Page 37 of Play Dirty

He shrugged, the muscles in his shoulders rolling.

“Suit yourself.”

Then, after a beat:

“I’d be warmer if you didn’t.”

I chewed my lip, skeptically. “Not helping.”

“Just stating facts.”

The edge of the blanket had dropped, through gravity. He lifted it again, holding it open. Not pushing, not insisting. Just… offering.

“We’ll go back to back,” he yawned. “No weirdness.”

I hesitated again. Longer this time. Ultimately, my body made the decision for me.

“Move over,” I told him.

He shifted to the far side of the bed, giving me space, and I climbed in carefully. I stayed on top of the blankets as I said I would, pulling my arms in close to my sides.

Cold. Still cold.

“See?” he said quietly. “Told you.”

I inhaled a sharp breath of icy air, and let it out slowly.

“Sebastian, I can’t—”

“It’s just how blankets work,” he said, smiling with one side of his pretty mouth. “You warm up faster if you’re under them.”

I rolled my eyes, but didn’t move. Neither did the cold. It just hung there, clinging to me all around. A full minute went by, and its edge didn’t soften.

“Fine,” I relented.

I lifted the edge of the blanket, and slid underneath. The difference was immediate.

Holy…

Warmth wrapped itself around me, sinking into my skin so fast it almost hurt. I let out a slow breath of contentment, snuggling in. My body loosened all over, as the tension it was holding started to unwind.

“I didn’t realize how cold I was… until I wasn’t,” I sighed happily.

“Yeah,” Sebastian murmured behind me. “That’s how it works.”

We lay there for a minute, completely still, back to back. Just as we’d agreed.

But then my back brushed his, and an even greater heat flowed over me. I shifted into it, absorbing it greedily. Sebastian took my cue, and pressed more of his warm flesh into mine.

I closed my eyes, briefly. It felt so fucking good, I couldn’t get enough. And then—

He spun over, spooning me from behind. I didn’t move, I didn’t speak, as his arm settled around me, lightly.

“This isn’t back to back,” I eventually said.

“No. No, it isn’t.”

His arm snaked around my waist, drawing me even tighter against him. His body felt like putting on warm clothes, straight from the dryer.