Page 25 of Close Quarters

“Well, I’m looking forward to taking their deviant asses down.”

He chuckled. “Me too.”

A comfortable silence fell over them. Katie continued to stare out over the landscape, drinking in the peace. Her eyelids grew heavy, closing. Alex’s chair creaked, and she heard him rise. Her mind drifting, she didn’t open her eyes until she felt his arms slide under her knees and around her back. Then they flew open, meeting his. In the low light, they were midnight pools.

“What are you doing?”

“Putting you to bed.” He straightened, lifting her from the chair with ease.

“I can walk, you know.”

“Yep. But you looked comfortable. No use in you waking up more than you need to.” He opened the door with one finger and stepped inside, closing it the same way, then throwing the lock. She punched in the alarm code, and he headed for the stairs.

Katie marveled at how nimbly he ascended them while carrying her, as though she weighed little more than the blanket. In her room, he laid her on the bed and removed the afghan, replacing it with the bedcovers. She tucked them under her chin and gazed up at him in the near-darkness. She could just make out his features in the moonlight.

He stroked her cheek with one finger.

Heat licked her veins, waking her up more than the trek through the house. “Alex.” Her voice was a throaty whisper.

The muscles in his jaw ticked. He took a deep breath and stepped back. “Get some sleep.”

As he turned to go, she snaked a hand out from under the blankets and grabbed his. He paused, looking down at her.

She took a shaky breath, not sure what she was doing. This was a bad idea.

“Don’t go.”

His muscles stiffened. “Katie—”

“I want you to stay. Just to sleep.”

He hesitated, staring down at her.

“Please? I think we’ll both sleep better.” Just having him near calmed her mind. It might awaken other parts of her, but the restlessness plaguing her had disappeared when he sat down beside her on the deck. If he left, she was afraid it would all come right back.

He gave her a brief nod. She scooted over as he lifted the covers and climbed in beside her. Katie settled on her side, facing him. She toyed with the corner of her pillow while he got settled, suddenly nervous.

Nothing was going to happen, she reminded herself. Sleep. They were sleeping.

But the heat from his large frame was already warming the bed beneath the blankets. She wanted to scoot up against him and absorb it, even if she got burned in the process.

Katie scrunched her eyes closed and tried to picture a troll. The image of a garden gnome popped into her head instead, and she giggled.

“What’s so funny?” His voice was groggy.

“Nothing.” She giggled again as the gnome did a little jig.

She felt him roll onto his side.

“Not nothing. What’s going on in that brilliant brain of yours?”

She opened her eyes to find him closer than she expected. Less than a foot separated their faces. Katie bit her lip and stared into his eyes in the dark.

“I was trying to distract myself.”

“From what?”

“You.”

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