Primals (Reverse Harem 1)
Unable to resist, I kneel down, my fingers exploring his shoulder. I fall backwards as he grunts and stirs, turning on his side.
Thankfully, though, his eyes stay closed.
A sound sleeper.
I’m an idiot. I should go back to bed.
But I don’t.
This time, my eyes are drawn to his rugged features, to his broad nose with its sloping tip, to his thick lips, his rounded chin and that massive chest with its hills and valleys, the perfection of what would be called ‘washboard abs’ by romance novelists. That irresistible plane of his lower abdomen, with the trail of hair that disappears into the waistband of his shorts.
How I managed to resist touching him again, I don’t know, but I get on my feet and walk away, heading back into the bedroom. I’m not safe until I’m back under the quilt, where I wait for my heart to stop skipping beats. Until reason returns and I can quit acting like oversexed nympho.
What is it with me and hot Alaskan men?
Chapter Six
~ Theo
“TOO HOT?” I ASK AS I watch Clarissa bring her cup of coffee to her lips, the steam rising to form a curtain over her face.
“Perfect,” she answers, licking her lips. “First, a good sleep. Now, a cup of hot coffee. If those don’t make me feel brand new, I don’t know what will.”
“I’m glad you slept well.”
I take a sip of my own drink – slightly bitter tea with a squeeze of lemon, which I prefer over coffee. I don’t tell her that I’d snuck out while she slept to bring back coffee, sure she would prefer it, but not having had any on hand. I let her think I’m a god, which she will so long as she doesn’t spot the empty Starbucks cup in the trash.
“How about you? Did you get enough winks on that rug?” she asks, eyes gazing at me from above the rim of her cup.
I glance at the rug between us. “Yeah. I slept well, too, actually.”
Gazing into the fire, I remember hearing the whispers again after I closed my eyes, whispers that turned into a song that lulled me into dreams. In my dreams, she had been there again, her black hair and her favorite red poncho drifting in the breeze, smiling at me, laughing with me, running alongside me. Only last night had been different from before. I’d felt her touch me for the first time. Right there.
I lean forward, reaching for that spot on my back where her fingers had brushed against my flesh in my dreams. It was a dream, I know this. Still, it had felt all too real.
“Sure your back doesn’t hurt?” Clarissa asks.
I shake my head, wrapping my hand around my cup again, feeling foolish for having been caught trying to grab at my own shoulder. What am I thinking?
“Well, I’m impressed.” She takes another sip. “You’re probably one of the soundest sleepers I know.”
“Yeah. Sometimes, it feels like I can sleep for months.”
“Sometimes, I wish I could sleep for months,” she says with a smile. “Especially back at the Lab, after finishing a ton of work.”
“You sound like a hard worker.”
“Too hard.” She sets her cup down on her lap, running her thumb over the rim. “Speaking of work, any news? Has anyone called?”
I point to the phone. “It didn’t ring.”
She sighs.
“It seems like you’re stuck with me for a bit longer. Sorry.”
She shakes her head. “It’s fine. I’m sure they’re on their way. And you’re not the worst person to get stuck with. Anyway, I’ll check with the bank later this morning. Maybe they’ve worked out something with my ID.”
I blink. Is that a compliment in there somewhere? If so, it’s the first I’ve ever heard from a human female. And it feels...wonderful.