Page 52

After a moment’s hesitation, he asks, “You sure?”

“Yeah.” No.

I pull him forward, and he stands to his full height, towering over me, and we stay like that, frozen in place, our eyes locked in silent understanding.

We turn and make our way to my bedroom, hand in hand, the weight of our unspoken desires hanging heavy in the air.

He pauses as we stand at the edge of the bed, his eyes searching mine for reassurance.

“It’s just sleeping, Beau,” I whisper, my voice barely above a breath as I pull back the covers and crawl in. I feel the bed dip with his weight as he crawls in beside me.

He shuts off the lamp, enveloping us in darkness of the room, our intertwined fingers serving as the only anchor in the sea of uncertainty that lies between us.

Chapter 12

Lucy

Was it all a dream?

Beau.

In Magnolia Grove.

In my apartment.

In my bed.

The last thing I remember is walking him to my bedroom.

But the fact that I’m wrapped around him like a koala bear on a tree reminds me this is all very real.

I wake up slowly, feeling the warmth of Beau’s hard body hard body beneath me.

I try to stay perfectly still. Maybe by not moving, I can pretend that this moment isn’t happening. Thanks to my ancient building, the AC only has two settings—broken and arctic—and I’ve snuggled into Beau’s warmth in my sleep to keep from freezing.

If it’s not bad enough I’m clinging to him like a life raft, I can’t escape because his arm is draped over me. His grip tightens momentarily, his voice thick with sleep as he rasps.

But panic soon clears the lust-filled brain fog as I realize I need to escape this awkward situation before he wakes up.

As I contemplate my options, a deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “Morning, Sunny,” Beau says, his voice filled with amusement.

Shit! I close my eyes tight, pretending to still be asleep.

“I already saw your eyes flutter,” he says, amusement evident in his voice. I sigh inwardly.

“Morning,” I repeat, hoping to mask my embarrassment. But beneath the surface, my heart races, and I can’t shake the warmth that spreads through me at his closeness. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” I mumble into the darkness.

“You didn’t,” he replies.

“Or snuggle you,” I add.

“That you did. But I didn’t mind.” He holds me just a little bit tighter.

“Just sleeping, remember?” I swallow.

“We slept. Possibly in a blizzard, but we slept.”

“Yeah, about that. Sorry, forgot to warn you about the AC. It’s… temperamental.”