I couldn’t move. Tremors raced through me. It wasn’t the change but my burning need to cross the room and pull her into my arms and finish what she’d never meant to start. Sheer will kept me in my chair. Although my appetite for food was gone, I picked up my burger and forced myself to eat.
She took her time nibbling at her meal, driving me insane. When she finally swallowed the last bite, I stood.
“Are you finished?” I asked.
She nodded and handed me her plate. I stacked it on the tray then placed everything outside. When I returned, she watched me warily. Frustrated and needing to calm down before approaching her, I closed myself in the bathroom. The cold shower hurt, but it brought back some clarity. Now wasn’t the time to push this. We needed to stay focused on Blake. I needed to eliminate him so Michelle would be free to think of nothing but Claiming me. I breathed deeply and turned off the water.
Michelle was already asleep in her bed when I stepped out dressed in shorts.
I desperately wanted to crawl into bed with her. It wasn’t the need I’d felt before I’d taken my cold shower. This was different. Sleep wouldn’t come until I had her in my arms. Yet, she’d been very clear in telling me I wasn’t welcome to share her bed.
Prowling the room, I struggled to come up with a solution. If I moved her to the floor, I could lay beside her while still obeying her pronouncement. But she was human and wouldn’t be comfortable on the floor for long. I wanted her comfortable and relaxed so she’d sleep as long as possible. She needed the sleep. We both did.
I wished again we had gotten a room with one big bed. The thought gave me pause, and I started to grin. One big bed. That I could do.
Quietly, I moved the furniture between the beds. It took some effort to move my bed across the floor to butt it against hers. The mattresses were on a wooden box that didn’t want to slide. I had to remove everything from the bed and relocate the box first, then the mattresses. When I finished, I piled the bedding back on, uncaring if it looked neat, and lay down on top of everything at the edge of my mattress. She lay close on her mattress, but still too far away.
I gently tugged on her pillow, bringing it closer to me. She rolled toward me. Grinning, I kept reeling her in until we lay face to face.
Content, I closed my eyes.
* * * *
I knew I was dreaming and fought to stay asleep. Michelle was kissing my collarbone, teasing her way up to my neck. I wanted to feel her teeth sink into my skin even if it was only in my own mind. Her tongue swirled over the spot twice. Then, she whispered the words I’d been dying to here.
“You’re mine.”
“Then make me yours,” I said, holding her to me.
The bed moved, jarring me from my dream.
Damn it. I kept my eyes closed and listened to Michelle cross the room. When the bathroom door closed, I groaned and rubbed the spot she’d been kissing in my dream.
The wait was going to kill me.
Hoping to distract myself, I reached out to Grey.
Still alive?
‘Bout time you got up. I called your phone last night, but you didn’t answer.
Sorry.
It wasn’t anything important. I only wanted to reassure Michelle that we’d found the things she’d wanted and hadn’t run into any trouble. We returned to check on you and grabbed a few hours of sleep. We’re already back watching the place.
Thank you, Grey.
Anytime, son.
The toilet flushed, and she opened the door. Using the sink just outside the bathroom, she washed her hands and brushed her teeth. I stayed in bed, hoping she would return.
She didn’t leave me hoping for long. She walked back to the bed and carefully crawled back to her spot beside me. The feeling of her fingers lightly touching my hair gave me the best kind of chills. Holding still, I kept my eyes closed and waited for what she’d do next.
Her fingers moved from the side of my head to my ear then to my jaw. Unable to take much more, I opened my eyes.
She was up on one elbow, watching me closely.
“Good morning,” she said softly, removing her hand.
I caught it and brought her palm to my lips. Her scent