Page 13 of Softer Than Stone
“Not like that,” he added quickly, a faint flush creeping into his cheeks. “I just… I don’t want to be alone.”
After a beat, I nodded. “Okay. But I’ll take the couch.”
His frown deepened, and he shook his head. “No. You’ll take the bed.”
“Waru—”
He grabbed my hand and tugged me towards what I assumed was his room with surprising determination. “The bed,” he repeated firmly, leaving no chance for argument. Not that I wanted to.
In his bedroom, he didn’t waste time, stripping down to his boxers before turning to me with expectant eyes. “You too.”
I couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You’re bossy when you’re tired.”
He raised an eyebrow, and I relented, tugging off my shirt and jeans before climbing into the bed.
Waru didn’t hesitate, curling up against me like a koala. He was all warmth, his head resting on my chest and one arm slung across my torso.
“Goodnight, Chris,” he mumbled, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
“Goodnight, Waru,” I whispered.
In less than ten seconds, he was asleep, his soft breathing a balm to the chaos of the day.
6
WARU
Hair tickled my nose.I moved my face left to right, trying to scratch and stop the tickle. Warm skin, sweet-smelling sweat… lion. Chris.
Stilling, I tuned into his heartbeat, right next to where my face was pressed against his barrel chest. A steady thump didn’t clue me into whether he was awake or not, so I focussed on his breathing.
One exhale. Two.
“I can hear you thinking.” The deep rumble of his voice wrapped around me. Goose bumps sprang to life, covering my arms quicker than I could fully appreciate his scent or the position I’d woken in.
As I debated whether to move or not, Chris’s strong, bare arms enveloped me. My breath caught before I melted against him, happy for him to make the decision for the two of us.
“Have you been awake long?” I asked, my voice gravelly and rough with sleep. From the faint light spilling into my bedroom, dawn had not long broken, maybe for an hour or so from the brightness of the room.
“Not really. Maybe fifteen minutes or so.”
I nodded against his chest, enjoying how his hair rubbed my cheek. It had been a long time since I’d shared a bed with anyone. Since opening Kurranba seven years ago, life had been all work and fairly limited play. Sure, in the last couple of years I’d made a greater effort to find balance by staying closed on Mondays and hiring a manager who I still hadn’t allowed to take the reins, but balance still felt out of reach.
Maybe if I had someone who encouraged me to take time out and reminded me the world existed away from the restaurant, that would be all the push I’d need. Maybe.
“You’re not at work today, right?”
“No,” I answered, finally building the courage to angle my head a little to peer up at him, albeit awkwardly. “Do you need to get going?” In my exhausted state yesterday, I thought he mentioned having a couple days off, but I couldn’t be certain. The past week had been stressful. The past twelve hours had been… hell, they’d been tense as fuck and dove right into being traumatic.
He shook his head, his lips pressing against my forehead before I could process. My brows shot high, but if Chris thought his kissing me was odd, then he didn’t show it. Instead, a slow smile formed as he angled to see me better. “I’m all yours for the day if you don’t have plans and want me to stay.”
I blinked up at him, caught between my usual composure and the way my body buzzed with awareness. Chris’s smile was lazy, content, and devastatingly sexy. I was pretty sure I looked like I’d just fallen out of a gum tree.
“I, uh…,” I stammered, heat creeping into my cheeks. “Yeah. That’d be nice.”
His arms tightened around me slightly, and the motion pressed me closer to the hard planes of his chest. I became acutely aware of his warmth, the solidness of his body, andthe way his scent—earthy, with a faint hint of spice—wrapped around me like a blanket.
Then I realised exactly how draped over him I was. My legs tangled with his, my torso flush against his, and, fuck, my morning wood pressed uncomfortably close to his thigh.
