Page 89 of Stuck in Paradise with You

In so many ways. ‘If I promise I’m not making a move and I’m literally going to fall asleep within seconds, could we cuddle?’

One side of her lips turns up. ‘Why? Did you forget your favorite teddy bear?’

I smile at her playful obstinance and tuck her hair behind her ear. ‘Something like that.’

Her smile disappears but she shuffles my way. I roll onto my back and she lies like she used to, her head on my chest, one leg bent across mine. I blow out the candle on the bedside table and wrap my arm around her. I listen to her breathe. Once, twice, three times…

We didn’t move all night. We crashed, both of us, and the feel of Carrie shuffling on my chest, exactly where she fell asleep hours ago, is the first thing that makes me move.

Sunlight streams through the windows around us, a complete contrast to waking up yesterday in a dark room, alone.

If it wasn’t for knowing how busy the coming days will be and that I have no clue where Carrie’s head is at when it comes to us, this would be a pretty perfect way to wake in the morning.

Carrie hums against me, cuddling in tighter. Then I watch her eyelids flutter open and see the realization hit her – we’re in bed together. I hold my breath, bracing for her reaction, blown away when she rolls onto her front, both hands on my chest, and beams up at me.

The only reason I know my heart hasn’t physically exploded is because I feel so alive.

‘Good morning,’ she whispers, as if she hasn’t just made this the best ever start to the day in the history of mankind.

She’s looking at me like… like she used to.

I’m too shocked to speak and she plugs the silence by telling me, ‘You’re a very comfy pillow, Mr Chalmers.’

‘Let me see. A room, plus a pillow and designated cuddler for an entire night. I reckon five hundred should cover it,’ I tease.

‘Dollars?’ She comes up to sit. Her leg position means that with a slight nudge to her left, she’s straddling my hips. ‘You’ve got to be joking.’

I’m desperate to run my hands along her legs, up to her hips. To pull her down to me, her hair hanging in my face, and kiss her. Since I’m not sure I’ve been invited to do that, I take my hands behind my head and smirk. ‘It’s a nice room and my left pec isn’t cheap.’

She giggles, playful, youthful, brighter than the rays of sun bursting in through the windows, then moves to strike me. I’ve seen this move from her before, countless times. It’s one of her flirts.

I catch one hand before she can flick my chest, then catch the other when she tries with the other hand, and somehow, we end up where I wasn’t sure we could go, with her on all fours, her hands in mine either side of my head, long tendrils hanging down and teasing my skin. She’s exactly where I want her to be and we’re locked on each other. I see lust in her dilating pupils that’s a match for mine.

In the blink of an eye, something comes over her, taking away the look she was wearing and making her hop off the bed.

‘We should get dressed,’ she says. ‘I’m sure it’s going to be a busy day.’

She grabs clothes from her suitcase and scurries into my washroom, closing the door too quickly and too hard behind her.

Tell me you’re not into me without telling me you’re not into me.

The frustrating thing is, I think sheisinto me,us. There are moments I think we’ll leave this island, whenever we manage to get off Charithonia, together, as a couple.

And many, many more moments when I fear we’ll each leave alone. Me in significantly worse shape than I was when I arrived because Pandora’s box has been opened.

Carrie takes only minutes getting dressed, though enough time for me to pull on a pair of shorts. When she steps back into the room, she stares at my bare chest, embarrassed all of a sudden, her cheeks flush, despite spending the night lying on this same part of my body.

‘You didn’t need to go in the bathroom, Carrie.’ I pull my t-shirt on over my head. ‘I’ve seen you naked once or twice before.’

She gives a tight laugh. ‘I know. But it’s different now.’ She fusses with her luggage, then stands, pulling her hair into a tie as I tug on socks and sneakers. ‘Luke, as far as everyone else is concerned, please can we just say I slept in my own pod. I mean, if it even comes up.’

Her words cut like a dagger.

‘Sure.’

She folds her arms across her chest. ‘It’s just I wouldn’t want anyone to think?—’

‘That we’re two consenting adults who spent the night in the same bed, comforting each other after a really long and disastrous day?’

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