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Okay...I've read enough romance novels to know exactly how this goes. Hot guy and thirsty girl wind up having to sleep in the same bed, they get under the blankets together, one thing leads to another...
Evan is going through his bag in the corner, and he turns toward me with wide eyes. "So uh...there's a situation," he says.
I blush. I can't help it. "Yeah," I tell him. "I noticed."
"I can go out and sleep on the couch."
"There is no couch," I say. "Just two armchairs."
"In that case, I'll sleep in an armchair."
"No, you need your rest as much as I do," I say. "It's okay. We're grown-ups. And we're...we're friends. I know I don't know you, but you're basically family."
"Totally," he says. "Honorary Hart and all that."
"So...bed?" I ask, shrugging.
He laughs softly. "Yeah--bed."
We both climb under the covers on opposite sides of the bed, but I can feel the tension between us. It's palpable, like a thick fog that's descended upon the room. We're both quiet for a long moment, neither of us wanting to be the first to break the silence. I don't want to disturb the peace of the house, given how kind Lucille and her husband have been, and how the dogs might start whining if they can hear us.
But eventually, Evan speaks up. "I'm sorry if this is awkward," he says. "I just want you to know that I have no intention of making things weird between us."
I turn my head to face him, and I can see the sincerity in his eyes. "I know," I say softly. "And I feel the same way. Obviously we can't control the fact that there was just one bed. It's not like...on purpose or anything."
He nods, and we both fall silent again.
But the tension is still there, and I can feel it building with each passing moment. I can't sleep. There's nowayI can sleep.
"This is such a romance novel setup," I blurt out.
I hear Evan shift slightly...and then I feel his breath on the back of my neck, just barely. He's not that close, but he's close enough, and it makes my whole body heat up. I squeeze my thighs together, swallowing hard.
"Is it?" he asks. "Can't say I've ever read one."
"Yeah, this is a trope," I whisper. I'm suddenly wondering why the hell I said that, myhusband's ringis still on my finger. I shouldn't be doing this. "Two people have a meet cute, end up in one bed..."
Evan's closer now, his breath puffing against the back of my neck.
"And then what happens?" he asks, his voice low.
I roll over to face him, and I find him just a few inches away, blue-grey eyes gazing into mine. This would be really stupid. Ido not know this guy, and there are a million reasons why I shouldn't act on what is very clearly an irrational impulse.
But he's...well, he's gorgeous.
And I haven't felt like this in so long.
"Nothing happens," I say quietly. "It's just a way to build tension."
Evan's lips quirk in a smile. He's got smile lines on his tan face, dimples that show even under his beard. "I didn't realize there was any tension."
"Oh," I say, suddenly self-conscious. "Uh...sorry, I've been kind of...I guess I'm not very good at reading the room--"
I stop talking when his hand rests on my hip, and it's like my whole bodyexplodeswith sensation. Not like I've been waiting for his touch for days--but foryears. His fingers glide up my back, just under my t-shirt, and I suck in a harsh breath.
"You good, Sam?" he asks.
I nod vigorously. "Great. I'm...I'm great."
