like she’s trying to imply much more, but that might just be my jealousy talking.
“How about we go get a drink, you’ll see there’s nothing to be worried about,” Ares mutters, trying to sound consoling, and I feel the slightest bit of persuasion in his tone.
“Shut up already,” Dante grumbles, reaching over to me so his hand lands on my lower stomach. I flinch at the contact then relax as he continues around to my hip. He makes a big deal of flopping around a bit to cover the noise he’s making as he pulls me close to him.
“Scoot over,” Milo fusses.
“See? There isn’t even enough room,” Ares adds. I know the others are making a bigger deal than it is, so she won’t ask to stay. With the two king-size beds next to each other, there’s plenty of room. Half the time we all end up on one bed cuddled together like a pile of puppies. Inevitably someone gets hot or uncomfortable at some point, and we spread out throughout the night.
A sliver of light penetrates the darkness of the room. I barely peek out of the covers enough to see Ares guiding Mia, his hand on her back, out into the hall. “Will you stay with me then?” Her question sends a spike of anger through me. My territorial feelings for the guys have only amplified.
“Come on, let’s let them sleep,” Ares replies without answering her question.
“He’ll be back,” Dante offers, rocking his head against the pillow.
“I don’t understand why we can’t tell her who I am, she’s not even an Infinity.” My tone is whiny even to my own ears.
The bed shifts, I hear a thud as someone bumps into the edge of bed. “Shit,” Ollie curses. His hands slap the wall until he finds the panel for the bathroom door. He flips on the light, not even bothering to close the door as he pees.
“She’s not one of us, but she’s been working with Ares for years,” Dante mutters, his voice even deeper than usual from sleep. I still don’t get why that matters, but I’m going to ask Ares as soon as I get a chance.
The water runs for a second before Ollie stumbles back to bed, dropping down on Ares’s side, leaving the light from the bathroom casting a dim glow into the room.
Ares has claimed dibs on that side of the bed and insists I sleep next to him. He says his room, his rules. The other guys haven’t put up much of a fight, instead they shift around taking turns sleeping on the opposite side.
Ollie cuddles in close to me, spooning my back. His hand lands on my hip, if Milo were on the other side, he’d reach past me to him. There’s a closeness between the two of them that exceeds the bond the four of them share.
I lie awake, waiting for Ares to return. Though I’m surround by the others, my thoughts are consumed with what he might be doing and wondering when he’ll be back.
Eventually I fall asleep before he returns. When I wake up again, it’s to the alarm from Ollie’s phone. The room is dark again, and it seems Ares must have returned at some point. Ollie shifts. “Milo,” he croaks, “snooze.” Milo doesn’t even acknowledge him as the light keeps flashing and the alarm keeps blaring. I climb over Ollie, knowing it will be easier to get past him for the phone than it would be to get past Dante and Milo. My feet hit the carpet, and I become chilled immediately. I’ve taken to sleeping in shorts and a t-shirt, otherwise I get way too warm. Shivering, I find my way to the phone, letting the flashing light be my guide.
Hitting the orange snooze icon, I drop the phone next to Ollie as I make my way to the bathroom. He’s always in charge of waking up the others. Milo is usually the easiest, and Ares is the hardest with Dante falling somewhere in the middle.
I’m so happy I don’t have to wake up Ares, much like my experience last night, he tends to ignore you or be a grumpy butthead when he’s woken up.
With shuffling steps, I walk toward the bathroom. I’ve gotten over my hesitance to use the well-appointed room. Pushing into the door I squint and rub my hand over my eyes. The light is still on, and even though it’s not bright, it’s still too harsh on my eyes.