He walked right up to me, which was definitely not helping the case. Up close, I realized the shirt stuck to him a bit. His nipples peeked through it, and the ridges of his abdomen were all the more visible.
"Do you want to go to b-bed now?" I stuttered, looking up at him.
Amusement played in his eyes. "Are you tired? Because I'm not."
I shook my head. "No, I usually go to bed a bit later."
"Then let's sit on the couch for a while longer and enjoy the fire. And each other," he added.
I swallowed hard. Something passed between us, and it filled me with a boost of energy.
I sat down on the couch, which I'd always considered too big for my cabin, but right now it seemed far too small. I could practically feel the heat radiating off Maddox's body.
"Let's start," I said as I turned on the TV and my favorite detectives lit up the screen. He was close enough to me that I could smell the shower gel on him.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Yes," I whispered.
The tension between us was palpable. My mouth went dry, so I got up, pouring myself another cup of water.
“Do you want anything to drink?” I offered.
“I’m good.”
I sat back down and kept sipping as the episode continued. Maddox sent text messages once in a while.
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm just checking on my grandparents and my brothers."
"The storm is as bad in Boston?"
"No, but I've asked them to keep an eye on our grandparents anyway."
My chest was full of fuzzy feelings. I loved that he always thought about them.
He groaned.
"What?"
"My brother keeps pestering me about where I am."
"So why don't you tell him?"
Maddox looked at me. The room was dark except for the TV and twinkle lights, but I still saw his eyes darken.
"Because... he might get the wrong idea."
He leaned farther away from me, putting an arm on the armrest, but his eyes were still on me.
I stared straight at the TV, but my breath hitched. My palms were sweating. Yeah, my body was getting the wrong idea too.
After the first episode was over, I yawned. “I’m actually getting tired. I’m not even sure why. It’s not that late,” I glanced at the clock and blinked. “Oh. It’s already ten.”
“Time flies when you’re in good company, huh?” Maddox asked.
I smiled at him. “I’ll bring you fresh sheets right away.”