“Shall I switch off the light?”
Her eyes snap open. “No, don’t do that. I like sleeping with the lights on.”
I hide my smile at her antics and move towards the lounge.
“Um … if you’re not going to bed straightaway, maybe you can work here.”
Concentrating with Cindy so close to me and her legs on show like that is going to be damned hard, and I know for sure now I won’t be getting any work done. I’ll be far too busy thinking about what I want to do with those legs, but I sit at the writing table by the window and try to lose myself in my work again. It is impossible. Cindy is quiet and after a while I assume she’s fallen asleep and I begin to think about going to the lounge. I glance back at the bed and she looks to be fast asleep. Her chest is rising and falling evenly. Even that one glance has me all heated and I quickly turn away. I close my laptop and as quietly as I can I start to push my chair back.
I jump when Cindy speaks suddenly into the silence. “What are you doing?”
“Going to bed,” I mutter.
I don’t want to be rude and ignore her completely, but I don’t want to get drawn into a conversation either. Her being near naked on my bed is a recipe for disaster. I hope my tone gives Cindy the hint that I don’t want to talk, but it doesn’t.
“I guess it’s too late to continue working,” she says.
“Uh huh,” I grunt, as I push back my chair and stand.
“Were you working on The Macau?” she asks quickly.
God, it’s like she thinks we’re teenagers at a sleepover or something. I glance at her. She is up on her elbows and staring at me. “No,” I say.
“Oh.”
“It’s late. I should get some sleep.”
“Yes, it’s late. You should get some sleep, but can we just talk for a bit.” Her voice sounds chatty and wide awake.
“What’s so important that it can’t wait until the morning?”
“Oh nothing. I just thought we could talk a bit, you know? We could talk about The Macau, if you like.”
The last thing on my mind was to stay here and talk to her about The Macau.
“I’d love to talk to you about The Macau, but probably not at this time of the morning. Perhaps we’ll go over it over breakfast.”
I look at her as I say it, expecting her to look a little sheepish. Instead, she looks like she hasn’t heard a word I’ve said. Her eyes are all over my body, taking in my abs, my legs. I have to stop this, because if she keeps looking at me like this, I know exactly what will happen.
“Goodnight,” I say.
She looks up at my face and now she looks a little sheepish, but also a little sly. That look that women get when they know what they want. She gives me a half-smile and I hurriedly move towards the lounge. The longer I stay here with her, the more dangerous the situation gets. I step through to the next room, and go to pull the door closed.
“Leave it open,” she says softly.
I turn back to her, but this time, she isn’t messing about. That scared look is back on her face.
“Please,” she adds.
“Fine,” I agree with a sigh.
Alex
I leave the door open and for good measure, I leave the lamp on. As much as I want Cindy to go to sleep and stop fucking tempting me the way she is, I don’t want her to be afraid. I go to the couch and lay down. It’s anything but comfortable. My knees sit on the arm and my feet dangle off the end, and I know they’ll be dead in the morning. But I can hardly turf her out of the bed now.
Even in the dark I can feel her eyes on me. I close my own eyes, hoping she will take the hint and do the same. She speaks again after a few minutes, dispelling my notion that she might make this easy. Doesn’t she know what she’s doing to me here? Clearly not if her words are anything to go by.
“You’re too big for that couch,” she says. “The bed is big enough for both of us.” Her tone isn’t flirty; she’s just stating a fact.
I make a grunting sound and hope she’ll leave it at that, but of course, she doesn’t.
“Why don’t you just come and get into the bed and then I won’t have to feel guilty about turfing you out of your own bed.”
“Because if I do that, I guarantee you neither of us will get any sleep,” I growl.
This finally shuts her up.
“Oh!” She snaps her mouth closed and falls silent.
I let some time pass before I open my eyes, but only to tiny slits. If Cindy is still awake, I don’t want her to see that and start with the questions again. I can’t resist looking at her.