Page 43 of Embracing Hope

“Wheeler was curious about my relationship with you. He overstepped a boundary. Let’s leave it at that.” He closed his eyes as if drawing a line through the conversation.

Recognizing he had finished, she turned over, switched off the lamp, and settled down.

But she couldn’t go to sleep.

She tumbled over to face him, and the moonlight spilling through the window cast his face in a glow.

“Are you going to stare at me or spit it out already?” he grumbled, keeping his eyes closed.

“Why are you here, in my bed? I thought you didn’t spend the night with anyone.”

“Protecting you,” he said simply.

“You could have protected me from down the hall.”

“So you say.” He yawned.

Rolling back onto her side, she buried her head into the pillow and jerked the blankets over her shoulder. “Are you cold?”

“No,” he grumbled.

“I can share the blanket,” she offered.

The bed creaked as he shifted to cover himself. “Goodnight.”

She lay there for another few minutes, counting sheep, singing random songs silently in her head, trying to sleep, but it wasn’t happening.

Before she knew it, she had backed her bottom against him, soaking up his heat through her pajamas. It was completely innocent. Maybe.

“Stop that,” he growled.

“Stop what?”

“Wriggling your behind. Women do that to tease a man.”

“I’m not wriggling anything and I’m certainly not teasing you.” She shifted her hips. And then laughed. “Oh, I guess I am. It must be a habit.” She forced her body to be still. “I mean, would it be that bad?”

“Would what be bad?” he mumbled.

“You know, us having sex a second time.” She was going out on a limb, way out on a limb.

“Not happening.”

She sighed. “You’re no fun.”

“I’m here to make sure you’re safe. I’m glad you called me.”

“It seemed natural. Thank you for coming.”

“Nothing would have stopped me.” He rolled over and faced her. Their faces were six inches apart. “How is the shoulder? Did the painkiller help?”

“It did. I’ll be as good as new tomorrow.”

“Are you always this chatty at this time of night?” he said with a bit of humor.

“When I can’t sleep, yes.”

“You should know that the rumor is swirling among the crew that you need to find a husband.”

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