Page 54 of The Rookie

I swallow hard, cheeks still on fire. “Morning.”

His hand drops from my waist, and I hear him groan quietly, like he’s trying to process what’s happening. “Okay, so…um.”

I sit up abruptly, yanking the blanket with me as I spin around to face him. Big mistake. His hair is tousled from sleep, his shirtless chest is on full display, and there’s an expression of sleepy confusion on his face that’s almost… cute.

“What the hell isthat?” I blurt before I can stop myself.

Griffin groans again, getting onto his back, and rubbing a hand over his face. “Avery, don’t.”

“Don’t what? You—you—” I point accusingly at the lower half of his body under the blanket where a tent is pitched.

“Iknow,okay?” He shoots me an exasperated look, his face flushing. “It’s not like I planned it. It happens a lot in the mornings.”

I gape at him, still clutching the blanket like it’s my only shield. “So you’re just—what? A human lumberjack in your sleep?”

He lets out a sharp bark of laughter, finally sitting up and raking a hand through his hair. “Newsflash, Sinclair: I’m a guy sleeping next to a hot girl. Maybe if your pheromones weren’t such a match for mine, we wouldn’t have this issue.”

“Oh! Now you’re blamingmeandmypheromones? You’re serious?”

“Are you saying youdon’tthink our pheromones are a match? After that incredible make out session in the club? Sorry,sessions.”

“Well, maybe you should sleep onyourbed next time,” I snap, still flustered beyond belief.

He raises an eyebrow, his cocky smirk making an appearance as he leans back against the headboard. “You’re the one who invited me to cuddle. Are you saying you didn’t enjoy it?”

I open my mouth, ready to deny everything, but nothing comes out. I hate him. I hate that he knows me well enough to catch me off guard like this.

His smirk widens. “That’s what I thought.”

“Yeah I enjoyed cuddling. But I’m not enjoying waking up with this…big…” I wave my hand the general vicinity of his manhood and realize I’m doing nothing to help the situation.. Okay,digging yourself a hole here, Sinclair.You just accidentally gave Griffin an ego boost that.

“Did you just call me big?”

“Can you just…can you not.” I mutter, finally standing up and escaping to my suitcase for a change of clothes. My face still feels like it’s on fire, and I need to get out of here before I completely combust.

“Hey, I’m not the one grinding on people in my sleep,” Griffin calls after me, his tone teasing. “Bubble Butt.”

I whirl around, glaring. “Excuse me?”

“You heard.”

“Did you just call me bubble butt?”

He grins, wide and unrepentant. “Just saying. If you wanted to cuddle a little closer, all you had to do was ask. Also I have a big butt, too. That’s not a dig. It’s actually a high compliment. I’ve always been a big fan of your bubble butt. The biggest, actually.”

“Arrrgh.” I plant my palm in my face, then grab my clothes and march toward the bathroom. But not before I catch Griffin’s soft, self-satisfied chuckle behind me. I shouldnothave asked him to cuddle last night. What was Ithinking?

“Hey, Avery?” he calls.

“What?”

“Admit it.” I can practically hear the grin in his voice. “I’m a great cuddler.”

I slam the bathroom door shut, my cheeks burning again.

“Cuddling was a bad idea. Not doing that again.”

As I turn the water on for the shower, I’mdefinitelynot thinking about how warm and solid his body felt next to mine.

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