Page 20 of Replacement

I really like the sight of him right now. Relaxed. Soft. Vulnerable. It does something weird to my chest. And I swear also to my ovaries.

I’m giving myself an internal lecture about how I need to stop being stupid and either roll back over or get up when William moves slightly. His hand grips the duvet, and his head shifts on the pillow. Before I can react, he blinks a few times and opens his eyes, peering at me from between his dark lashes.

“Hi,” I say rather foolishly.

“Hi.” He blinks again. Clears his throat. “Did I sleep in?”

“Not really. I just woke up early for some reason.”

“Ah.” He reaches up to add a second pillow behind his head, lifting his position slightly. “How long have you been awake?”

“Just a couple of minutes.”

“Have you been lying there looking at me?” He slants me a curious look, but he appears more intrigued than annoyed.

“No. Of course not.”

He picks his phone up from the nightstand, glancing at the screen before putting it back down. There appears to be a collection of notifications there, but he ignores them. He was probably just checking the time.

It’s 5:23.

“You should stay in bed a little longer,” I tell him.

“Why?”

“Because it’s not even six on a Saturday morning. Why do you have to get up?”

“I don’t.”

“Good.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to get up. Just that I don’t have to.”

I frown at him. “Are you seriously going to get up and start working at five thirty on a weekend morning?”

He checks my expression. Then relaxes back against the pillow. “I don’t know. I’m not much for lying around doing nothing.”

“Yeah. I know the feeling.” I’ve had three weeks of doing nothing, and it’s really getting old. “But still. You do need some rest.”

“I guess.”

“There’s no guess about it. It’s an absolute definite.”

His mouth twitches up slightly. “Okay.”

“Okay it’s a definite? Or okay you’ll take it easy this morning?”

“I’m not sure how easy I’ll take it all morning, but I won’t get up right now.”

“Oh. Then that’s good.” My cheeks are warm for no good reason. I feel myself smiling at him.

His face softens even more. “Yes. Good.”

I do my best not to giggle as I pull the covers up farther over my shoulders. I close my eyes since we’re supposed to be resting. But after a few minutes, I have to peek between my slitted eyes to see if William is watching me.

He is.

His head is turned slightly in my direction, and his eyes are quietly observant on my face. He doesn’t look suspicious or affectionate or annoyed or amused.

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