Page 29 of Ice Me Baby

Chapter Eleven

I’m jolted awake by a gentle jostle to my shoulder. “Wh-what? Did I fall asleep?”

When I open my eyes, Oli is in front of me with a soft smile. He nods. “Yes. It seems everyone fell asleep.” He points toward my feet.

I look to find Lewi asleep in a very awkward position. He still has his hand on my ankle as if he fell asleep mid-massage. His neck is tilted to the side, which looks extremely uncomfortable. Then I take in the room and see everyone else is sporadically lying on the floor asleep. “We should probably wake everyone else up too,” I whisper.

Oli gestures over his shoulder. “Fenni and Gilly will wake them up before they leave. Perri left an hour or so ago.” He leans over to shake Lewi awake. He groans sleepily and rubs his face. Oli snorts. “Go to bed.”

Lewi nods and slowly lifts my legs off his lap, so he can shuffle off the couch. He looks half asleep as he makes his way around the couch and down the hall.

I let out a squeak when I’m suddenly lifted from the couch. I instantly wrap my arms around Oli’s neck. “Oli! I’m more than capable of walking on my own.”

He just shrugs as he follows Lewi down the hallway. “Your ankle still needs time to rest; plus, you don’t know which room is yours for now.”

His cheeks turn pink, and I can’t help but ask, “Whose room will I be staying in, Oli?”

He looks down at me briefly before turning to the door on the right. “Lewi and I volunteered to give up our bedroom. We plan to clear out one of the other bedrooms we use as storage for you, but until that happens you can stay in here.” He shrugs and sets me down on the bed.

The room is large, though, I suppose it would have to be with two hockey players sharing the room. Two queen-sized beds sit on opposite walls, as if the room is split in half. “Where will you guys sleep until you clear out the room?”

“We will bunk with one of the other guys. Clearing out the other room shouldn’t take too long.”

I run my fingers over the silky-smooth bed sheets and smile as I look up at Oli. “Whose bed is this?”

He rubs the back of his neck as he looks away with bright pink cheeks. “It’s mine.”

I chuckle and snuggle into the blankets on the bed. I inhale and can’t help but relax as his scent engulfs me. It’s a combination of snow and the woods. Like standing in the middle of a forest after a fresh snowfall. A yawn overtakes me as I close my eyes.

“Sleep well, Chérie.”

I slip a hand out from under the blanket to snatch his wrist. My eyes open just enough to see his surprised expression. “Don’t go,” I whisper.

He turns to kneel beside the bed. “Chérie, I will be a shout away. I won’t be far.”

My eyes burn as I whisper, “Please, don’t go, Mac.”

His eyes soften as he leans forward and presses a kiss to my forehead. He pulls away and whispers, “As if I could deny you, Chérie.” Pointing over his shoulder to Lewi’s bed, he says, “I will be right over there. I won’t leave the room.”

When he begins to pull away, for some reason, panic builds in my chest, and I remember why I’m here. My grip on his wrist tightens as I plead, “With me.” I tug on his arm. “Please. Just for tonight. I just want to feel safe.”

“Are you sure?” he asks.

“Please.”

He nods before slipping into the bed behind me with all of his clothes on. I can’t help but ask, “Do you normally sleep in all of your clothes?”

Oli chuckles as he settles in beside me but keeps a respectable distance between us. “No, I do not, Chérie. But I think stripping down to my underwear with you here would be inappropriate.”

My cheeks heat, and I nod. We lie in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before I gather the courage to shuffle closer to him. I lay my head on his chest and feel him stiffen beneath me for a moment, but then he relaxes. He wraps an arm around me, pulling me closer to his chest. “Are you okay, Chérie?”

His steady heartbeat helps me even out my breathing, and my body starts to relax. Being wrapped in his arms makes me feel safe. “I am now,” I whisper into the silence of the room. I feel the tendrils of sleep grasping my mind as I relax further into him. I barely hear his words before sleep takes hold.

“Je veux te tenir près de moi comme ça pour toujours, Chérie.”

Mac ‘Oli’ Oliver

Of all the people she could have reached out to… she chose me. Though, I suppose having been frightened out of her mind, it makes sense for her to seek comfort. As much as I enjoy having her in my arms, a nagging feeling keeps prickling the back of my mind. There is someone missing.

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