AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I do wish you could stay longer.”
“Me too,” I say softly, staring up into those amazing green eyes that hold all the warmth of the summer sun and more emotion than I can begin to fathom.
He rubs his hands up and down my arms, stalling. “Can I kiss you good night?”
“I’d be mad if you didn’t.”
My words spark a smile that makes my stomach flutter, and then Niles dips down to capture my mouth with his. The kiss is soft and sweet and oh, so gentle, just like the first time, just like his personality, and it warms me as much as it thrills. In his arms, I feel like a delicate China doll, vulnerable and easily broken, but also incredibly cared for, as if he’d do anything to avoid marring my surface.
I find myself hoping that he’s as gentle with my heart as he is with my body.
“You should go before I lock you in my ivory tower,” he jokes, but I’m floating on air, still coming down from the high of the kiss, so I can’t drum up enough levity to laugh.
Opening the door, he pauses, and once I see what he’s seeing, I do too.
“Wow, that’s—”
“Bad,” he states flatly. “It wasn’t supposed to get this bad until later tonight.”
It appears that, in the time that I’ve been enjoying myself inside, the storm that was predicted for the early morning hours swept in early and raged outside. Snowflakes, fat and wet and heavy, continue floating down from the sky, their population as thick and dense as to create a perfect whiteout. I can’t even see my car that I parked a mere dozen or so feet from the front steps.
Fear creeps into my spine alongside dread. I’ve never been too fond of driving in inclement weather. This is a nightmare brought to life.
“I don’t know that it’s safe to drive right now,” Niles informs. “I highly doubt the plows have made a dent in this mess yet. The roads are probably dangerous.”
I don’t speak. I agree with him, but as much as I’d like to, I’m not about to invite myself into his home to stay. That seems wildly inappropriate, even though that’s exactly what I just did moments ago when I invited them into my home.
Niles turns to me, and I know the offer he’s about to make.
“I don’t want you driving in this tonight. And I know that the heat is out here, so it’s not much better, but I’d like you to stay. At least I’ll know you’re not out there risking your life.”
“Just freezing to death here instead,” I say with a teasing smile.
One he returns. “I’ll take my chances. Will you? We have plenty of room. There’s even a guest room upstairs with its own en suite, so you don’t even have to see any of us if you don’t want to.”
I highly doubt that would ever be an issue, since I already love everything about Niles’ handsome face, and my opinion of Dean and Shane isn’t far behind. Biting down on my bottom lip, I cast my gaze outside one last time, feeling an anxious drop in my gut again, and I’m decided.
“I think I’ll take you up on it. Your friends won’t mind, will they?”
Niles looks at me as if I’ve grown another head on my shoulders. “Not hardly. They love sleepovers. Come, I’ll show you to your room.”
As Niles guides me back inside, closing the door and locking the winter storm outside, I can’t help thinking that sleepovers at his place probably aren’t anything like the innocent, childlike ones portrayed on television.
At least, I hope they aren’t.
