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‘I want to cuddle a theoretical version of you. Like if we were in an alternative universe and had met in less crappy circumstances. I just miss kindness, you know?’
His shoulders had tensed as I spoke, and I waited for him to reject me.
‘I can do one night if you can, but no shanking me in my sleep.’
‘Deal.’
He moved the plate of food and lifted an arm for me to scoot under. Just one night. Forget who he is. I slid over and tucked myself against his side, my head resting on his chest. His skin was warm beneath my cheek and as firm as I’d expected. I tentatively placed a hand on his stomach, feeling the ridges of muscle below his t-shirt. Knowing the pain that went into creating his body made it all the more powerful. Muscles forged from the glass of a broken heart.
He fished a remote out of the drawer and pressed a button. A TV descended from the ceiling and he flicked on an old movie while we lay there. I think we were both glad of something to fill in the silence that gaped between us.
‘You’re telling me I could have been watching TV this whole week? Why didn’t you tell me?’ I lifted my head and gave him a little mock glare.
‘Shush.’ Cameron pressed my head back onto his chest, leaving his fingers in my hair, idly letting them drift over my scalp and along my neck. Tingles shot up and down my back as he did. ‘Don’t ruin it with your chatting. We’re not us, remember?’
He smelled like sea salt and the summer breeze. It had been a while since I’d just snuggled up to a guy, probably not since my brief stint at university. It was more glorious than I remembered, and I closed my eyes to just feel the moment. The steady thrum of his heart danced against my ear, while his breaths made my head raise and lower ever so slightly. I let myself relax, one finger tracing the valley of an ab muscle unconsciously while the rest of me just sort of sunk into him.
My eyes soon felt heavy, and I began to lose the battle to stay awake. But I wanted to stay in that one blissful evening for as long as I could. His fingers drifted down to my hip, drawing little circles against my pyjama shorts. Soon they began to ebb, the circles slowing to a stop in time with his breathing settling into a slower, deeper pace.
His eyes closed, and the thick lashes sat against his cheeks. His face back in that sweet, relaxed place, I never see it when he’s awake.
I should roll over.
I should.
But I don’t.
The cold side of the bed doesn’t compare to the warm, comfy nook I’ve found under Cam’s arm. And just for one night, I intended on taking full advantage of his cease fire.
With thoughts of an alternative world where cuddling Cam Thompson was okay in my mind, I gave in to the land of nod.
Tomorrow’s Maeve could figure it all out.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CAMERON
A soft moan grabbed me from my sleep.
The sun still hid below the horizon, so it must have been the middle of the night, but my head was groggy.
I closed my eyes to try to sink back into sleep, comforted by the warm arm thrown over my chest and the press of a leg against mine.
Another soft moan had me jolting my eyes open with the memory of who it was who pressed against me.
Fuck.
I hadn’t meant to fall asleep with Maeve snuggled into me. It was bad enough I’d given into cuddling her for a truce, but I’d be giving her ideas if I wasn’t careful.
I needed to extract myself without waking her, but she had me practically pinned beneath her. Was she a deep sleeper?
I slid a hand under her arm and lifted slowly, sneaking a look at her face as I did.
‘Cam,’ she moaned, all breathy and needy. My heart just about stopped. She never called me Cam, always Cameron, and she definitely didn’t use a voice like that when she said my name.
Maeve pulled her hand back and smoothed her fingers up over my chest, whimpering as she did.
Was she dreaming? About me?
