Until Jinx - Happily Ever Alpha World

Smiling widely at her, I held my hand up for a high five. “Done!”

On the back of the paper, I wrote out the dimensions of the coffee table I’d ordered, and we used masking tape on the floor to see what size would be best for the plate. It was a longer process than I’d thought it’d be, but by the end of it, once the measurements were written down and we had a plan, I could admit it was worthwhile.

Leaning on our elbows on the bench now, the paper under us with all the ideas listed on it, we looked at each other.

Raising her eyebrows, Sienna said excitedly, “I can’t wait to start this.”

Bursting out laughing, I pulled her into my side. “We’ve still got the Maddie-sized vase to finish.”

“Dude, I’m working on nine projects right now. The one I painted tonight just needs to be glazed and finished, then it’s done. That means I’ve got space to add another one in. When do you want to start?”

“Do you think we’ve got time to make the plate tonight?”

Glancing at her watch, she shrugged. “I’ve got time, if you’ve got time.”

It took us hours, and by the time we got it done, we were both exhausted. I’d thought it’d just be throwing a lump of clay on the wheel—I was wrong. Who’d have thought so much went into making something like a plate?

“You can use the spare bathroom to shower,” Sienna mumbled as we both staggered to her house, stretching our backs to try and get rid of the kinks in them.

“It’s okay, baby. I can go home and—”

Grabbing my arm, she tugged me through the back door and pointed at the doorway. “Go.”

Smiling at how cute she was, I headed to the bathroom and took a shower as she’d ordered. I had to admit she was right—if I’d had to wait until I’d gotten home, my muscles would have probably seized up. Plus, that clay got in places you never expected it to, a bit like glitter.

Wrapping a towel around my waist, I picked my shorts out of my jeans, and had just dried off and pulled them on, when she tapped gently on the door. “I washed the bedding for the spare room this morning, so it’s still wet. I- Well, I…” she stopped, and I could hear how nervous she was and wondered why.

Pulling my t-shirt back on quickly, I opened the door to check on her, finding her standing there looking unsure. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, looking at the wall. “It’s just the couch isn’t comfortable to sleep on, so if you don’t mind, you can sleep in my room.” She said it all so quietly that I had to lean in to hear her properly, and after it I had a moment’s doubt I’d heard her right.

When she didn’t lift her head, though, I was fairly certain I hadn’t. Still, I wanted to check. “Sleep in your room?” Still staring at the wall, she nodded. “Baby, look at me.” Hearing the concern in my voice, she slowly raised her head. “I can still sleep on the couch, that’s not a problem.”

Taking in a shaky breath, she rolled her eyes as she lifted her chin up. “Trust me, it took two days to get my spine back to normal after I slept on it when I moved in. It’s a big bed, so we’ll be okay.”

“Got the same couch as you,” I pointed out, tapping her on the nose. “It’s great to sit on, but I agree sleeping on it takes a chiropractor to fix the damage. If you’re sure you’re okay, then we can try me in your room.”

The second the words left my mouth, she spun on her heel to walk away.

“Sienna,” I called, not saying anything else until she turned around. “If it looks like you can’t hack it, though, I take the couch and pay for the chiropractor.”

I watched as she burst out laughing and the tension left her shoulders knowing I’d done the right thing. There were zero expectations for her to stay in the situation if she wasn’t comfortable with it, and she knew I wouldn’t take any offense if that’s how it turned out.

Smiling gratefully at me, she pointed to her bedroom door. “See you in a minute.”

Come to find out, she was definitely okay with me being in her bed. So much so, she rolled into me in her sleep and spent the rest of the night with her head on my chest. For me, it was the best night’s sleep I’d had for years.

And she didn’t wake up or twitch once, so I had to figure it was the same for her.

Chapter Eight

Jinx

The first thing that registered the next morning as I started to wake up was the strong scent of Sienna’s shampoo. Not that I’d forgotten I was at her place, especially not with her weight on my chest, one leg thrown over mine, and my arm wrapped around her.