“Exactly.”
“We’ve been doing that for months.”
“But not in person. I don’t think I can just… jump into bed with someone I haven’t spent real time with.”
“We’ve spent real—”
“I mean in person,” I interrupt him.
He studies me with a hard stare and I resist the urge to squirm underneath it.
“Fine.”
“Fine?” I ask, feeling relieved. I start inching my way down from the head of the bed, intending to return to my room—or his guestroom, I suppose.
“Fine,” he repeats. “Get under the cover.”
“You want me to sleep in here?”
“Yes,” he says, walking back toward the bathroom. I guess he’s going to pack his toiletries and take the guestroom. That’s really nice of him, but not necessary.
“You don’t have to give me your room. I like the guestroom; it was very comfortable,” I tell him.
“You’ll be sleeping in my bed,” he grumbles, not turning around.
“Uh, okay then. Thank you?” I tell him and it sounds like a question, because I’m not sure I should be thanking him. It kind of felt like an order.
“Get under the cover. I’ve had a long day and if we’re not finishing what we started in the shower, then I need to get some sleep,” he says, his voice rumbling, as he comes back in. I get under the cover and he frowns. “Do you always sleep in so many clothes?”
“Well, yes. They’re pajamas. You’re supposed to sleep in them.”
“That will have to change.” He frowns and I have no idea what he means—mostly I’m afraid to ask.
His hand goes to the towel on his hip and he untucks it. It falls to the ground and reveals him completely—in all his glory.
Oh. My. God.
“What are you doing?” I squeak.
“Going to bed,” he answers, sliding under the cover. I scramble back to the middle of the large king-sized bed.
“But I just explained why we shouldn’t have sex!”
“And we’re not. We’re sleeping together. You think we need real time together and so we’ll get it. The best way to start that is to spend our nights sleeping in the same bed.”
“But… you’re naked!”
“I sleep that way.”
“Stone, I can’t—”
“Carly, you have my word I won’t force myself on you. We’ll just sleep tonight.”
“We will?”
“I won’t fuck you until you ask me to. You’re safe here, but you are going to sleep with me.”
I blush at his frank reply. I’m not used to a man speaking so… Well, I’m just not used to it. The fact that I feel all my girly parts heat and shiver at his words is a little unsettling.
“You promise?”
“I promise. Now roll over on your side so I can at least hold you,” he sighs, turning out the bedside light and flooding the room with darkness.
“I usually sleep on my stomach,” I tell him, hesitantly.
“Then climb on top of me. I don’t care, but I am holding you, Carly. I’ve thought of nothing else for months and that’s one thing that’s non-negotiable.”
I shiver, imaging sleeping on top of a very naked Stone—a very naked and aroused Stone.
“Uh, I think I’ll just roll over,” I tell him, giving him my back.
“I figured,” he answers and then he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me back into his body. His cock is pushing against my ass and when I try to wiggle away, he pulls me tighter. “Go to sleep.” I try again to get away—to no avail. “You keep moving that ass of yours against me like that, Carly, and I’m going to think you want more than just sleep.”
I go instantly still. He laughs softly and I can feel it vibrate in his body. His body heat begins to warm me and with his arm tight around me, I definitely feel safe.
“Goodnight, Stone,” I whisper after a bit, deciding to stop worrying. I came all this way, I have to give it a chance. And honestly, I’ve never felt safer than right now—in Stone’s arms.
“Goodnight, baby,” he says and kisses the top of my head.
I smile and drift off to sleep. Baby. Yeah. I like that a lot.
Chapter Seven
Stone
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
The words just come when I look down and see that Carly has curled into me. Her leg is thrown over my hip, her head is resting against my neck and her hand is curled into my hair. For someone that was afraid to touch me before she went to bed, she certainly got comfortable overnight. It’s a good feeling. One that settles in my heart and solidifies what I’ve already known from the first moment I saw Carly’s picture.
She’s the one.
She shifts, bringing her body closer to mine and tilting her head. Her fingers bite into my skin as if holding onto me. Her leg moves higher up on my hip and I want to groan. I should have made her take off these fucking pants last night. If she had I could have slipped my dick inside of her so easily.