AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And a good end to the day,” Ben mused as he moved around the foot of the bed. His movements were slow and steady, and I couldn’t help but give him a bemused smile as he set himself on the edge of the bed.
“I’m not a wild animal,” I assured him. “I won’t bolt the minute you touch me.”
He grinned. “Even with cold feet?”
“That might earn you a good kick.”
Ben chuckled. “I’ll be sure to avoid such a fate, but I see you’ve forgotten something.”
I blinked at him. “What?”
“This.”
He reached out and undid the tie of the ribbon I wore on my left wrist. My deceit fell away, leaving me feeling almost naked in front of him. I turned my face away, but he grasped my chin gently in his fingers and drew my eyes back to his smiling ones.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of,” he assured me as he slipped under the sheets, taking me with him.
The pillows were plush and the sheets as soft as down. I wiggled deep into the bed as Ben blew out the lamp on his end table. The room was plunged into darkness.
I jumped when a strong arm wrapped around my waist. Ben’s teasing voice wafted over my ear. “You said you wouldn’t bolt.” I tried to aim my elbow into his gut, but he dragged me across the bed and pinned my back against his chest. He nuzzled his nose into my hair. “You smell fabulous.”
I snorted. “It’s all the dust from the race track.”
He set his chin on the top of my head. “I’ll have to make sure to take you more often.”
I waited for any more of his witty banter, but after a few minutes nothing came. “Ben?” No reply. “Ben?” The only response was a slight snore.
He’d already fallen asleep. I rolled my eyes before I closed them. In a few minutes I, too, had slipped into a peaceful slumber.
It was so peaceful, in fact, that I awoke to find the other half of the bed empty. I sat up and looked about the shadowed room. The weak sunlight that shone through the windows told me it was about five. It also told me Ben wasn’t in the room.
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and rolled out of bed. In a few minutes, I was dressed and downstairs. David hurried out of the dining room and scurried past me to travel up the stairs with an armful of laundry. I recognize some of the clothes as belonging to our trio of guests. By some miracle and Hannah’s powerful hands, they had been scrubbed to a bright and fresh shine.
“Morning!” he chirped as he passed.
“Good morning!” I called back, feeling more cheerful from his contagious enthusiasm.
“Good morning.” The greeting came from the dining room where Ben had made his appearance. He leaned against the door frame and folded his arms over his chest. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, but I could have used another hour,” I countered as I brushed a few bits of morning gunk from one eyeball.
His good humor faltered a little and he pushed off from the frame. “Did my rising disturb you?”
I grinned. “I think it was more your absence. My back started getting cold.”
Ben chuckled. “I’ll have to have a warm bottle ready for next time.” I blushed a little at the reminder that I had agreed to room with him, at least for the duration of this trip.
That did bring a question to mind. “So what happens when we return to Validen?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “What happens to what?”
I rolled my eyes and the warmth in my cheeks increased. “You know. To the, um, bed situation.”
A slightly lecherous grin curled onto his lips. “I had hoped we might continue our little foray into a more serious relationship by merging rooms, but that’s a discussion we can have when we return. For now-” He strode over to me and offered me the crook of his arm, “-shall we go enjoy the sunrise?”
I was glad for the distraction and accepted his arm. “Might as well. I don’t see it too often.”
We strolled out through the front door and Ben led me to the middle of the dirt courtyard. I turned to the east where the sun’s rays twinkled at me. The bright light stretched across the beautiful green fields and enveloped everything in a soft warmth, myself included.
