Page 98 of Only Ever You

Faye closed her eyes and let herself be carried wherever she was going, then light lit up the back of her eyelids and she whined.

“Here, let’s get you out of this.” Bash sat her down on the edge of their bed. Gentle hands peeled her out of her shoes and then her coat one sleeve at a time, and Faye wiggled on her bum to get it out from under her. Her eyes couldn’t stay open for more than a blink.

There was a quick draw of a zip and then Bash hung both of their coats up in the narrow wardrobe. “I’m going to get changed in the bathroom.”

“Need help.”

“Erm … ”

“Meant me.” Faye lifted her arms but they fell back down again with how heavy they were. Bash’s teeth showed through the way his mouth widened and she went all gooey inside. “You have a pretty smile.”

Could she honestly be blamed for the things she said when she was tired?

“Do I?” His eyes were so soft. Like two woolly clouds Faye could poke her fingers right into and barely feel anything at all.

“Mm-hmm.” How much had she drunk of that wine outside? She shouldn’t be thiswoozyfrom tiredness alone.

“You said I have a nice ass, too.” And the ego in Bash’s voice believed it.

Faye squinted at him. “Did I say that?”

He chuckled beautifully too, like he couldn’t resist showing his teeth or scrunching up his nose. The creases by his eyes were so pretty – Faye didn’t know why people would ever not like them on themselves.

“Yes, Peanut. Last night.”

“Ohhhh.” Ah, yes. She remembered then, too dazed to be embarrassed about it. Tiredness, a full stomach, and the cold fresh air had hit her hard this evening.

“Let’s just get you out of this jumper,” Bash said, shaking his head at her. “You can fall asleep to thoughts about my ass, later.”

“Okay.” Faye curled her fingers into the cream jumper she’d worn for the family dinner, which in hindsight was a silly idea when gravy was involved, and lazily lifted.

Bash disappeared behind her, and from the sounds of rustling, found her pyjamas under her pillow.

Faye held the jumper up against her chest. Maybe this whole getting undressed with him thing wasn’t so much of a good idea – she hadn’t even worn her fancy bra. Just some wireless thing which was pure comfort and zero sexiness.

When Bash returned, body angled sideways, he offered out the cropped white vest she’d slept in last night.

“You’ve seen me naked already.” One handedly, she took the top. “You don’t need to look away.”

“I didn’t exactly have your permission last time.”

Faye’s head spun at how much he still cared about that, and then with the question: did hewanther permission?

Did he know how considerate he was? He’d always been that way so she almost stopped noticing how he held open doors, walked on the side of the pavement nearest the road, and always checked she was okay. Was he the same way too in bed?

Woah.Okay, she needed sleep. And she needed it now before she added to her list of ramblings and admitted that she was in love with him as well.

“You’re a good guy, Bash.” The corner of his lip curved at her observation, even if his eyes were still drawn to the floor. “I’m proud of whatever you said to stand up to your uncle earlier,” Faye added.

The edge of his gaze flittered in her direction, that smile on the corner of his lips tugging higher. “Thanks, Peanut.”

Bash moved around the bed again though to his side that time, and Faye followed him with her eyes like a flower craving the sun. He pulled clean full-length pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt from his luggage and disappeared to the bathroom like he’d said he would. With a resound click, light glowed around the edges of the door.

She finished changing into her pyjamas and for the next ten minutes they executed a well rehearsed dance around each other they’d nailed down to perfection, swapping turns in the bathroom. Bash was already in the bed and curled towards her side of it when she slid underneath the duvet.

Was it strange to think that after a couple of nights, Faye now thought of each half as their respective “sides”? That was the least of her problems, because she realised there wasn’t a reason for them to share a room anymore …

The annexe was empty. Bash could easily go downstairs and have that bed all to himself. Surely he must have realised it too?

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