Page 55 of Aussie
He leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Goodnight, Ava.”
“Goodnight.”
But as she turned toward her bedroom, the thought nagged at her of him cramped on the couch while he was doing them a huge favor. Before she could talk herself out of it, she turned back around, marching over to the living room just as Aussie was sitting down.
He looked up, surprised. “What’s wrong?”
She took a breath. “I can’t let you sleep on that couch. You’ll be miserable.”
His eyebrows raised slightly. “Are you suggesting I sleep on the floor?” He smirked, teasing her.
“No, I mean,” Her cheeks warmed again, but she pushed through it. “You could share my bed. It’s big enough for both of us. And we’re adults,” she added quickly.
For a moment, Aussie just stared at her, surprised, and then he smiled, that charming, disarming grin of his. “Are you really sure about that?”
Ava nodded. “Yes. I mean, you’ve more than earned a good night’s sleep.”
He gave her a quick hug and a small kiss on the forehead. “I promise I’ll be a complete gentleman.”
They headed into her bedroom, and as she turned off the light, Ava felt a shiver of nerves settle in. She lay on her side, trying to keep her breathing steady. Then she heard his deep, accented voice in the dark.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, then added, “a little nervous, I guess.”
“Are you nervous because we are sleeping in the same bed or because of everything going on right now?”
“Both,” she answered honestly.
There was a pause, and then she felt him shift closer. “Slide over here. I swear I’m not going to try anything, but I want you to know you’re safe.”
She hesitated, then scooted closer until she felt his arm wrap around her, pulling her into the warmth of his chest. Her head rested on his shoulder. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Close your eyes, Ava. I’ve got your six.”
For the first time in a long while, she let herself relax, comforted by the steady beat of his heart and the strength in his arms. And as sleep began to tug at her, Ava knew she’d never felt more protected.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The soft glow of the clock on her nightstand read five in the morning. Ava blinked at the numbers, and a quiet sigh escaped her lips. Wrapped snugly in Aussie’s arms, his steady breathing tickling the back of her neck, she felt cocooned in a safety net. For the first time in what felt like weeks, the weight of the world didn’t press quite so hard.
Ava shifted slightly, careful not to wake him, and studied the clock again. In just thirty minutes, he’d have to get up. She closed her eyes, trying to push aside the creeping thoughts about the threats looming over her and Christian. For now, she focused on the steady warmth of Aussie behind her and the way his arms seemed to protect her even in sleep.
Why couldn’t things stay like this forever?
Before she knew it, the alarm on Aussie’s phone buzzed softly. She felt him stir, his grip tightening briefly around her waist before he nuzzled the back of her neck, his morning stubble sending a pleasant shiver down her spine.
“Good mornin’, love,” he murmured, his voice low and rough with sleep, that slight Australian accent sending her heart into a flutter.
Ava smiled. “Morning.”
“I wish I could stay like this a little longer,” he said as he kissed the curve of her neck before reluctantly pulling away.
Ava rolled onto her back to watch him stretch before he climbed out of bed, his broad shoulders catching the faint light streaming through the blinds.
He turned to look at her and caught her staring. He gave her a cheeky grin. “This is all yours,” he said as he grabbed his toiletry bag and headed toward the guest bathroom.
Ava took her time getting ready, trying to shake off her nerves. She wished that she and Christian could just stay home.
After dressing in black slacks and a pale blue blouse, she knocked on Christian’s door to wake him up. “Come on, sleepyhead. Time to get moving.”
