Page 32 of Marrying a Cowboy

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have guessed it was your room.” She smiled as she made her way over to his bed and sat down. He swallowed when he realized just what he’d gotten himself into. She was going to be inches away from him. Was it too late to back outnow?

Ignoring his feeling of fear, he dumped the clothes in his arms onto the nearby rocking chair and then moved over to the pair of antlers hanging from the wall and waved at them. “These arecute?”

She nodded. “Fine. I’ll give you those. But the rocking chair and the quilt? Don’t really say twenty-nine-year-old man.” She grinned over athim.

Okay. He’d give her that. “The chair was my grandfathers and the quilt”—he made his way over to the bed where he let his fingers trace the stitching—“My mom madethat.”

Her expression softened as she watched him. “I’m sorry. It has to be hard. Losing both of them.” She sighed. “I’m hard on my mom, but I would never want her gone. Not when she’s just about my onlyfamily.”

Despite his better judgement, Austin sat down next to her. She was tiny and his weight caused her to tip toward him. Her thigh brushed his and the sensation sent electricity coursing through his veins. When he glanced over at her, he saw that her expression had turned serious. There was a depth to her gaze that was drawing himin.

He cleared his throat. “So, which side of the bed do you sleepon?”

Emma glanced toward the bed. “I’m notpicky.”

He nodded. “Great. I’ll take theleft.”

“Soundsgood.”

Austin stood and made his way over to the other side of the bed. Emma had moved to where she was sitting with her back against the headboard.

“Do you snore?” she asked, glancing over athim.

“Sometimes. If I’m really tired.” He fiddled with the hem of his shirt. He hated sleeping with one on. Would it be weird for him to take it off? Before he delved into his thoughts, he decided it would be best for him to keep it on. Pulling back the covers, he climbed into the bed. “Do you?” he asked, turning to look atEmma.

She was only a foot away from him. Her cheeks hinted pink as she moved her gaze from him to the quilt she had spread across her lap. “I don’t thinkso.”

“Well, I guess I’ll find out then, won’t I.” He shifted on the bed until he on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Just as he’d been right before Emma asked if they could sleeptogether.

Emma turned off the side table light as he rested his hands on his chest. He was trying hard not to groan. If he was struggling with keeping his thoughts calm enough to fall asleep before, how was sleeping next to the very person he’d been trying to forget going to help him? Especially in thedark.

Maybe he should just call this off and send her back to herroom.

But, as she moved to lay down next to him, his body began to relax. There was something calming about not being alone right now. The support she gave by just being right next to him caused the tension to leave his muscles. He twitched under the covers. If only he could get used to sleeping in a shirt, he just might be able to get some sleep tonight before his alarm rang atfive.

“Austin?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you move like this all night?” There was a playful tone to hervoice.

Just at the mention of his shifting, Austin did it again. “I’m not used to sleeping with a shirt on,” hesaid.

Emma was silent for a moment. “You can take it off if youwant.”

Austin moved to prop himself up onto his elbow. “But then you’ll be sleeping next to my bare chest. A weapon that I don’t want to use against you mortals,” he said, shooting her a widegrin.

Emma rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen it before. I think I can handleit.”

He pushed up to sitting and then grabbed the hem, bending his elbows to slip it off. He glanced behind him and raised his eyebrows. “I’m telling you, it’s like light for a bug. Once I take it off, I cannot be held responsible for what youdo.”

“I’ll try to restrainmyself.”

He shot her one last smile and then pulled his shirt off. As he held it in his one hand, he suddenly felt exposed. Like he should put it back on to protect himself. Especially with Emma staring at him. But he’d look like an idiot, so he chucked it onto the rocking chair with his jeans and fell back onto to the bed where he pulled the covers up to hischin.

“Feel better?” she asked. Her voice wasquiet.

He turned to look at her and then cursed himself. She was inches from his face. In the darkness of the room, he could see all the curves of herface.

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