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“You’re tired.” He opened his mouth to protest, and I put a finger on his lips. His gaze flared with dominant hunger, the urge to take my hand and pin it to the couch for trying to shush him, but he didn’t. “We can go to bed early.”
“I’d rather not sleep.”
“There’re only so many times you can say it before you get so loopy you start seeing things.”
Jude leaned down, pressing his lips softly to my cheek. “I’m okay, Lena. Promise.”
“I know. But you’ve been taking care of me. It’s allowed to go both ways.” I wiggled, and he let me up. “How’s dinner?”
“Finished and ready. But I’m warning you, I’m no Grant. It’s not gourmet.”
I retrieved my wineglass and took another sip. “Jude, I make cookies and coffee. Home cooking is just fine with me.”
And it was fine. The pasta he made was actually delicious, though he wouldn’t accept the praise. Simple things could be amazing. I already knew that.
But Jude was still dragging after dinner as I helped him put the dishes into the dishwasher. I took his hand when we were finished. “I think it’s time for bed.”
He looked worried, and I suspected he hadn’t told me the full extent of his nightmares and it was why he didn’t want to go to sleep. But we hadn’t had any problems so far at my house, and he’d been sleeping there more often than not.
“I promise I’m not going to bite,” I said with a wink.
That finally drew a smile from him. “Okay.”
I’d brought a little bag with me so I’d have a change of clothes, and I was glad I’d included comfy pajamas. I’d tucked something else in there too, in case Jude was feeling frisky. But I wasn’t about to show him and give him an excuse to stay awake for me. He was exhausted, and it was better for both of us if he got some sleep.
Jude rubbed the back of his neck as we stepped into his room. It was just as bare as the rest of the house, but with a large, comfy bed, a dresser, and not much else. “It’s—”
I turned to him. “Jude. There’s no reason to be embarrassed because your house isn’t as over the top as mine.”
“That’s an understatement.” He glanced around the space. “If your house is over the top, mine is a prison.”
Laughing, I rose up on my tiptoes to pull him down and kiss him. “I’m not with you because of how you decorate your bedroom. You could live in a tent, and I wouldn’t care.”
He smiled, but it didn’t fully reach his eyes. I didn’t think it was actually the bedroom he was nervous about, but I didn’t press him. I already knew he was tired, and I knew when I was overtired, everything felt like more and too much.
Quickly, I slipped into my shorts and too-big T-shirt, in time to see Jude put on sweats…and nothing else. I was committed to getting this man some rest, but being exposed to his body for any length of time was a dangerous thing.
He caught me looking. “As you know, I usually sleep naked.”
It was true; every night he’d been at my house, he hadn’t had a stitch on him. I assumed it was because he’d had his way with me. “Why not tonight?”
“I know myself, and if you get into my bed with me and I’m naked? There will be very little sleep happening.”
I fought the blush that rose. We’d agreed he ruled in the bedroom, and so far, it had been…amazing. The handcuffs he used on me made everything brighter and wilder, and I barely recognized myself in this person who loved surrendering to his control.
Or rather, I wondered why I hadn’t found this version of myself earlier.
“That’s fair.” I waited until he pulled back the blankets to get in, not wanting to mess up any system he had for his bed. But as soon as we were both under the blankets, Jude pulled me to him, settling me against his chest. It was my favorite place to be. Here, I felt entirely safe, and I couldn’t imagine ever feeling otherwise.
He was holding me too tightly for me to look up at him, so I whispered the words into his chest. “You’re going to sleep, right?”
One deep breath in and out. “Yes. I’m going to sleep.”
“Good.” Those were the last words we said, and I drifted off in comforting warmth.
* * *
The noise ripped me from sleep, and I didn’t know where I was. Everything was dark, and it took me a second to remember I was at Jude’s house. In his bed. And he was screaming.
