Page 81 of Renard's Deliverance

He sighed dramatically. “Well, you’re just gonna have to figure that out, Gem, because I’m exhausted.”

She found herself grinning. He’d turned it from awkward and a bit weird to pretty damn funny in the blink of an eye.

“I’ll try to refrain from jumping you.”

“Appreciated. Come find me if you need me. Night, Gem.”

“Good night.” She settled in, closing her eyes.

Only trouble was, she still couldn’t sleep. Everything kept running around in her head.

Over and over.

After about an hour of trying to get to sleep, she decided to get a drink. It had nothing to do with wanting to check that he was still here.

Nope. Nothing.

She shuffled into the kitchen and quietly grabbed a glass to fill with water.

“Couldn’t sleep, Gem?”

She let out a squeal, groaning as she jumped. “Nope. Sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t. Couldn’t sleep.”

“Do you want to go home?” she asked.

Please don’t leave.

“Only going home if you’re going with me. And, frankly, I don’t want you in my apartment.”

Ouch.

That hurt when she hadn’t been expecting it.

“Oh.”

Was that all she had? Oh? Well, if she said anymore, she might blurt out something she’d regret.

“It’s a soulless, crappy place where even I don’t want to be. So why would I want you to be in there?”

Ohh.

This roller coaster of emotion was hard to handle.

“Come on, let me take you back to bed.”

He led her back and even tucked her in. Then he grabbed an armchair, dragging it close to the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Going to sit here until you go to sleep.”

“That’s kind, but I usually have trouble getting back to sleep after I wake,” she told him.

“You wake a lot?” he asked.

“I have nightmares,” she told him.

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