Page 80 of Taste of Forever
“The inside of my bellybutton. Feels really weird.” He grinned at my befuddled look. “I’ll be right back.”
He was gone long enough that I managed to re-bandage the worst of my injuries, then pull on a borrowed T-shirt and soft cotton shorts from the stack of loaner clothes. By the time he returned, I was mostly dressed and completely exhausted.
“Hey now, don’t fall asleep in here.”
My impossibly heavy eyelids lifted just enough to see Laith kneeling in front of me, his hands out and hovering as if to catch me if I fell.
“You’re so cute.” In my half-asleep state, I wasn’t sure if I thought the words or said them out loud.
“Well, thanks.” Laith laughed softly. “Since I’m so cute, will you let me carry you to bed?”
“Mmkay.” I was too tired to be mortified that he’d heard me. That was an awake-Heather problem.
I felt him scoop under my legs and back, and let myself fall limp against him.
“I put fresh sheets on for you,” he said, breath soft against my hairline.
“You’re the fucking best, you know that?” I mumbled into his shirt.
His chest shook with his soft chuckle. “Nah, you are.”
The clean sheets felt like the greatest luxury on earth when he lay me down. With the last of my flagging strength, I grabbed his hand before he could move away. “One last favor to ask.”
“Name it.” Laith’s thumb stroked over my knuckles.
I steeled myself with a breath. “Will you sleep next to me?”
He went completely still. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I mean, you don’t have to rightnow. I have no idea what time it is, but whenever you go to sleep?—“
He jumped over me, sailing over my legs to land with a soft bounce on the other side of the bed. “Thought you’d never ask.” He grinned while tucking himself under the top blanket.
I drifted off to sleep with a grin that matched his, and a sense of contentment that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Chapter 22
Laith
Iwoke up with the scent of lilies in my nose. Instinctively, I drew closer and realized my arm was draped around something soft but solid. A pillow?
My eyes drifted open to find honey blonde hair filling my vision. It was funny how dreams filtered over to reality upon waking sometimes. Any second now, I’d snap out of it and wake up alone like I usually did.
But that didn’t happen.
With every blink I returned more solidly to the waking world and the memories of last night came rushing back. Helping Heather in the shower and her request to sleep next to her.
Next to her.Notspooning her, which was what I was currently doing.
I swallowed a curse, not wanting to wake her. How did this happen? I was firmly on my side of the bed and always, without fail, slept like a corpse.
But at some point during the day, I’d crossed the invisible barrier in the middle of the bed and buried my nose in her hair. Wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her into me.
I should have released her and scooted away the moment I figured it out. I knew, if I was going to stare at the side of herface, at her eyelashes low over her cheekbone and the adorably biteable curve of her exposed ear, I should do it at a distance.
But how could I when the dip of her waist fit my arm so perfectly? How could I be expected to pull away when her silky hair brushed over my lips and nose and her neck was rightthere?
My fangs pulsed with a dull ache in my mouth. It had been nearly a week since I’d fed from her and the hunger was starting to gnaw at me. But there was no way I’d take from her until she was fully recovered.
