Page 30 of Coming Home

He cuts me off and grabs both my arms. “This is not your fault.”

I nod and look between him and the makeshift bed on the floor. “And the bed?”

He winces. “I didn’t want you to know. Sometimes when I lie down in bed, my mind wanders a little too much. I feel guilty—”

His voice trails off, but I understand what he’s saying. “Oh, Huddy!”

He shakes his head. “No, don’t feel sorry for me. It’s fine. This old body sure would like to sleep in a comfortable bed, but…”

Instantly, a thought comes to my head. “Can we try something?”

He tilts his head to the side. “What do you have in mind?”

“Do you trust me?” I ask him.

He rolls his eyes with a laugh. “You have a key to my house, I’ve given you free rein on design here, you probably know me better than anyone… Yeah, Ellie, I trust you.”

I put my hand on his shoulder. “Okay. We’re going to do this.”

I move to the side of the bed and pull the covers down before patting the bed. “Come on. Get in.”

His eyes go wide, and he looks between the bed and me. “You want me to get in the bed?”

I put my hand on my hip. “Yeah. You told me you trust me. We can try it, and if it doesn’t work, you can go back to the bed on the floor.”

He walks toward me slowly, and the closer he gets, the more my breath comes out in little pants. He smiles at me, and it’s obvious he can tell what being this close to him does to me. “You okay?”

I nod. “Yeah, I’m good. This was my idea, remember. The question is, are you okay?”

He leans over the bed, and I watch as he takes his hand and smooths it over the sheets. “Soft,” he murmurs.

“You haven’t even tried to sleep in the bed, have you?”

He gets into the bed and scoots to the other side. “On top of the covers, yes. Not under.”

I sit on the bed next to him and roll my hand at him. “Roll over.”

He looks at me curiously. “You want me to roll over?”

I nod emphatically. “Geez, Huddy. Yes, roll over. Lie on your belly.”

He does as I ask, and the muscles of his back are pulled tight. I hope I know what I’m doing. I pull the cover up to his lower back and then lay my hand on his shoulder. He jerks, lifting his upper torso off the bed. “What are you doing?”

I laugh and use both hands to push him down. “I’m going to rub your back. It will help you fall asleep.”

He turns, and the look he gives me is filled with doubt. “If you think I’m going to be able to go to sleep with your hands on me, you’re sorely mistaken.”

The heat of his words hits me in my very core. I wish they were true, but there’s no way. I’ve put off vibes since I’ve been here, letting him know I’m interested, but he’s either not interested in me or the fact that I work for him makes it too complicated. I swat at his back and laugh. “Yeah, whatever, nice try. Just give this a chance, okay? If nothing else, you get a back rub out of the deal.”

He lays his head back down on the pillow, and I start to rub my hand up and down his back. He’s tense, and I can feel the knots resist under my palm. I get up on my knees, sliding closer to him. He eyes me warily, but he doesn’t say anything. I lean over him, pressing my hands into his back. “You’re tight. Your muscles are so tight, Huddy. No wonder you can’t rest.”

He moans as I work at the muscle of his shoulder. Over and over, I knead my hands into his muscles. Every now and then, he lets me know what feels good, and I go deeper, applying more pressure.

His eyes are closed, and I use the time to explore him as I work. Since I’ve met him, I’ve wanted a closer look at the tattoos on his arms and back, and now I have free rein to inspect them.

He’s so quiet, his breathing evened out, and I wonder if he’s fallen asleep, but I keep rubbing him until I feel the muscles of my arms and hands revolt. When I seem to have worked out all the knots, I let go. He doesn’t open his eyes and doesn’t move, so I slowly start to move off the bed. His arm comes out, and he puts his hand on my bare knee. “Stay.”

His voice is deep and commanding.

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