“No! You can’t have her!” she screamed, tears running down her face, her body wet with sweat. Her naked legs shook under her weight.
Not sure what she was talking about he started, “Lou, I don’t want her.” He extended a hand in her direction, hoping she would see it as a sign of peace. The screaming only grew louder.
Brody rose from the bed. “For the love of God,” he muttered as he went to the adjoining bathroom and grabbed a cup of water from the sink. He walked back to the bed and threw it in her face. She sputtered blowing water from her lips. Her eyes grew wide. She reached shaking hands up to wipe her eyes.
“Brody?” she asked quietly. Realization crossed her face and she visibly relaxed. He could literally watch the tension leave her body. She crawled across the bed and deposited herself in his lap, still shaking. Her arms climbed around his neck and she burrowed her face into his shoulder. “Thank God you’re here,” she whispered against his skin.
He gently rubbed her sweat dampened skin as he murmured to her, “You okay?”
He felt her nod against his chest and heard a small, “I think so.”
Brody looked up to find Sadie and Jeb in Lou’s doorway. Sadie started to enter the room and Brody held up a hand. He said quietly to her, “I got this, Sadie.”
“But…” she started.
Jeb cut her off. He took Sadie by the hand and said firmly, “The boy says he’s got it, Sadie.” He looked pointedly at Brody and said, “It certainly looks to me like he’s got it.”
“She’s safe with me.” His eyes met each of theirs in turn. “I promise.”
Jeb tugged Sadie’s hand gently. “Let’s go back to bed.”
Sadie frowned but allowed herself to be led from the room. Jeb closed the door behind them.
Brody cupped Lou’s cheek with his hand and brushed the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. He felt her breaths rising and falling against his chest. That was when he looked down and realized he only wore boxer shorts. At least I slept in something tonight.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked softly against her hair.
He felt her shake her head against his chest but felt her arms loosen their strangle hold from around his neck. She visibly relaxed in his arms. He reached out and grabbed the outside of her thigh and pulled her closer to him on his lap to keep her from falling. She looked down, noticed her state of undress and said, “Boy, this is awkward, isn’t it?”
“I won’t tell anyone if you won’t,” he said. He realized there was only a slip of lace between her bottom and his boxers and he stiffened slightly. “Maybe I had better put you down.” He slid her slowly off his lap and leaned back against the headboard. He crossed his arms over his chest. She started to shake again and he groaned. “Come here.” He motioned with his hands she should come closer. This time, she tucked herself under his armpit and put her head on his shoulder. One hand lay flat on his chest. Slightly uncomfortable, he slid down further in the bed so they were both reclining. He pulled the covers over her bare legs and bunched them in his lap to hide the ever increasing bulge in his boxers. He took a deep breath.
When he imagined Lou trembling and sweating in bed, it certainly wasn’t because of a nightmare. So, he needed to focus more on the situation and less on his needs.
“Why don’t you tell me what the dream was about?”
He could feel her lips move against his skin and her breath tickled the hair on his chest as she took a long breath and then sighed. To distract himself, he used one hand to lift the heavy mass of sodden hair from her neck in hopes of cooling her down. She shifted slightly and burrowed even closer to him. “My mother always said your dreams will come true if you talk about them.”
He stared straight up at the ceiling. Trying to stay focused. “And you believed her?”
“Well, I certainly don’t want to chance it.” He felt her smile against his chest. She yawned loudly. “Can you stay with me for a while?’
“Do you need me to stay?”
“Please?” she asked quietly.
“Sure.” He tightened his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. “I can stay.” Not sure how long I can stay like this, but I can stay.
She started to relax against him and her breaths became more even. The slow rise and fall of her chest moved against his. The length of her leg pressed up against his own. Her hand rested against his chest hair. He felt everything. Boy, did he feel everything.
She was fast asleep. At least one of them would be able to get some sleep. Brody closed his eyes, knowing there were not enough sheep in the world to help him get to dreamland. He kissed her gently on the forehead, tasting the salty sweat on her skin. He was in for a long night.
****
Brody woke at sunrise to a tangle of limbs. Lou’s head was on his chest and her arm was wrapped so tightly around him that it was tucked under him on the other side. One leg was flung across his thighs. Lou’s breath touched his chin and tickled his morning whiskers. He raised his head and looked around. He lifted his one free hand and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The other was firmly planted under Lou and was asleep.
Brody looked down the length of their tangled bodies and noted the covers had shifted during the night. Lou’s legs were once again bare and one cheek of her bottom was exposed because her panties had risen during the night. He groaned inwardly and laid his head back, staring up at the ceiling.
The woman was driving him crazy and to top it all off, she didn’t even intend to. She was independent and self-assured yet she had these tiny moments of weakness like last night when she had the nightmare. She was open and honest, and she was sleeping on top of him. He groaned again. When he did, she shifted slightly. Please don’t move. Please don’t move. He looked down at her again. Please move. Please move. He had to get out from under her or he was going to go crazy.