Page 54 of Scrooged for the Holidays
The fire crackles and pops, and I turn my chin up so I’m looking at his stupidly handsome features. The thought of sex makes the images I’ve attempted to forget all day worm their way back into my mind. He knows from our earlier conversation that I saw him last night, not only naked but doing sexual things with Sam and Kai as well.
Kai. I could have sworn I saw him standing beside Sam at the ice rink. But by the time the sting in my ankle faded and the shock of slipping wore off, the spot where Sam was standing while I’d been locked in a staring match with him was empty. No brooding Sam and no Kai.
“Are you sure I didn’t hit my head?” I ask again.
Remi looks down at me, his brow creased in concern. “Does your head hurt?”
“No, nothing like that. It’s just…” I search for the right words. Remi never asked me why I fell. He never even gave an indication that his lovers were there at the rink.
He lifts his hand until his palm rests against my forehead. The sensation makes my stomach flip. I want to purr like a cat and curl into him or climb into his lap and rub myself all over him. God, I need to get it together.
I wrap my fingers around his wrist and pull his hand away. “I’m fine,” I assure him, placing his hand on his tree-trunk thigh before leaning away. I put my own hand on my own thigh and fight the urge to return it back to his heated skin.
“What’s making you ask, then?”
“When I fell, was I looking at Sam? I could have sworn I was, but then he was gone. I think I saw Kai, too.”
Kai, the man I’ve yet to stop thinking about. The skating was a good distraction, but it’s been hard to forget about that weird-ass nightmare.
When I thought I saw him again, everything came rushing back. Had he been there when I looked up, I probably would have attempted to crawl over to him even if my damn ankle had been broken. I would have demandedhe tell me if he actually is half human and half angel, if we really did kiss last night and experience my horrible memories in the past.
But that would be completely and utterly stupid of me. It was a nightmare. That’s all.
Remi swallows, the veins in his throat becoming more prominent as he does. “They were; I saw them briefly.”
I release a small, relieved laugh. “I guess that’s good, then. I thought I’d gone a bit crazy. Could be sleep deprivation, too.”
“You didn’t sleep well last night?” The flicker in his eye tells me he already knows.
“You could say that.”
“Was it the dated holiday decor that made you uneasy?” he asks with a sly half smile.
I smirk back at him. “Part of it.”
“Mattress not to your liking?”
“Honestly, maybe it was too nice. I was in such a deep sleep I was having really intense nightmares that felt very real. Ones I couldn’t wake up from.”
Remi doesn’t respond right away, not that I expect him to say anything at all. What do you say to someone who just told you they had a nightmare? We may have spent time together, but it’s not as if we learned that much about each other.
And it’s not as if I want to. I don’t get close to people in that way. Shallow relationships are always better so feelings can’t get involved, and nobody can get hurt. There’s also the weird fact that my nightmare included Kai, a man he is obviously in a relationship with.
“Would you like to talk about it?” Remi’s question vibrates through me, his voice so low and deep it makes my toes curl.
“Not really.”
He nudges my arm with his, and my stupid heart leaps at the contact. I look up into his eyes, and now I can’t remember anything I was thinking about a second ago.
“What about a nap? I could help you to your room.”
My gaze finds his bowed lips before I meet his stare again. He’s studying me carefully, waiting for my answer. The last thing I want to do is nap. It may be midday now, but the nightmares still feel too fresh. I’m not risking another trip down memory lane so soon.
“No, I’m not in the mood for sleep,” I say.
“Then what are you in the mood for, love?”
The way he saysloveshould be illegal. And the way he asked that question? I have to be making up the innuendo behind it, right?
