Page 35 of Hidden
What to do with this newfound insight, she hadn’t a clue. She didn’t think they were ready to jump into something serious. But shewasattracted to him. And there was a lot of space between the friendship they’d built over the last week and a full-on relationship. Maybe they could start with a little old-fashioned flirting?
“I appreciate that, Asher,” she said before taking another sip of wine. The flash of disappointment that crossed his face confirmed everything she’d been thinking. He would respect the limits she set. Regardless of how attracted to her he was. She admired—and appreciated—that about him. But her inner imp was looking forward to seeing what he’d do when she moved them.
“But for the record…” she said. He looked over, the lights of the city far below them glittering in his eyes. “You can compliment my legs, or any other part of my body, any time you want.”
He blinked. Then slowly, his gaze caressed her. Starting at the tip of her head, it drifted down over her face before brushing over her neck. It lingered on her chest then lowered to her waist before lifting again.
The subtle, knowing smile that lit his eyes more than lips had her body heating. “Fair enough,” he said. “And you should know that turnaround is fair play.”
Asher lay flat on his back in the guest bed, staring at the ceiling. And smiling. What he’d thought might be a faux pas—alluding to how much he liked how she looked in leggings—had turned into the best mistake of his life. After several seconds of agonizing silence, Ellie had surprised him. Not only did she seem to like that he noticed her body—although how she thought he hadn’t was beyond him—but she’d shifted the boundaries of their relationship to encourage it. They weren’t jumping into bed together—as evidenced by the fact that he was now alone. But she’d opened the gates to somethingmorethan just friends. And while they’d spent the evening talking as they usually did, the touch of her hand on his, the glide of his fingers across her lower back, and the long, lingering looks they gave each other accompanied that conversation.
There’d been no question where they’d each sleep tonight, though. Not only did he agree with Ellie’s silent decision to ease into things, but he alsolikedthe anticipation. He liked lying in bed thinking about her. He liked knowing she was probably doing the same—maybe remembering the feel of his thumb stroking over her hand or his fingertips sliding over her cheek as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He liked anticipating what it would feel like if—when—he finally had the opportunity to touch her everywhere.
His body reacted to that possibility. Predictably so. And he adjusted himself under his thin flannel pajama bottoms before resting his hand on his bare stomach.
Dragging his thoughts away from the feel of Ellie’s skin, he cocked his head to listen for her. With his room right beside hers, he’d heard her moving around and getting ready for bed. But now, only silence greeted him.
Twenty minutes passed and, with his mind replaying every moment of the evening on a constant loop, he was still wide awake. He glanced at the door of the attached bathroom and considered a hot shower. And taking himself in hand while there. A sure way to relax. Although he suspected an unfulfilling one. Still, if he didn’t do something, he feared he’d be awake all night. Which would make the five-hour drive back to Mystery Lake a beast. Especially since the weather service was predicting another storm.
Throwing the blankets off, he rose from the comfortable king-size bed and padded across the floor. Halfway to the bathroom a sound filtered into his room. A familiar sound.
He stilled, unsure if he’d actually heard what he thought he had. But there it was again. A whimper. The same whimper he’d heard from Ellie the night he’d found her in the closet. All thoughts of the shower fled, and he didn’t hesitate to change direction. Flinging his door open, he dashed the short distance to Ellie’s room.
He’d never been inside her private space, and he paused at the door to get his bearings. He stood in a short hallway. To the left was a closet, and to the right a bathroom. Which meant the bedroom lay straight ahead.
Forging on, he walked to the end of the hallway and glanced around the space, quickly spotting Ellie’s bed against the wall to his right. He expected to find her tossing and turning. And when he saw her, he wished he’d been right. Instead, she lay curled into a ball, whimpering and rocking slowly.
“Ellie,” he said, approaching the bed. He couldn’t tell if she was awake or asleep, and he didn’t want to startle her.
“Ellie,” he repeated, taking a seat on the bed and brushing his fingers over her shoulder.
She didn’t open her eyes, but he thought she might be in that fugue state between sleep and wakefulness. Again, he touched her shoulder, only this time, he let his hand linger before sliding it down her arm. That seemed to quiet her whimpers a little, so he kept running a soothing hand up and down the silk sleeve of her pajama top.
“Asher?” she mumbled after ten minutes passed.
“Yes, it’s me,” he said, scooting down closer to her.
She lifted her head and looked at him. The fear he saw there nearly broke his heart. “It’s starting again, isn’t it?” she whispered.
He wanted to tell her no, but he wouldn’t lie. And the truth was, he didn’t know. She was more lucid now than the last time. But as he hadn’t seen the progression before, he didn’t know what might be coming.
“I don’t know,” he replied, hating the answer he felt he had to give.
Her eyes searched his, then her lower lip trembled. He didn’t think twice about his next decision. Scooting down even farther, he lifted the blankets and slid under them. Then, slipping an arm under Ellie’s shoulder, he tugged her against him. She came without hesitation and plastered her body against his, throwing her arm around his chest and a leg over his thighs.
“Stay with me?” she asked.
“You know I will,” he replied, hugging her closer.
A few seconds passed, and he felt her breath flutter across his chest as she exhaled. “I do. I know that.”
They lay there, entwined, as the minutes crept up to an hour. Asher covered her arm that lay across his chest with his own, and with his other hand, he rubbed rhythmically up and down her back.
As the minutes ticked by, the tension eased from her body. Although every now and then, she’d flinch and whimper before relaxing back into his arms. Between wanting to keep watch over her and the feel of her body wrapped around his, Asher accepted that he wouldn’t get any sleep. Instead, he let his gaze drift around her room. Like the rest of the house, the decor was minimal. But the warm, dark wood floors and vibrant artwork made it a home.
As he scanned the room, his attention snagged on the picture window. She had the kind of blinds that adjusted from both the top and bottom. She’d left the lower part covered, leaving views of the distant city visible in the top half.
His gaze lingered there, and an uneasy feeling crept through him. Why hadn’t she closed the blinds the entire way? While no one could casually peep into her bedroom, if someone were committed to looking inside, it wouldn’t be hard. And he had no doubt that she had one or two “fans” who’d jump at the chance to do such a thing.
