Page 14 of Light Up The Night
I cup her cheek; she tenses, eyes flying open wide, and she swallows hard. I drop my hand, seeing that reaction. "Yeah, babe, I'm sure. I paid a fuck-ton of money for that couch. I've got a tendency to crash on the couch when I'm too tired to make it to my room, so I wanted to make sure my couch is comfy enough to sleep on."
Her fingers touch her cheek where my hand was, absently, in a way that makes me think she's not aware of it. "A most logical decision."
I grin at her, amused at her formal turn of phrase. “So, you got any jammies that bag?"
"Jammies?" She frowns, perplexed, as if having never heard the term.
"Yeah, you know…pajamas? PJs? Something to sleep in aside from the dress."
She looks down at herself, at the bag in her arms—carried like a baby or an armload of books rather than by the straps—and then at me. "No, I do not. I do not wear…jammies."
"Oh, okay. What do you sleep in, then?"
She blushes, cheeks flaming damn near scarlet. "Well, if you must know, I sleep in the nude. It is scientifically proven to improve sleep quality, digestion, circulation, speeds the metabolism, enhances fertility in males, and improves vaginal health in women."
"No shit?" I say, trying like hell not to think about this chick naked in my bed.
She shakes her head. "No. No…crap. I can provide study abstracts and meta-analyses, if you like."
"Oh no, I believe you." I'm frantically trying to prevent my idiot, caveman, horndog brain from going anywhere inappropriate. "Uh, yeah, well…okay. You do you, boo." I pointat the room. "I'm just gonna grab some shorts to sleep in." I grab what I need and pause in the hallway. "So, um, you need anything?"
She shakes her head, standing in the middle of my room, clutching her bag. "I do not believe so."
"Cool." God, why is this awkward? "I'm gonna go grab some sleep. You need anything, I'll be on the couch."
"Sleep well, Riley. Thank you again for everything you have done for me tonight. I shall not soon forget your kindness."
I can't help grinning—the way she talks is just so damn cool. Weird, maybe, but cool. She just doesn't give a fuck, and I like that.
I like it a lot.
Too much, maybe.
I leave her there and head for the living room. I hear the door shut and lock, and the creak of the floorboards as she moves around. Seconds later, the light shuts off, the crack beneath the door going dark.
I grab a fleece throw and a pillow from the hall closet, make myself comfortable on the couch…
And completely fail to fall asleep.
There's a beautiful naked woman in my bed.
Fuck.
Keeping my thoughts from going anywhere inappropriate is a constant effort that eventually sends me to sleep.
Chapter 3
CADENCE
As is usual, I fall asleep easily; this day, more so due to extreme physical exhaustion and severe mental and emotional fatigue.
I have barely begun to enter true sleep when a deafening digital clamor arises from somewhere in the room, startling me out of my slumber. Bolting upright with a gasp, I blink in the darkness, disoriented and confused. I search the room, hoping the noise will cease on its own and allow me to reenter sleep.
It does not.
Red numerals to my right read 5:30.
An alarm.
