Page 42 of Untouchable

“Goodnight, Kat,” Bodine and Mikey say in unison. I look at Ace, who is staring at me from where he sits on his bed, and offer a small smile as I open the door. I don’t expect a word out of him, since he’s barely spoken to me all night, but the way my stomach flips like a fool when he does, makes me wish I wasn’t such a girl over him.

“Goodnight, Katarina.” He’s the only person, besides my mom, who calls me by my full name more times than not.

“Goodnight, Ace.” I walk back to my room, expecting to pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow because of how tired I was while I was in the guys’ room. Of course, being by myself in a room where the walls are thin as paper, the TV is nothing but static, and my mind is going to every worst-case scenario it possibly can, means I’m wide awake. I look over at the clock, see it's already half past three, and groan. I’m never going to make it through the zoo tomorrow if I don’t get some sleep.

I should have taken Bodine up on the idea of getting a teddy bear from a gift shop somewhere because it might have honestly helped. I throw my covers off again, slide my slippers on and I walk to the check-in desk.

“Hi, do you have an extra key to room 12? I seem to have locked myself out.” The guy asks literally no questions before handing me another key, which makes me think maybe we should stay somewhere else tomorrow. “Thank you.” I smile athim and shuffle back to the guys’ room, walking in as quietly as possible until I reach the side of the bed I know Bodine is sleeping on. It’s pitch black in here, the only light coming from the street lights outside.

“Bodine,” I whisper, tapping his arm lightly. Someone snores so loud it makes me gasp, then a hand comes from behind me and wraps around my mouth.

“What are you doing in here, Little Reaper?” My heart slams against my chest as his words send a chill down my spine. His body is practically flush with mine, his lips right at the shell of my ear. He finally moves his hand, allowing me to answer.

“Jesus Christ, Ace. You scared me.”

“That’s not an answer.” My nipples pebble against the thin fabric of my T-shirt and I swallow nervously.

“I can’t sleep,” I whisper, causing him to spin me around by my arm to face him. When my chest brushes against his, my eyes fall closed.Shit.

“And what is it you think you need from Bodine to help you sleep?” His grip around my arm is tight, causing it to burn as he pulls me in closer. My eyes flick up to his, wondering if I’ll even be able to see them in the dimly lit room.

I can’t.

“Company.”

CHAPTER 23

Ace

“WARM BODIES”

Idrag Katarina out of the room, closing the door behind us before I let go of her wrist. She’s wearing a baby blue T-shirt, from some surf shop in Florida, that is doing nothing to hide the way her nipples are peaked beneath it.

“How did you even get into our room?” I ask, watching as she crosses her arms over her chest.

Oh, now she’s modest. But she had no problem pressing those perfect tits of hers against my chest in a dark room thirty seconds ago.

“The guy up front gave me a key. Speaking of which, I don’t think we should stay here after tonight.”

“You don’t say,” I growl, watching the discomfort on her face.

“Look, I’m sorry I woke you. If you just let me go back inside and get Bodine, I’ll let you get back to sleep.” I think the hell not.

She has no idea I stayed awake because I could hear her shuffling in her bed against our wall, knowing she couldn’t fall asleep. I heard her leave her room, watched her walk past our window, and saw every move she made from the time she walked in until I grabbed her.

“Bodine sleeps like a bear that’s been hit with a tranquilizer. You won’t be waking him up any time soon.”Curious. Wouldn’tshe know this about him if they used to be…familiarwith each other? I see her deflate and I hate the way she always runs to Bodine first, instead of coming to me.

“Let’s go.” I nod to her room, spinning her to walk in front of me.

“What?” She stumbles a few feet to her door and then she turns to face me. “Ace, no. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine. It’s three in the morning, you just broke into our room to wake Bodine because you needed company so,I’llkeep you company.” Her face is blank as she stares back at me, blinking in disbelief. “Are you going to open the door?” She pulls the handle down and walks in slowly, turning around to face me again when the door latches behind us. Something about this moment feels much more intimate than it should.

“Go to sleep. I’ll be right here.” I lock her door, then take a seat in the chair by the table across the room.

“You’re going to sleep in the chair?” She frowns.

“I’ve slept on worse, believe me.” I try to assure her, but that only seems to worry her more. She climbs into bed, watching me closely as she does, then she turns off the lamp and lays down. It turns back on approximately ten seconds later.

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