Page 48 of Only Ever You

Bash moved for that door before she could.

“Good to know you’re still going full throttle on that skincare routine.” His voice came from within.

Faye winced, though his reaction could’ve been worse.

“Self care is important, Bash,” she stressed.

His head popped around the door frame and damn him, he smirked. “Are we still talking about the same thing?”

“Yes.” Though the rush of heat up through her chest said otherwise.

“So I’m not going to find anything …unexpected… in this cabinet then?”

“Definitely not!” Faye gasped like a scandalised regency debutant.

As soon as Bash disappeared with a cocky expression that said he didn’t believe her, she dove straight for her bag on the floor. She was absolutely sure she hadn’t packed anything for any nighttimeactivitiesbut Bash’s allusions made her double check anyway.

Nothing?Good.

Sinking into the soft woven throw, Faye sat on the bed made up perfectly with white pillow cases and a puffy duvet. She scrolled through her phone while Bash dug about in his duffel and hung up shirts and jumpers in the thin wardrobe they now shared.

It was all so … weird. Things that shouldn’t make her think twice but were doing.

A minute later, Bash stood at the foot of the bed with his hand on his hip, the other scraping over his five o’clock shadow. His eyes roamed over the bed as if trying to calculate how big it was. Faye could read the thoughts forming in his mind – especially after their last night sharing a bed - before he said them.

“I’ll see if I can find where dad keeps the camping gear. There’s bound to be a blow-up bed somewhere.”

That wasn’t completely what Faye had anticipated, but it was close enough. Though it took her a second to realise what he was saying. “You’re serious?”

Bash returned yet again to his hold-all, pulling things out of it like he was Mary Poppins as he sent her a look. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“We’ve slept in the same bed before, as you politely told your whole family earlier.” Faye had to throw that in there just to see the wince on his lips battle with a twitching smile. “I don’t mind.”

Though her composure certainly did.

It was too soon after the last time they’d shared a bed to do itagain – her body still pulsed at the raw memory of him curled around her, his erection pressing up against her backside.

She curled her fingers into the throw blanket beneath her for something to grasp. “It’s better than you sleeping on some blow-up thing on the floor.”

Bash paused where he bent over his haphazardly packed bag, eyes lifting slowly. “You’retellingme to share the bed with you?”

Well when he put it like that …

What on earth had gotten into her? Sleeping next to each other again was as risky for Faye’s heart as risky could be. And by the sounds of it, this arrangement wouldn’t just be for one night, either.

“Yes, I am.” She blinked when Bash stared at her. “Don’t make it weird.”

“I wasn’t trying to.”

“You were.”

Bash straightened and went to tug on his ear. “It’s just … last time didn’t entirely end well.” Her nose wrinkled, then his did too. “Sorry, that came out wrong. I meant that I made you uncomfortable.” Something he was clearly still apologetic for.

Faye wouldn’t say – and only to herself – that she’d beenuncomfortable.Not completely. She’d been aroused and curious and marginally horrified, and had adamantly not wantedBashto feel uncomfortable. But was he worried it’d happen again? Wasthatwhy he was being hesitant?

“Well … ” She tried to think. “This bed is bigger than mine.” Her hand swept over the crisp white duvet whilst her cheeks burned bright. “I’m sure that we can figure out how to keep ourselves to … ourselves.”

Bash took a second too long to reply. “Right.”

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