My skin felt sticky. I pushed the blankets off my legs. “An ex left one at my house, and I may have perused the pages,” I said, because that sounded cooler thanI learned everything I know about sex from sneaking my grandmother’s romance novels.
“Huh.”Her eyes sparkled.
I scooped the wad of covers off the end of the bed and dumped them on her head. “Women sleep with guys who read romance.”
She shoved the blankets off, hair mussed in an irritating way that gave me a weird urge to lick my hand and smooth it back mom-style.
Why was I thinking about licking Courtney?
Holy hell, that was a thin, thin nightgown.
My throat tightened. This was it. Even in my dream state, I was allergic to Courtney, and I was about to die. It was the only acceptable explanation for why sitting close to her had this effect on my body.
“You’re no hero,” she said, snapping me out of it. “More like some kind of beta-bro, b-plot villain. You certainly fit the bodice-ripping-womanizer bill.”
I triedveryhard not to look at herverysee-through bodice. “And you fit the personality-of-a-damp-shoelace sidekick bill.”
Her nose wrinkled up. “I do not. I’m full of wit.”
I threw a pillow at her nose so I wouldn’t notice it again. “Then you’re clearly the sidekick. Sidekicks are the witty ones.”
She shoved the pillow back at me. “You said sidekicks have the personality of shoelaces.”
I tossed the pillow. “Mind your prejudice. Shoelaces are witty.”
“That was pretty witty for a supposed Chosen One.”
The almost-compliment threw me off. I hated when she did that. Switched sides when we argued until I couldn’t tell if she was insulting me anymore. I finally settled on “Thank you.” It seemed safe.
Her lips bunched as she sulked. “Knock it off. You came here trying to get in my head. Sleep every night in my bed, for all Icare. It won’t work. The only reason you want to be the Chosen One is because I do.”
I rolled my eyes. Hard. “The only reason you’re still here is because I want it. If it weren’t for me, you would’ve dipped as soon as the king said the wordtraining.”
Her mouth opened and closed a few times, making her look like the fish out of water she was.
Then suddenly a pillow smacked me in the face. Before Courtney could pull it back, I caught it and yanked. She fell forward, tumbling into my lap.
Courtney panted, wide, darkly lined eyes inches from mine. Her fingers wrapped around my thigh, her other hand braced against my chest, the pillow wedged between us like a Bible at a middle school dance.
“I wanted this a long time ago,” she said, a bit too theatrically to be convincing.
My brain heard what she meant. My body heard,I want this, felt her warm fingers on my leg, and totally lost its shit. Thank god for the pillow between us.
“Huh?” I asked intelligently.
“As a little girl, I always dreamed of being special.”
Deep breaths.“Oh, you’ve wanted to be a hero since you were a kid?”Buy time, buy time, buy time.I tilted my head to the side, letting my features grow tender. I touched her chin with a fond finger. “In that case… cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get over it.” I allowed myself two seconds to recover and relish her livid expression before giving the pillow a shove.
Courtney hooked a leg around my waist as she fell back, pulling me along. I landed with anoofover the top of her, bracing my forearms against the mattress on either side of her head, caging her in. “I’m afraid you’re just not hero material,” I managed.
She wrapped her legs around my hips, tugging me closer.Fucking hell.“An appreciation for rest and relaxation doesn’t make me an unfit heroine,” she snapped inches from my face. “Whatabout hobbits? Those dudes laze around all day, and people think they’re great heroes. God forbid I, too, appreciate multiple breakfasts and long naps.”
And then the universe blessed me. Because I noticed her cheeks werepink. Not their usual angry red, butpink. Courtney was blushing.
She’d started a game I didn’t think she could finish.
A heady rush washed through me. This was maybe the best dream I’d ever had. I was bold, irresistible Bryce, and this round was mine.
