with the furs he brought, unrolling them and carefully laying them out on the other side of the firepit. He looks up at me and then gestures at them. “These are for you,” he says. “I will sit and keep watch by the fire.”
He has to be tired. I consider the furs and then him. Even with furs, it’s going to be cold tonight. My backside is facing away from the fire and it feels downright chilly, so I can only imagine what it’s going to feel like lying on cold stone. Plus, there’s not a ton of room in the cave. He could unroll a few more blankets from the stores in the back, but where would he put them? It isn’t a huge cave.
I gesture at the furs. “We can share.”
He stiffens, giving me a curious look.
“To sleep,” I say quickly. “Just sleep. I’m too tired to think about anything else anyhow.”
“Sleep.” He nods. “Of course.”
“We can be mature adults about this,” I whisper as I move toward the blankets. They’re calling my name, every tired muscle in my body screaming for a good night’s sleep. “We’ll share body heat, get some rest, and be ready to go in the morning.”
“Mature adults, yes,” he agrees. “I will bank the fire.”
He puts a large, slow-burning clod of fuel atop the heap, muting out the biggest flames, and pokes at things while I take off my boots and get under the blankets. The heap of them is warm and delicious, and I snuggle under. The cold is pervasive, though, and within moments, I can feel it leaching through the fur underneath me. Definitely a cold night.
J’shel hesitates beside the furs. “Are you sure, H’nah? I do not wish to make you uncomfortable.”
“We’re being adults,” I remind him. “Mature, logical, responsible adults.” And I pat the furs. “So hop in.”
He lifts the corner of the blankets and then slides in next to me. His leg brushes against mine, and then he lies flat on his back, propping a hand under his head. Immediately, the heat under the blankets changes, and it becomes warm and delicious. I want to burrow closer to him, but I’m all too aware of his nearness, and the way his foot touched my leg.
My cootie’s done playing nice, it seems, because it immediately fires up, filling the cave with the sound of heavy purring. A moment later, J’shel’s joins in, and I stare up at the ceiling, feeling awkward and noisy and obvious.
I should say something to J’shel. Crack a joke about how uncomfortable this is for both of us, but my mind is a blank. All I can think about is the hard vibration of my cootie between my breasts, practically making me jiggle like Jell-o, and his utter nearness.
I wish he would touch me. Just reach over and grab me and kiss the shit out of me and take the decision out of my hands.
The moment I think that, I hate myself for it. He’d never force me into a relationship with him. That’s one of the things I like about J’shel. For all that I’ve done my best to avoid him, I know he’s a good guy. He’s thoughtful and kind and unselfish. He takes care of others, and he’s not pushy or demanding. I know M’tok got super aggressive with Callie and that’s why she hates his guts. But J’shel’s never been like that.
He’s been patient. Polite. Nice.
He nibbled on my neck, and I can’t stop thinking about that, either.
I look over at him. He’s staring up at the ceiling of the cave, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world, but his tail is flicking under the covers, and I’m guessing that his calm is a ruse. His cootie’s just as noisy as mine, and I’m guessing his mind is probably racing with all kinds of nonsense like mine is.
Is he…thinking about touching me?
My body flushes with heat, my nipples pricking with arousal. I shouldn’t be so turned on by that thought. I really, really shouldn’t. After all, I’m not giving in to resonance, am I?
As if he can sense my thoughts, J’shel looks over at me.
I stare back at him, our eyes locked, and my breathing quickens. Heat pours through my body, and my pulse seems to throb right between my thighs. Even though I’m tired, not all of me is ready for sleep. And his eyes are so beautiful in the dark, all glowing and bright that I