surprised. I was barely able to stay awake. I snuggled against him, resting my head on his broad chest. His arms came around me, swallowing me up in his embrace. It felt so right being with him like this.
There was no doubt in my mind that I had absolutely fallen for the man. He was perfect and flawed and I knew he was the right man for me. His stubbornness and belief he was better off alone were not a turnoff for me. In fact, it made me want to get even closer to him. I wanted to crawl into his soul and stay there forever.
I was in trouble. I was falling in love with a man that didn’t seem all that interested in loving me back. I told myself it was just his way. He needed a little more time. I could be patient with him. I could give him the time and space he needed to realize we were good for each other. I pushed hard already. I didn’t want to push him any harder.
He had to come to the realization on his own. I wasn’t sure how I would handle it if he didn’t come to the same conclusion I did. I would worry about that later. For now, I was lying in the arms of a man who seemed to care for me a great deal. I would take it. I would hold on to every precious minute I got with him.
“Blanket?” he murmured.
“I’m good,” I told him.
I didn’t want to move. I didn’t think I could move at that point.
Chapter 53
Xander
Waking up with Evie’s soft body draped over mine was probably one of the best feelings in the world. It was a little strange to me. I was not the kind of guy who liked the postcoital cuddling and the sleepovers with a woman snuggled against me.
I liked space in my bed. I liked to stretch out without worrying about another body being in my way. With Evie, I found myself clinging to her. In the middle of the night, I would wake up and find her just to pull her next to me.
I liked feeling her warm breath brush across my chest. I liked hearing her steady breathing. I didn’t even mind the little bit of drool I could feel on my bare chest. It was all part of who she was. As it turned out, I really liked who she was.
It was dangerous. I knew it was a huge risk, but I felt myself falling for her a little more every time I spent time with her. She was so much more than a beautiful woman to me. She was becoming my other half. She was the person I wanted to talk to about anything that excited me and things that happened during my day.
What was supposed to be a casual relationship was morphing into something much more real. I had real feelings for her. I wasn’t sure what to think about it or how to process it. I didn’t want to do anything that pushed her away. I knew that for sure. I wanted to try to make things work between us.
“You’re awake,” she murmured, lifting her head and wiping her mouth.
“I am. Just for a couple minutes.”
“Was I snoring?”
“Nope.”
She turned her face to look up at me. “Are you lying?”
I leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose. “No.”
She settled back against my chest. “Good.”
“Are you hungry?”
“I could use some coffee.”
“I’ll order room service. Do you want some fruit? Toast? A big breakfast spread?”
She pulled away, resting her head on the pillow next to mine. “I’m cool with whatever you want.”
I turned my head to look at her. “I will tell you what I want, but it doesn’t come from room service.”
She slapped at my chest. “You have to feed me first. I’m not even sure I can move.”
“You can move, baby. Trust me. You can move.”
“Food,” she said with a laugh before crawling out of bed and walking nude to the bathroom.
I ordered room service for us, suddenly hungry. Then I stepped out on the balcony in just my underwear and inhaled the fresh air. It was a little chilly, but it was wonderfully refreshing.
“There you are,” Evie said. She stepped behind me, wrapping her arms around me and resting her face against my back.
“I like the air here,” I told her.
“Isn’t it the same air?”
“It feels cleaner.”
She pulled away from me. I turned to look at her in