Mexican food. One of you, please order a steak quesadilla. Maybe if Ava touches me, I can taste it.”
Chapter Nine
It turned out Clay could not taste my Mexican food, but the act of trying broke the ice with everyone. Our dinner was fun and made the evening fly by.
After dinner, everyone went to the living room to watch TV. The cable was still on for another day. I stayed in the kitchen with Drew, cleaning up, which consisted of throwing the paper plates and plastic utensils away. I told the stubborn sheriff that he didn’t have to help, but he did anyway.
Standing in the doorway, facing the living room, I checked my phone for the millionth time in the last hour. Wade still hadn't replied to mine or Wallie’s texts, and I was getting worried. If he didn’t call soon, I was going to go break his door down.
Drew came up behind me and took my phone. “It’s late. He’s probably asleep.” His fingers teased my hands as he pulled them away.
I nodded, then leaned over and snatched my phone back to check the messages one more time. But there was nothing.
With a sigh, I threw the phone down on the table. “We'll check on him in the morning. If he isn’t home, I'm calling a search party. It's not like him to go this long without replying to my messages.” Especially when I was in town. This was nuts.
“I'm sure everything is fine,” Olivia said then added, “What are the sleeping arrangements?”
Ugh, I hadn’t even thought about that.
I looked around, suddenly panicked about whether Drew expected to sleep in the bed with me, but Wallie said, “Sam and Olivia can have my room. I'll sleep on the pull-out sofa.”
“That works.” I turned to face Drew and frowned. The butterflies that had taken up residence in my belly woke up and were fluttering their little hearts out.
A sexy smirk formed on his face, which only added heat to the winged creatures. “I guess that leaves me with you.”
Holy crap. Oh, holy crap. Panic washed over me. Breathe, Ava. I wouldn’t be getting any sleep with Drew next to me. In my bed. Holy crap. What would Clay say when he found out? Would he be in there, too?
“Breathe, Ava.” The sound of Clay's voice next to me made my hysterics worse. Would both of them be in my room? I looked at my husband and then my boyfriend. This whole situation was getting out of control.
Clay took my hand. “I don't sleep. Don't need to. So don’t worry about me. I'll be roaming the halls doing the ghostly thing. Maybe leave the TV on for me.” He grinned at me before adding, “And have fun. ”
He was not helping at all! Not even a little bit.
“I hope you can do it quietly. Some of us need our beauty sleep. Also, gross.” Wallie got up from the sofa and then disappeared down the hallway. He was probably getting some sheets and a blanket for the sleeper.
Practicing my even, steady breathing, I completely ignored Drew as I waited on Wallie. My guess was right. He reappeared a few seconds later with the items in his hands.
For a second, I forgot myself and glanced at Drew. Immediately, my cheeks heated. This was going to be a long night. “Come on,” I mumbled.
Grinning, Drew followed me down the hall to the master bedroom. My stomach churned with a nervous need to make dinner reappear. Ta-da! Right on the carpet.
But I managed to keep it all in. Thankfully.
It’d been five years since I’d shared a bed with another man. Or another woman, for that matter. Anyone. It wasn’t that I made a habit of inviting people to sleep with me.
Good gods, I might as well have told Drew he could have the bed so I could go sleep with Wallie. At least I’d actually be able to sleep that way.
Inside the bedroom, my gut churning like an angry ocean, I watched as Drew went to shut the door but stopped halfway and looked at me. I waved my hand and closed the door with my magic just to rip the darn bandage off and get it over with. Then I took a deep, calming breath. "We are both adults."
There was nothing wrong with us sleeping together. I mean, actually sleeping and not the other thing that had my insides twisting and burning with desire. And guilt for having my boyfriend in my room. In the