Page 31 of The Wife Deception
"Iam not sleeping with you."
Nolan's bedroom was exactly how I expected it to be. It had darker, more masculine furnishings. Gray walls, brown leather headboard, coffee brown duvet, deep oak drawers and oak floors. There was also a touch of color from the yellow empty vase in a corner and a mostly yellow abstract painting by an artist I didn't recognize above the bed and opposite the bed, floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a beautiful view to complete the room. This was my first time entering it and it had been off limits during the redecoration. I felt like an alien entering combative territory.
I clutched my night clothes and toilet bag to my chest like a flimsy shield to the hulking man standing a few feet away from me.
"I don't like the situation the same as you, but here we are." Nolan casually strolled to the chest of drawers lined on the wall on one side of the bedroom and opened a drawer.
"When is he leaving?"
Nolan chuckled."Now you want him to leave?" He was very nonchalant about the whole thing. Meanwhile, my heart was beating so fast, I was sure I would wretch. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "I am not an ogre. You don't have to worry about me mauling you in the middle of the night."
That's not what I was afraid of. My feelings were more frightening. He might be better at it, but it had been difficult for me to ignore him. I was positive I could still feel his kiss on my lips from earlier in the day. And part of me had wanted him to do more. If we hadn't stopped, I would have let him have his way with me in that studio. Happy to be there along for the pleasurable ride.
"Good. Dibs on the bed." There was no other place to sleep besides the floor and I could slum it for a day, but I don't think my back could take a hard flat surface for longer than that.
"There's no way I am sleeping on the floor," he turned to face me. "And besides," He folded his arms. "That's my bed."
"And the guy occupyingmy bedroomis your brother. You're the one who should slum it."
"I'm not the one who changed the spare bedroom into a studio."
"I didn't do anything you didn't approve of."
"Don't freak out." He marched to the bed and flipped the duvet to one side to reveal pristine white sheets. "I'll sleep on my side of the bed as long as you sleep on yours. You can handle that, can you?"
I grunted, words failing me. His audacity was something to behold. "You're perfectly resistible."
He chuckled and disappeared through a door that blended with the wall so well that I didn't see it before. A few minutes later, I heard the water running. Since he was in the shower, I rushed to change into my nightdress, cursing myself for snatching a silk, almost negligee looking dress instead of practical cotton pajamas.
When I was done, I went to the bathroom in the hallway, brushed my teeth and by the time I got back, Nolan was coming out of the shower, towel loosely wrapped around his waist and another in his hand, which he was using to rub his wet hair. My breath stuck in my throat as I stared at the gorgeous man in front of me. Drops of water sliddown his chest as he lazily sauntered towards a chest of drawers. His eyes were dark with unmistakable desire. He took out dark looking clothes, closed it, focused his fiery gaze on me and said,"Hot," before disappearing through another door.
I marched to the bed feeling even more exposed than before and placed pillows in a row along the middle of the bed. I was dividing the bed when he came in wearing nothing but navy blue boxers.
I shot up straight and pointed. "What is that?"
He glanced down at his underwear and smirked as he saw the horror, no doubt written on my face. "What I wear when I sleep."
"Sh-shouldn't you, uh, be wearing something more… conservative?"
"I could say the same to you."
"Well, I am fully covered. You're just wearing underwear!"
He strolled to his side of the bed and began removing the pillows I had placed.
"Hey!"
He paused. "You don't roll around in bed, do you?"
"No. But I would prefer to have a buffer between us."
Then continued throwing the pillows to the floor. "I told you already. I am not going to maul you."
"I don't trust you."
He rolled his eyes and put the pillows back.
"Thanks."
