Page 13 of Stick Side
“Mel?” Cassidy asked.
“Just water, please.”
“You got it. Three beers and one water coming right up. And I call dibs on the recliner!” Cassidy called over his shoulder as he exited the room. That left Ben, Melody, and Volkov with the big and very comfortable-looking couch.
Volkov fixed himself a plate of nachos before sinking into one side of the couch. Melody took the middle seat, which left him with the other side.
Cassidy came back into the living room and passed them all their drinks before climbing into the recliner.
Melody reached for the blanket that had been thrown over the back of the couch. She spread it over her lap before offering him a portion. He wasn’t actually cold, but he accepted her offer with a smile. “Thank you.”
Ben savored the innocent brush of her arm against his thigh as she repositioned the blanket. Pleasure shot through him as her scent engulfed him. He tried not to be too obvious as he breathed her in and tried to commit the sweet floral notes to memory.
He missed the warmth of her touch as soon as she leaned back into her own cushion, but he chose to appreciate the way it seemed second nature to her to want to ensure he was comfortable. He especially liked it since, consciously or not, she’d turned to him instead of Volkov, who sat on her other side. He chose to ignore the fact that there was another blanket within Volkov’s reach.
“Let’s do this!” Cassidy hollered as he queued up the movie.
Ben shook his head as his teammates volleyedX-Menquotes back and forth.What a bunch of nut jobs. Still. At this moment, he couldn’t think of anywhere he would rather be than with his new teammates and the beautiful, fascinating woman by his side.
Chapter 6
Melody
Melodyluxuriatedinasense of deep contentment as she hovered in that place between asleep and awake. It had been a long time since she’d awoken feeling so good. In fact, she felt so good that she wanted to go back to whatever delicious dream had left her feeling so blissful.
She burrowed deeper into the solid warmth that supported her and released a happy sigh.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” a familiar, sleep-roughened voice crooned. She felt the gentle scratch of whiskers against her brow as a warm hand moved to cradle the back of her head.
Melody jolted awake as shock washed over her like a bucket of ice water.
“Hey. Shhh. It’s okay,” Ben soothed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” One of his hands caressed her back in gentle, calming strokes.
As her mind raced to orient her, Melody became instantly aware of the strong arms holding her safe against a well-muscled chest. At some point, someone—probably Ben—had pulled thethrow up over her shoulders. She had been nicely tucked in. Alexei lay gently snoring on the opposite end of the couch.
Embarrassment lapped at her like waves along the shoreline. “I’m sorry,” she apologized as she came more fully awake. She kept her voice low so as not to wake Alexei. “I must have fallen asleep on you.”
“It was no problem,” Ben said in an equally hushed tone as he gently brushed stray locks of hair back from her face. “Volkov was gesticulating so wildly that I think you came seeking protection on this side of the couch.”
Now that he mentioned it, she did recall Alexei getting so into the movie that she’d had to slowly inch away from him lest she accidentally get hit by his brachial windmilling. Apparently, she’d found herself a most agreeable safe haven within the cradle of Ben’s arms.
Melody used the hand that had found its nocturnal resting place against his chest to push herself back a little. She might have spent the night happily cocooned in his arms, but now that she was awake, she felt more than a little bashful about the way her sleeping self had used him as her personal pillow.
“Have you been up for long?” she asked.
Ben shook his head. “No. Only for a few minutes.”
Her sleep-clouded brain couldn’t make up its mind about just how embarrassed she should feel, but she was cognizant enough to hope conversation would dispel any potential awkwardness between them. Ben didn’t look bothered by the night’s events. And yet, while she couldn’t speak to his reality, it certainly wasn’t every morning thatsheawoke to find herself curled up against a near stranger.
As her eyes surveyed the room, they landed on the empty recliner. "Where's Eric?"
“I heard the shower go on a few minutes ago, but I don’t know if he slept here or wandered into his room at some point during the night.”
Melody inched a little further away from Ben before getting to her feet. She covered her mouth as a yawn escaped it. A few tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes.
“Someone once told me that our eyes water when we yawn because we miss our beds and it makes us sad,” Ben volunteered.
If the warm twinkle in his eye was enough to go by, Melody would wager he was not-so-subtly suggesting she come back to the couch and resume resting in his arms. No, Ben definitely didn’t seem bothered by the way they’d spent the night.
