Page 24 of Lakesides and Longing

“Uh, no. I haven’t thought of Debbie in days. It’s about Lukas. He’s one of my best friends. He’d kill me.”

Ida took a sip of her mimosa. “Seems to me a brother would be happy his little sister found a guy who treats her right.”

“I’m not that guy. I’m still hung up on Debbie, remember?”

“Oh please. Didn’t you just tell me that you hadn’t thought of her in days?”

“Well, yeah. But everyone knows that she’s my weakness. She may be married now, but it won’t last, and I’ll be right here waiting for her.”

“You mean to tell me that if Debbie were to walk through that door right now, you’d drop everything and be with her?”

Before Blake could respond, the door opened, and Paige and Phil spilled out, Paige laughing at something.

Blake could practically feel her body pressed against him every night like last night and bury his nose into her hair that always smelled like flowers. He wanted to taste those lips again, and he never wanted to leave here.

Oh, no.

This wasn’t good at all.

“I believe I’ve proved my point,” Ida said with a smirk.

Paige sat across from him, spread a napkin in her lap, and snatched a piece of bacon.

“What point?” she asked.

Ida waved a hand. “It’s not important. I just like being right.” Then she launched into a tale about her and Phil in Florida the year before.

Blake tuned her out.

He couldn’t believe it.

Shewasright.

CHAPTER16

Paige sat closer to Blake than she’d done the night before, but she wasn’t sure he’d noticed. She brought a big bowl of popcorn and waited for him to fall asleep because it didn’t take long last night. As the movie went on, he sank lower and lower into the couch.

“I’m going to bed.” He pushed himself up. The movie only had an hour left. She was actually surprised he hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

“No. You have to watch the end.”

He groaned, snuggled down, and closed his eyes.

Within minutes she was certain he’d be out. Once those eyes closed, he wouldn’t open them again. She grinned to herself. She was being sneaky, but she’d had an incredible day today, and she was so looking forward to another good night’s sleep. If she made it through another night, then she’d know it was Blake who kept the nightmares at bay. She’d probably have to talk to him at some point about that, but she’d keep him falling asleep on the couch for as long as she could.

She waited another ten minutes and then snuggled up next to him. She flicked off the TV and let her eyes drift shut. But she was far from asleep. She was utterly aware of his hard body at her back.

Desire burned in her stomach, and she was shocked at the feeling. Blake was so not her type. But he was sweet and funny, and she was falling for him.

Not to mention that she totally tricked him into sleeping with her again. He shifted behind her, and she worried that maybe he woke up, but he just rolled over and tugged her tight against his chest.

Her heart raced. There was no way she’d fall asleep tonight.

CHAPTER17

Blake understood what Paige was doing, and it had nothing to do with her feelings for him.

No, she was sleeping with him because she didn’t wake up from nightmares. Last night and the night before on the couch together had been her only nightmare-free sleep since he’d been here. If he had been in her shoes, he’d be doing the same thing.

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