“I’m fine sleeping on the couch,” he insisted, gently grabbing my elbow to stop me.
I turned and faced him, my annoyance flush on my face as we stared at each other.
“That couch is so uncomfortable that I would tie Tray to it as a form of punishment.”
His lips curled up into a smile as he raised his eyebrows and stared at me with a mixture of humor and surprise on his face.
“Wow, Jo.I didn’t know you were such a ruthless killer,” he teased, but I knew he saw the instant his words rang true when my expression shifted.
I looked down at the floor, trying to hide the evidence that what he said was true.
“Fuck.I’m just striking out today, aren’t I?”he asked as he nervously shoved a hand through his hair.
It was shorter than the last time I’d seen him, but that had been a few years ago.A lot had changed for both of us since then, like the scar on his chest where my ex-husband appeared to try to remove his heart.I wanted to ask him about what had happened, but the last thing I wanted was to strike up a friendship with my ex’s former best friend.Just because he was here now didn’t mean I could fully trust that he wouldn’t tell Tray where I was.
“It’s late,” I said, changing the subject as I shoved the blanket and pillow at him.“We should get some sleep.I sleep on the left side of the bed, so you can have the right.There will be absolutely no touching, cuddling, or anything else you might think of.I have several weapons in close range while I’m sleeping, and I’m not afraid to use them.”
He lifted his hands in surrender.
“I would never disrespect you, Jo.I promise, nothing but sleeping, and I will stay on my side of the bed.”
I nodded in agreement, then went to the bathroom to get ready.Not that I needed to do much, given I didn’t wear makeup, but spending a few minutes brushing my teeth and flossing gave me some time to get myself together before climbing into bed with Dom.I took my nightly medicine and then opened the door to find Dom pulling his shirt over his head, revealing a toned back that matched the perfectly toned abdomen I saw earlier when he showed me the scar.
“Nope.Not happening,” I said, shaking my head as he folded the shirt and looked at me with confusion.“Fully clothed.I don’t need your naked body touching mine while I’m trying to sleep.”
He chuckled, the movement gently shaking his chest that I wanted to scratch my nails down.
“Not to worry, I was just changing into a clean shirt,” he answered, his eyes catching mine as he pulled one out of the bag he brought in with him from his truck.“But if I don’t get to sleep naked, then I’m going to have to ask you to stop checking me out.I’m a person, not a piece of meat, Jo.”
The teasing tone in his voice did nothing to quell the embarrassment that washed over me, knowing I had been caught staring at the bulge in his gray sweatpants.I looked away quickly, noticing his jeans that had been folded neatly and were sitting on the edge of the bed.
“I wasn’t checking you out,” I muttered, trying to make the lie sound believable to at least one of us.I walked around to my side of the bed, plugged my phone in, and opened the nightstand drawer to make sure everything was in place.
It was a nightly ritual that started the first night I was free of Tray and hadn’t stopped since.Knowing a loaded gun and several knives were within reach was soothing and helped me sleep better.
I closed the drawer and glanced over my shoulder, feeling Dom’s attention on me.I pulled the bedding back and climbed in, thankful that I had changed the sheets this morning.It was part of my weekly routine, but the fact that it lined up with an unexpected guest made it feel that much more magical.It was like the universe was looking out for me and making sure I had my shit together when Dom showed up today.
“Where would you like me to store mine?”he asked, nodding to the gun that was sitting on the bed after he put his jeans and t-shirt in his bag.“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so please tell me what you would like me to do with it.”
“Is it loaded?”
He nodded, not reaching for it as we both stared at it.
“Are you planning to use it on me?”I raised my eyebrow and kept my voice level.
“Absolutely not.What the fuck, Jo?”
I shrugged and watched as the anger that quickly flashed across his face left just as fast.
“You can put it in the drawer of your nightstand if you’d like.Just know that I hear everything, and I won’t hesitate to use mine if I think there’s a threat.”
“Noted,” he replied with a nod as he safely put it in the drawer.
The bed dipped as he climbed in beside me and I held my breath, not knowing what to do now.It wasn’t like I often shared a bed with anyone—let alone my ex-husband’s former best friend.I slowly released it and tried to force my body to relax as I stared at the ceiling.
“Want me to tell you a bedtime story?”he offered, rolling onto his side and looking at me.
I tilted my head toward him, not bothering to move the rest of my body.If I did, I knew that it would mean I was already getting comfortable with him, and I couldn’t risk that.I needed to keep Dom as far away as possible because, at the end of the day, I didn’t know just how much I could trust him.
