Page 17 of Conflicted
He turned his attention on her. “No, thank you, pretty girl. You look dead on your feet. Why don’t you show me your bedroom? You need a good night of sleep.”
“S-sure.” She turned. “Would you follow me? As they walked past the bathroom, she became aware of nature’s call. “Ah, do you need to use the facilities?”
His grin flashed. “Not right now, but I guess this is the bathroom.”
Ruby nodded and shuffled her feet.
Bob huffed out a laugh. “Is the next door your bedroom?”
Somewhat amused but a bit embarrassed as well, Ruby bobbed her head again. “It is.”
“Okay, why don’t you take care of business now, and I’ll make use of it later?”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Bob pulled her in for a short hug and released her after he pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “You’re welcome.” He swaggered towards her bedroom, and she stared after him. He is such a nice guy.
When Ruby entered the bedroom, he lay sprawled on top of the bed covers. Bob still had on his leather pants but had stripped the rest of his clothes. He was fit and good looking, and Ruby couldn’t understand why having him in her home and in her bed didn’t stir any excitement in her. Has the situation with Nathan and Will unsettled me this much?
“I... I put clean towels and a spare toothbrush on the washstand.” She stammered and nervously played with the fraying end of her bathrobe’s sleeve.
“Thank you.” He rose from the bed and strode past her.
Ruby heaved a sigh and dropped her bathrobe. After a moment of indecision, she pulled on cotton boy briefs and an oversized nightshirt with the text
IF YOU
Love Me
LET ME SLEEP
Bob emerged from the bathroom just as she slid under the covers. He walked over to her side of the bed and crouched on his haunches. “How are you doing?” He stroked a few strands of hair from her face, and Ruby let the breath escape from her lungs.
“Honestly, I’m a little unsettled.” She shuddered as she remembered the hostility and impending violence hanging thickly in the room. “The men didn’t do anything but stare at each other, but I was afraid they would start fighting.” She opened her eyes and met Bob’s intent gaze head-on. “It pissed me off, too. I felt like a toy in a tug-of-war between two rabid dogs.”
“What can I do to help?”
“You already have. You got me out of there.” She blinked rapidly. “Will you hold me?”
The corners of his mouth lifted, and the tension around his eyes diminished. “I would love to hold you.” His hands moved to the waistband of his pants. “Is it okay to take these off?”
Ruby lifted the bedcovers in a silent answer and Bob discarded his leathers quickly. Bob slid in behind her, his body warm and the hairs on his upper legs tickled her thighs. When he pulled her in his arms there was nothing sexual about his hold, only the comfort of leaning on another human being.
The first sensation was warmth when Ruby woke the following morning. Why am I wearing clothes in bed? She wiggled to push off the blankets and bumped into a warm and solid body. She stiffened as her sluggish mind tried to catch up with the events from last night.
I did a scene with Nathan, ran into Will. The men got into some wrangle... Bob took me home.
She slowly turned. Bob lay sleeping flat on his back, the arm closest to her swung over his head with a ninety-degree angle at the elbow. In his sleep, Bob’s face was slack, and he looked almost vulnerable.
Ruby waited for her body to wake up and notice the man beside her. From what she remembered, he only wore black boxers. Maybe if I take a peek?
Carefully, Ruby lifted the bedsheets and let her eyes drift – bearded chin, strong neck, and shoulders. He had well defined pectoral muscles – she never figured a psychologist would have a build more fitted for someone who did physical work – bare chest, a tiny happy trail leading to...
“Good morning.” Although his voice was raspy with sleep, Bob was completely awake, and he clearly caught what she’d been doing.
Guiltily she lifted her eyes to his face. “Ah, hi.”
“I don’t mind your eyes on my body, but what were you doing?” His eyes darkened. “Did you want to check out my morning wood?”
