was in my words.
“I’ll give in on the hotel room if you agree to sleep in the spare bedroom with me. It seems too disruptive for you to take the living room while I have the entire bedroom to myself. I haven’t seen her couch, but I know you’re too big for it. You won’t be comfortable.”
“I’ll be fine,” I murmured, happy for the chance to stare openly at him. Other than the side of his face being distorted by being smushed into the pillow, I enjoyed the scenery.
“We’re full circle. And you won’t be fine,” Dash countered. “You take the bed. I’ll sleep on this air mattress.” We’d been quiet, talking at a whisper or little above, but that sweet guy caused me to burst out with an involuntary bark of laughter. He brought his hand to my mouth, shushing me. His gaze flitted to the hall where Scott had taken one of the two bedrooms, then down the other direction where my mom had taken the second bedroom. “Stop laughing. I mean it. I’ll sleep on the air mattress.”
“No, you won’t. It’s a ploy to get me in there with you.”
He pulled his hand from my mouth, and I got a critical stare.
“Pretty full of yourself, aren’t you?” Dash gave up the pretense of staying away and inched closer. “Besides, you gave me ninety days.” His gaze dropped to my lips. “It’s not going to happen for us if we don’t share space.”
He wasn’t wrong, and it wasn’t taking ninety days. More like one day. I draped my arm around his waist, wanting the kiss he hinted at more than I wanted anything else, but he was right, I was tired and needed sleep.
“A small goodnight kiss,” Dash urged.
I met him halfway. A hair’s breadth apart, I whispered, “Thank you for today.”
“You’re welcome.” His breath coated my face, driving me forward to capture his lips with mine. He tasted so damn good, making my dreams into reality once again.
Dash honored his word and kept the kiss small. As he pulled away, his warm palm came to my cheek. His skilled thumb swept over my jaw. “Sleep, big guy. Tomorrow’s coming.”
I fell asleep with the taste of Dash on my lips.
Mobile, Alabama
“You’re a crybaby,” Beau said.
Hmm. I felt his playful gaze directed at me but didn’t turn to look. I drove, and Beau acted as our tour guide as we made our way to the legendary Dog River. The place where he spent his happier childhood years.
“About what this time?” I asked, taking one of the many curves on this long and winding road.
“My mom was convinced you needed me in that bedroom with you,” he said as if only now remembering the theatrics I’d used last night.
It had worked like a charm, and that was all that mattered. Not to mention, I was now a player in Beau’s game that I completely crushed. “I win.”
