Page 52 of Roommate Wars
Elise had never been just Sophia’s sister. She’d always been intriguing and strong in a way I admired. So like any red-blooded man, I’d returned her kiss tenfold… But this was not the time to be thinking of hot sex. Not with her next to me and all too tempting.
I grabbed her foot and started kneading the arch to distract myself. Her feet were bony, with chipped light pink nail polish on her toenails. I smiled. They were cute, just like her.
She looked back, surprised. “Where’d you learn to do that?”
I leaned forward and punched the volume up on the remote a couple notches. “I have skills.”
Elise moaned, and the muscles in my arms bunched. Her moan wasn’t helping me forget about sex. “That feels so good,” she said and burrowed deeper into the couch.
Again, not helping.
We watched the show for a while, and at some point, I switched to her other foot. When I finally looked down, she’d fallen asleep.
Her hands were tucked under her head and her lips were slightly parted. She looked incredibly beautiful.
I searched the room for a throw blanket. Which, apparently, I didn’t own. Somehow Max had failed me on throw blankets. My best-friend home decorator would hear about this.
I was in uncharted territory—taking care of another human who wasn’t family. But did I wake Elise and tell her she should go to bed where it was warm?
No, I did not. I hunkered down closer and watched the show, closing my eyes for just a moment…
ChapterTwenty-Two
Elise
I couldn’t move,couldn’t turn or stretch my legs. I was too tired to wake fully, so I dozed in out of consciousness until I was finally uncomfortable enough to open my eyes. I groggily tried to sit up, but there was a very heavy arm around my waist.
I knew that muscled arm. Knew that soapy male scent.
Jack.
We’d been watching TV, and then Jackson gifted me with the most incredible foot rub. But what happened after that?
I tried to turn and look at him, and although the couch was as soft as any bed, it wasn’tactuallya bed. With the two of us spooning, I couldn’t shift.
So I moved to roll off the couch toward the ground, but I was trapped in the Jack-sized swell his larger body created on the couch.
It didn’t help that he was warm and cuddly, and I was freaking tired.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment with Jack off his guard, his body wrapped around mine. The soft sound of his breathing. I could stay like this. Sleep out here for the night. But that would mean waking in his arms, and as tempting as that sounded, I was still getting used to the idea of us dating.
I rolled forward, putting all my weight into it, and tumbled onto the floor between the couch and the coffee table.
When I looked up, Jack was staring, a lock of thick, wavy hair covering one of his eyes, his expression confused.
He blinked and looked around, then yawned. “What time is it?”
I reached over and turned off the TV. Only now the room was totally dark.Crap. “I don’t know.”
He sat up and reached for his phone on the coffee table, tapping the screen to get it to light up. “Three.”
Shit!Half the night had passed? I sprang to my feet and ended up stumbling and half falling onto Jack.
His hands were on my hips, steadying me, sending heated zingers spiraling down my belly.
“Sorry,” I said and straightened. “We should go to bed.”
He stood, yawning again while making a noise of assent. But instead of walking to his bedroom, he stepped back for me to go first.
