Page 49 of The Science of Attraction

He immediately tensed.

“Not a hugger?” I enquired. “Cos the snoring may not be a deal breaker, but if you sleep in my bed, you get hugged. It’s a rule.”

He looked back over his shoulder with merry eyes. “You appear to have a lot of rules.”

I reached up and kissed him. “Like I said. Being in charge is my sweet spot. Now turn off the light and get back down here.”

He eyed me for a second, then did as I said and snuggled back against me, chuckling. “I’ve never been the little spoon. This continues to be a night of firsts.”

I pressed my lips to his shoulder and pulled him close. “Buckle up, cowboy. We’ve barely even begun to scratch the surface.”

He plumped his pillow and settled down to sleep, but it took him a while. I wondered what was going through his head. I didn’t need to see his face to know that big brain of his was spinning on steroids. I didn’t press for him to share, and he didn’t offer. He’d had a huge night and I figured it would take some time to process.

It was maybe a half hour later when he finally grew heavy in my arms and his breathing settled into a rhythmic, rumbling snore. I ran my lips over his back and wondered what the fuck I’d thought I was doing asking him to stay. It had been a long time since I’d shared my bed with anyone who actually mattered to my heart.

Years.

And regardless of how I tried to spin it in my head, or the fact it made no sense, and that I didn’t understand the why of it, nothing changed the deep knowing in my heart that Jules Lanedidmatter. He mattered way too fast and far too much.

I could get hurt.

We both could.

I should be running from him like my arse was on fire.

I should at the very least not have him sleeping in my damn bed.

I considered both those options for about a millisecond, then pulled him closer and let the reassuring heat of his solid body next to mine send me off to sleep.

One night couldn’t hurt.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

Jules

It was 4:40 a.m.,dark and chilly, and way too fucking early. The light from my phone played over Liam’s sharp cheekbones and slack-lidded eyes as he slept in my arms. I slid the phone back onto the bedside table so as not to wake him, then brushed a lock of that silky blond hair off his closed lashes. His nose twitched but he didn’t wake, his breathing steady and calm.

Sometime in the night, we’d switched positions and I remembered being startled by the feel of his hot back against my chest. The strangeness of it, the excitement, my cock thickening against his crease, the rhythm of his heart thrumming under my palm, real and reassuring as it slowly rocked me back to sleep. And when I finally woke and stretched to grab my phone, Liam was facing me, his arm around my waist, his head nestled on my chest.

And he’d been there ever since.

I wasn’t complaining.

I pressed my lips to his hair and breathed him in. I had a man in my arms. And I liked it. Go fucking figure.

I’d considered not telling Zach. The bastard would be impossibly smug, but he would also read straight through me like a cheap novel if I didn’t own up to it first. He knew I liked Liam and he’d be watching me like a hawk. He’d also known about my date with Laura. I’d be lucky to make it to morning tea before he called for a debrief.

I sighed and traced a fingertip along the inked line that circled Liam’s bicep.

His skin twitched. “Don’t tell me it’s morning already,” he grumbled without moving. “Cos I need at least a little daylight to charge my power cells before I can manage a kiss. Some toothpaste so I didn’t taste like a graveyard would be handy as well. How do you live like this?”

I chuckled and pressed another kiss to his forehead. “On some days, this qualifies as a sleep-in.”

Liam levered himself onto his elbow and stared down at me with sleep-addled eyes. “There’s onlyonething I wake up this early for.” His hand found my cock and gave it a firm tug.

And oh God.

He lowered his mouth to mine, slipped his tongue inside, and just like that I was hard. I grabbed his arse with both hands and pulled him on top. He wiggled his hips, putting delicious pressure on both our dicks, and I groaned as best I could with a tongue shoved deep into my throat.

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