I reach over to the bedside table and lift my phone, glancing at the screen. Three in the morning. If I don’t at least get a few hours of sleep, it’s going to be a nightmare trying to entertain the twins tomorrow. They are the sweetest little gremlins, but when I’m tired, it’s a huge challenge.
I need a reset.
Throwing the blankets off myself, I slip my legs over the side of the bed and decide a glass of water and a little walk to the kitchen might clear my head enough so that I can come back here and go to sleep afterward.
My bare feet make no sound on the tiled hallway floors as I walk through the dark penthouse. Ahead of me from the kitchen, I can see a warm glow piercing the night. We usually leave the under-cabinet lighting on, so this isn’t a surprise.
I slip into the kitchen and freeze in place.
Simon is standing by the counter, a glass of water in hand, about to take a sip. He’s wearing sweatpants, nothing else. The soft lighting catches the curves and bulges of his muscles in the most sensual way.
My eyes are already exploring him while my mind is slipping into mischievous places.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asks, snapping me out of my stupor.
“I, um, no, I was tossing around for a while and getting all knotted in the blankets,” I sigh. I tear my eyes off him and walk towards the cabinet. I stand on my tiptoes reaching for a glass.
“Let me get that for you,” he says, reaching over me to get a glass. His body towers over mine, pinning me to the counter for a moment. His chest is pressed into my back, and as I lean forward, his cock pushes against my ass, and my entire body sparks like a wildfire. I gasp, then press my lips together in horror.
But I am not the only one who seems to have noticed, as Simon, tripling my horror, has not moved.
His breathing has become heavier, deeper.
He pulls the glass from the shelf and sets it on the counter in front of me, his arm wrapping around me. I take a quiet breath, begging myself to find control as I fight the urge to arch my ass against him.
Then he steps back, and my cheeks flush neon red, and my face heats with embarrassment. I grab the glass and hurry to the tap, not daring to look at him but painfully aware that all I am wearing is a t-shirt that is not long enough to cover what it needs to cover.
I hear a low growl from Simon and steal a glance over my shoulder. He has his hand pressed over his eyes, rubbing them as his jaw clenches tightly.
“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.
“Yes,” he says, his voice deep and husky, as though he’s struggling for control.
“I, um, I am going to try and get some sleep. Good night,” I blurt out, practically running out of the kitchen with the water in my hand.
Of course I don’t get any sleep. Going to the kitchen was a terrible idea and only made the situation a hundred times worse than it already was.
In the morning, I can barely look him in the eyes. I work around him, hating how good he smells, trying to keep a distance, but finding it impossible as my impulses keep moving me towards him. Just a brush. A soft touch. A hand on my hip. My hand on his arm as I reach for something.
This is bad.
And I need to breathe air that doesn’t smell like him.
When my phone chimes with a message, I dive for it like a lifeline.
Raya:Hey girl, we’re going shopping this morning. Do you want to come with us?
I look up at Simon. Yes. I one hundred percent want to go shopping so I can escape for a moment from this torture.
“Simon, Raya, and the girls invited me to go shopping with them,” I say.
“Fantastic, you were just saying you wanted to get some colorful items instead of all the boring beige and brows,” he winks.
“Oh, was I saying that?” I muse, grinning at him, instantly caught by the twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, I remember it clearly.” He nods with severity.
“Are you okay with the twins then?” I ask. It feels so weird to ask. It feels weird to have someone I trust to leave them with. It feels weird to have someone on my team.
