AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rolling over onto my side, I place my pillow over my head.Come on, sleep. Take me. I surrender.
But it’s no use.
I first sit up, then stand, and pad into the restroom, which I navigate in the dark because I don’t want the light to disturb Chloe or make my headache worse. After using the facilities and washing my hands, I pull open the door, stretch, massage my neck muscles, and head back for my pile of blankets on the floor.
But before I make it there, I hear a noise.
Chloe’s moaning.
My eyes have adjusted to the darkness, so I can see her thrashing around in the very middle of the bed. “No. No. Nooooo.” She’s not exactly screaming, but her voice sounds frantic. “Stop! Go away!”
It’s clearly just a nightmare, and she’s not in any real danger, but I can’t stand to hear Chloe upset. I take the few steps toward the bed and sit on the very edge. “Chloe.” Reaching out my hand, I touch her shoulder.
Chloe whimpers, and now there are actual tears streaming down her cheeks. What in the world is she dreaming about?
She rolls farther away.
In order to reach her, I have to climb fully onto the bed and lean over her, this time giving her shoulder a firm but gentle shake. “Shh, Princess. It’s all right. Wake up, now.”
Her voice quiets, and her body becomes less agitated, but she still doesn’t open her eyes.
Instead, she rolls again—this time, right toward me.
I don’t expect the move and, in an attempt to scramble backward and off the bed, I end up flat on my back.
And she ends up in my arms.
Her head settles just under the spot where my right arm meets my shoulder, her right hand flat on my stomach, her nose pressed against the side of my chest. Then, she sighs deeply as she curls her whole body against me, her knees bent so that her top leg rests slightly on mine, her toes teasing the top of my right foot.
I didn’t think things could get any worse for me, but clearly, I was wrong.
She’s fully at peace once more. I, on the other hand, will never get a wink of sleep again if I don’t put a stop to this immediately. Of course, that’s not what Iwant. I can’t imagine anything more blissful than turning my head and burying my nose in her honey-vanilla hair that smells like heaven. Than wrapping her up against me all night long. Than being the one to chase away her nightmares.
But what I want and what’s best for Chloe are two different things.
So the bliss has to end.
I run my fingertips lightly down her arm. “Princess,” I whisper. “Chloe. Wake up, love.”
It takes a few moments of saying her name before her eyes flutter open. In those seconds before she’s fully conscious, Chloe smiles and her hand flexes against my abs. A rush of heat follows. She’s branded me with her touch.
Then, finally, her eyebrows pull together, and she glances up. “Freddy?” Her voice, so vulnerable, so questioning.
“Sorry, Princess,” I say as gently as possible. “You had a bad dream and I tried to wake you, but …”
“Somehow you ended up in bed with me?” The corner of her mouth twitches, and oh, how I long to dip in and kiss her there.
“Something like that.” I should move away, but she’s not trying to escape my hold either—then again, she’s still waking up. It’s on me.
So I start to sit, but her hand that’s resting on me slides all the way to the other side, holding my body in place. “Don’t go. Not yet,” she murmurs. “You make an excellent pillow.”
“Guess you’re not the only one,” I tease. Has it really been four days since I lay my head in her lap, and she gave me the world’s best head massage? How nice would it be to feel her fingers on my head again? My muscles relax just thinking about it.
“Hmm.” She burrows into my hold even further, and I’m forced to stay.
So much for relaxing.
All right, I probably could move if I wanted to—but I don’t. And I’m too tired to fight my desires any longer. “Princess?” I whisper into the dark.
