Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls #1) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,90

down and every muscle in her body felt as rubbery as a noodle.

She would just have a short nap. Gideon wouldn’t be home for a few hours. She’d nap for an hour or so and then go home. He’d never know she was a weirdo freak who slept in his bed.

* * *

“Wake up, Grace.”

Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared blearily at Gideon. He was lying on his side in the bed next to her and a soft smile crossed her face. “Hi, Gideon.”

“Hello, Princess.”

Her insides quivered as liquid heat gathered at her core. When she and Kira were seventeen, they’d had a brief obsession with Alfred Hitchcock movies. Gideon had been home from New Cassel, visiting his parents for the week and he’d sat with Kira and Grace the night they watched Rear Window. The film starred Grace Kelly, an actress who would later become princess of Monaco, and although Grace looked nothing like the actress, Gideon had immediately given her the nickname Princess.

A couple of months before that, the nickname would have annoyed her. She was the exact opposite of princess-like, and it was obviously just another way Gideon acted like an irritating big brother. But that was before she’d begun noticing how good his ass looked in jeans, or the way his body had filled out now that he was a police officer.

She was having decidedly un-sister-like thoughts about Gideon and they’d both excited and confused her. Hearing him call her Princess in that deep voice of his, had only heightened her newly discovered urges for him.

Of course, he hadn’t called her Princess in years. Not since before his parents died.

“What are you doing in my bed?” She resisted the urge to reach out and touch him, afraid he would leave if she did.

“You’re in my bed,” he said.

“I am?”

He nodded and she smiled sleepily at him. “Oh, right. Your bed. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know.” She couldn’t resist her need to touch any longer and slid her arm around him, resting her hand on his broad back. “I like sleeping in your bed.”

“I like finding you in my bed.” He smiled at her and she licked her lips before studying his mouth.

“I want you so much, Gideon.”

“I know, Princess.”

“Do you want me?” She searched his dark brown eyes, looking for any hint that he still wanted her.

Brown eyes? Gracie… Gideon’s eyes aren’t brown. Wake up.

She ignored her inner voice, wiggling closer to Gideon and rubbing his back. “Kiss me, Gideon.”

“I shouldn’t,” he said.

She rubbed his back again, using the tips of her fingers to smooth down the wiry hair that covered it. “You should.”

Wiry hair? Wake up, Grace!

“Please, Gideon. Just one kiss?” she pleaded. “Just one and then I’ll wake up.”

He made a low chuffing sound and she squeezed him a little tighter before tilting her face toward his. “Gideon, please.”

“Whatever you want, Princess,” he whispered.

His mouth opened and her eyes widened when his tongue, long and wide and definitely not human, licked her from her chin to the top of her forehead.

Gracie, wake up!

Her eyelids flew open and she stared at Tank. The dog was stretched out beside her on the bed, her arm was around him with her hand resting on his back, and his head was lying next to hers on the pillow. He chuffed a second time before his tongue slurped across her face again.

“Tank, gross!” She jerked her head back and wiped the dog spit from her face. “Bad boy. Bad boy.”

She turned onto her back, staring up at the ceiling and using one hand to block him from licking her face again.

“I’ve been kissed by a dog,” she croaked out. “Boil some water, rip up some sheets.”

She rubbed a hand across her face. Shit, what time was it? The room was dark, and she fumbled for her phone in her pocket. How long had she slept? She had to get out of here before Gideon showed up and found her in his bed. She’d die of shame if –

Beside her, Tank made a low growl that turned into a whine of happiness, the bedroom light flicked on, and her stomach dropped.

She sat up, staring wide-eyed at Gideon who was standing in the doorway. For almost a minute, neither of them said anything. The only sound in the room was the thumping of Tank’s tail against the bed.

“What are you doing in my bed?” Gideon finally said.

“I, um, I… fell asleep,” Grace said. As Tank jumped