Page 39 of Nightmare For Hire
“Bed. Bed time. Let’s go.” Nox ushers me to my room. He drops to his knees and helps me take my boots off in record time, then he works on his own. He rummages through my closet, grabs a t-shirt, and tosses it to me. “Wait, do you sleep in those?”
“Pajamas most of the time.” I grab a set from my dresser in the corner. “One sec.”
I can hear him pacing when I change in the bathroom.
“Just so you know, I’ve only cuddled Dani and my stuffies. Dani tells me if I squeeze him too much. Stuffies don’t.”
He grins at me when I exit the bathroom. Even though my arms and legs are completely covered, he still looks at me as if I have them on display. I braided my hair out of my face so I don’t choke on it.
“It’s like a pretty rope.” Nox grabs the tail end and starts swinging it. Not aggressively, but it’s still uncomfortable.
I grab my scalp as I laugh. “Maybe don’t do that.”
“Sorry!” He drops my hair and clamps his hands together. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Promise.” I crawl into bed, against the wall, and hold the blankets open for Nox. He looks from the bed to me and back.
Slowly he climbs in, and we’re face to face. It’s a little unsettling he doesn’t need to breathe, but that means there’s not the whole breathing of each other’s air business going on that I don’t care for too much. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to his chest.
“Sleep, sleepy Cyrus. I’ll keep you safe.”
It’s strange he doesn’t have a heartbeat either. But he’s strong and warm, and I really do feel safe in his arms.
Chapter 17
Nox
Cyrus is one of those cute sleepers. Some people just have good genes, I guess. Most people hate their freckles. I don’t know if he does, but I love them. They’re just so adorable across the bridge of his nose and across his cheeks. I can seriously lay here and count them all night.
Cyrus makes a happy sigh sound and blinks his eyes open. “You are an amazing cuddler, Nox.”
He kisses my nose, and I blink back at him. Nose kisses?! I want more of that. I lean in and kiss his nose before snuggling down to look up at him again. “Another.”
A bright smile washes over his face. “My Nightmare likes nose kisses?”
“Very much.” I nod and squirm closer. I love sharing a bed with Cy. Sharing a bed is somethingmore, I just know it.
“Do you work tonight?” I ask.
“Fortunately, no.” Cyrus nuzzles me before giving me another nose kiss.
“Does that mean we can hang out until you have to go to bed for work again?” Any other time he’s had the day off, he’s had to do chores or errands.
“We can.”
“Yay!” I squeeze him closer and realize how hard I am, but also how hard he is against me. “Sorry.” I push my hips away.
“It’s okay, Nox.” He nibbles on his bottom lip. “So… about making out?”
“Yeah?!Howdo we do that?Canwe do that again?”
He snorts and snuggles into me, holding me so close there’s no way he can’t tell I’m hard.
“You make me feel so safe, Nox. Kiss me until I’m breathless.” Cyrus turns, so he’s laying on his back and I’m on top of him. It takes everything in me not to rub myself against him like a cat begging for pets.
He pushes to sit up against the headboard and I’m straddling his lap, just staring at him.
“We don’t have to,” Cyrus says.
