Page 33 of Hero on the Road
Not in a million years, I realized.
I shoved the door open and walked in, assuming she’d follow, but was confused when she gasped. Turning around, I saw that she was staring at the room—and the single bed in it.
“What? You don’t like the bed?” I asked. “Don’t worry; I’m sure the one in your room is better.”
She gave me a look and shook her head. “That guy didn’t give me a key. I figured we had a room with two beds in it or something. But this…”
I turned and looked where she was looking, and immediately saw what she meant.
We’d played in exchange for dinner and beds for the night. And we’d gotten our dinner… and a bed.
A single bed.
The bartender must have thought we were actually together—though if he’d been reading Colin’s blog, I couldn’t imagine how he would have thought that. Colin would never have said anything about how he thought we were together. He was too much in love with Olivia for that.
Or had he? We hadn’t been reading the blog, and now I realized that was maybe a big mistake.
I looked over at Olivia, who was staring at the bed with enormous eyes, and I didn’t have to ask what she was thinking about. The last time we’d shared a bed, we’d been together. I’d been falling in love with her and thinking of nothing more than how happy I was, and she’d been…
Well, a willing participant.
But things were a whole lot different now. She’d walked out on me right after that and I’d spent the last five months trying not to remember how she’d made me feel. We were on a tour together and I’d already been warned not to touch her.
We couldn’t share a bed. I mean we could, but it felt like opening a whole vat of complications.
“I’ll sleep on the floor,” I said quickly.
“I’ll take the couch,” she said at the same moment.
We stopped and stared at each other, a million and one unsaid things passing between us, and I gave her a hesitant smile.
“You take the bed. I know how tired you are.”
She huffed. “And I know how tired you are. I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor, Connor. Don’t be ridiculous.”
I glanced again at the bed and shook my head. “Well we can’t both sleep there.”
She looked over as well, her gaze considering. “Sure we could. I’m small.”
“And I’m big.”
She smirked. “That’s what they all say.”
I laughed, surprised at the bawdy comment from the always-in-control Olivia Johns. “I mean,” I said pointedly, “that I take up a lot of space.”
She turned the considering look on me. “I’ve noticed,” she said softly. And before I could figure out what the hell that was supposed to mean, she was walking over to the bed. “It’s not a big deal, Connor. We sleep next to each other every night. This time we’re just going to do it in a bed. Keep your clothes on and it won’t bother either of us.”
I bit my cheek and watched her, trying to figure out whether she was being serious. She patted at the bed, checking it, and turned to me, her eyes still serious and so, so beautiful. God, I couldn’t sleep next to her. I couldn’t sleep in the same bed with her and not touch her.
I couldn’t do it.
I might be big, but I was not big enough to keep my hands to myself if she was within reach.
And yet, a bed. A bed for the first time in over a week.
A bed with Olivia Johns laying next to me.
I sighed and closed my eyes, trying very hard to talk myself into some form of self control. And then I stepped forward, slipped out of my boots, and nodded. “No big deal,” I agreed. “You’re right. And boy am I ready for a real mattress.”
