Page 16 of Perfect Harmony

He eyed those fists as he shut off thecar. She was going to be pissed with him when she saw where they were. Shemight even take a swing at him. Violence wasn’t her usual style, but when shewas deep in the throes of insomnia, Grace became… unpredictable.

Not that he blamed her. A solid sleeperhis entire life, he couldn’t even imagine what insomnia was like and, frankly,didn’t want to. He didn’t know why Grace’s insomnia was flaring up, but he wasn’tgoing to badger her for a reason. Not now. Not when she was exhausted, andher tough outer shell had been stripped away leaving her more vulnerable thanhe’d seen her in a long time.

She needed sleep and he intended to seethat she got it. Even if he had to carry her to his bed kicking and screaming.

“We’re here,” he said.

She nodded wearily and straightened, reachingfor the door handle. “Thanks for the ride. I’m sorry that I… what the hell?”

She stared at him, ignoring Tank who sat upin the back seat and pressed his big head against hers, his breath ruffling herdark curls. “Why are we here?”

“You’re coming inside and getting somesleep.”

She barked out laughter before pushing Tankback and opening her door. “No thanks.”

He slid out of the SUV, jogging around theback and stepping in front of her before she could get to the sidewalk.“Wait.”

“I’m tired, I have a headache, and I justwant to go home. Please,” she said.

He resisted the urge to cup her face andrub a thumb across what he knew would be silky-soft skin. Instead, he staredat the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes and the way her curvy bodytrembled.

“Please, Gideon,” she said. “Just let mego home.”

“You said the last time you had a decentsleep was in my bed. It won’t hurt to try lying down for a while,” he said.

A weird look crossed her face. “Oh yeah?Because I seem to remember you threatening to spank me if you found meuninvited in your bed again.”

He willed his dick to behave. Now was notthe time to think about how a naked Grace would look draped over his lap withher perfect ass right there and waiting to be spanked.

“I’m inviting you,” he said.

She laughed tiredly. “Still gonna pass.”

She went to move around him, and he didsomething he tried incredibly hard to never do. He touched her.

She went stock still, staring at the wayhis fingers clasped her wrist loosely. Her pulse picked up, he could feel itbeating beneath his fingertips, and he said in a low voice, “Please, Gracie.You need sleep. Just try it for me. All right?”

She sucked in a breath, a bit of colourtinging the paleness of her cheeks, before she nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Relief flooded through him. He dropped herwrist instead of taking her hand like he wanted to. “Good, come in the house.”

* * *

For the second time in a month, she was inGideon’s bedroom. It looked exactly the same, neat and tidy but with an unmadebed. She swallowed the weird giggles that were threatening to come out. Whyit would amuse her so much that Gideon, neat freak extraordinaire, didn’t makehis bed, she didn’t know. Maybe because it was so out of character, sounexpected.

“Here, you can wear this to sleep in.”Gideon came out of the walk-in closet, carrying a plain grey t-shirt.

She almost blurted out that she slept nakedbefore coming to her senses. The fact that Gideon was even letting her sleepin his bed again was a goddamn miracle. He was so… skittish about the idea ofthem in any kind of sexual situation, that he’d probably immediately rescind hisoffer to give up his bed for her if she mentioned she’d be naked.

“Thank you.” She took the shirt. “Whereare you going to sleep? Your couch isn’t long enough for you to sleep on.”

“In the spare bedroom.”

She blinked sluggishly at him. “Your sparebedroom is a home gym.”

“The other bedroom,” he said. “I have abed in it.”

Right. Gideon lived in a three-bedroomhouse. God, she was tired.

---