Page 140 of As They Are
“Fine.” I turned away before I could do anything stupid. “But don’t say I didn’t try.”
“You always try,” he said as he turned off the bedside lamp. “It’s what I like best about you.”
I lay awake in the darkness for a long time, and I was pretty sure that he did too.
All of my life, I slept alone. There was never someone else in the bed with me; I wasn’t used to sharing heat and warmth.
But I liked it.God,I loved it.
Henry’s breath evened out and I turned to him. Other than the hand on my hip, he hadn’t moved any closer. We were still close because of the bed, but I wanted more. I wanted to burrow into him. To make this moment last forever.
Instead, I rolled away and got all the distance I could. My heart ached, but this was for the best. I’d stay away and wake up on my side of the bed.
Or at least that was what I told myself.
25
HENRY
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Kerry Winsor:The fence DID NOT work! I put my clothes out to air dry in this beautiful weather and a deer ATE MY UNDERGARMENTS
Comments:
Jade Clark: Which undergarments?
Kerry Winsor:DOES IT MATTER?
Jade Clark: Very much so. Bras could be dangerous. Panties on the other hand ...
Kerry Winsor: I will ban you from the group.
Jade Clark:Don’t make me tag Marjorie.
Kerry Winsor: Don’t you DARE.
Marjorie Brown: You called?
Marjorie Brown: I’d make a joke here, but this one writes itself.
Mollie Wilson: Did you say “Oh, deer” when you saw it?
Kerry Winsor: MOLLIE
The room wasdark and the house was quiet. Usually, I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night, but one sound pulled me from sleep.
A soft moan from Wren.
There hadn’t been much distance between us when we fell asleep. Mere inches, if anything. But the little space there had been was gone, and her back was pressed tightly to my front.
I was still groggy, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was hard, and I was pressed between her thighs. Only her thin sleep shorts and underwear separated us.
Before I knew she was upset earlier, I’d nearly lost it at the sight of her slightly tanned skin, dotted with freckles, all on the curve of her shoulder. I hadn’t even been sure she was wearingshorts,and it was tempting to throw her onto the bed.
And then we’d talked, and I pushed all thoughts of that away. I needed to again.
But she made the sound again, arching back into me.
