Page 58 of The Problem with Princes
I feel him watching me, and I give in to my impulse to return his look.
He looks like a little boy whose been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “In case you’re still cold. I have enough warmth to share.”
ChapterNineteen
I wakeup with a sore neck in a darkened room and have no idea where I am. I squint at my surroundings, shifting slightly. Someone stirs beneath my head, and I turn to see Tyrone, smiling down at me.
I sit bolt upright, narrowly missing his chin in the process. Instinctively, I pull the blanket up tighter around me as I try to figure out what is happening.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He twists on the couch, so he is more fully facing me. “You fell asleep.”
No duh, Sherlock. I’ve figured that one out on my own. It’s possible I’m not the nicest person when I first wake up.
“Was I,” I look down at the pillow sitting on his lap. “Was I laying there?” I brace myself for his answer.
He chuckles, deep and rumbling. “Yep.” The one-word answer says everything I need to know to be mortified. “It was quite enjoyable if I do say so myself.”
I rub my eyes because I can’t look at his smiling face. He seems so proud of himself. Or is he just mocking me? Oh, sweet cream cheese, what did I do? Laying in someone’s lap is super intimate. It’s not something you do with someone you’ve known for less than a week. It indicates complete comfort, which is not something I feel with Ty. I mean I feel comfortable with him when I’m not ‘being me’. But probably not comfortable enough to sleep on his lap.
“I’m so embarrassed.” I put my hands to my flaming hot cheeks.
He reaches over and rubs small circles on my back. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed. It’s really sweet.” He raises a brow. “And you only drooled a little bit.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
He throws his head back and laughs. “I’m just teasing you. Your mouth was completely dry the entire time.”
I smack him lightly on the arm. “That isn’t cool.” I tilt my head to the side and give him a sad face. “I’m going to have to get you back now. You realize that, right?”
He sits up straighter. “Hmm. This sounds entertaining.”
I shrug. “I’m just saying, when you least expect it, expect it.”
He winks at me. “I’ve never anticipated anything more.”
I lift my hand to give him a shove, but he catches it and uses it to pull me down onto the pillow on his lap.
I resist for a minute, but then I give up. He doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal. So I’ll just keep my neurosis to myself.
“I know I should let you go to bed. But today went by so quickly and you leave the day after tomorrow.” He sighs.
I close my eyes and breathe in. How is this my life? People in movies or books say that they wonder if they’ll wake up and realize that everything they’ve experienced was just an elaborate dream. That’s always felt pretty cheesy to me. But now? I totally understand those feelings.
“Maybe we should watch something different,” I say, as I cover my yawn with my hand. “You have any Avengers movies?”
He winds a lock of my hair that’s come loose from my braid around his finger while he works the remote with his other. That’s when it dawns on me that my hair isn’t in a braid anymore. Now it lays splayed out on his chest and the pillow I’m laying on.
I roll over and look up at him. Even from this angle he is beautiful. “Did my braid come undone?”
He looks guiltily away. “It may have had a little help.”
I partially sit up. “Oh?”
He lifts his shoulders. “I’ve never seen your hair down. You always wear it in a braid or a ponytail. Even in the evening dress, it was up in a bun.” He runs his fingers through the length of my hair. “Why don’t you ever wear it down?”
“I do sometimes. But if there is any breeze, then it blows all over and is really a pain. Plus, it's pretty thick, so it can feel really heavy.” I turn away, not wanting to tell him the real reason. Tanner hated it when I wore my hair down. He said it made me appear lazy and unkempt. And he wasn’t a fan of the ‘Little House on the Prairielook’. It was just something he couldn’t find attractive. It just proves what an idiot he was because Laura always had her hair in braids. He probably hadn’t even seen the actual show, now that I think about it. But regardless, the comments had left their mark.
“Do you think when we’re in the house, if we keep the ceiling fans turned down, you could wear it down tomorrow?” He looks so hopeful.
