Page 18 of His Secret Wish

“Ah, no,” he said, trying to keep the ridiculousness out of his voice.

“So, what you’re saying is we’ll be sleeping in the bed. Together.” Her gaze darted to the bed and then back to him.

“We’re adults, Izzy. Adults who can control themselves if required.” He tilted his head. “We can make a pillow barrier between us if you want. I mean, I know I’m irresistible, and you might not be able to keep your hands to yourself...”

She snorted and threw the covers back. He’d already been in bed, his back to the room, when she’d come back from the bathroom after getting ready for bed, so he wasn’t expecting to see so much skin. A shot of lust streaked through him.

Her pajamas were a matching set that consisted of a tiny t-shirt with buttons down the front and a pair of tiny shorts. They were pink—at least he thought so, although it was hard to see in the gloom—with strawberries on them. And the strawberries had faces.

Jesus. He’d been teasing her about not being able to keep her hands to herself, but he was the one who was going to need to not touch. The idea of a pillow barrier between them was sounding better and better.

She grabbed his hand, and he stood, pulling her up with him.

“Holy Jesus, it’s freezing in here.” She started to shiver.

He nudged her toward the bed. “Get under the covers.”

She crawled onto the squeaky mattress, and he tried his best not to watch her ass sway as she did so. He sort of managed it.

He reached down and snatched up the blankets she’d been using as her makeshift bed. The one she’d been laying on was the fuzzy kind, the kind that usually had a picture of a bear or a moose on it. The other one, the one she’d been wrapped in, was a quilt, although it wasn’t very thick. He turned and spread them both over the bed. That should help keep the cold out.

“Come on,” she said, holding the blankets up for him to dive under.

He climbed into the bed, the springs protesting. That was getting pretty damn old, pretty damn fast. He was honestly considering driving into town tomorrow and buying a new mattress.

In the few minutes he’d been away, the sheets had turned icy. Izzy was curled up next to him, facing the wall. And she was still shivering.

He readjusted the blankets around them, making sure they were both completely covered. Her shivering didn’t stop.

“Are you okay?” He placed his hand on her shoulder. Her skin was ice cold.

“Fine,” she said, although it was hard to decipher with her teeth chattering so hard.

“You’re still freezing.” He slid his hand up and down her arm, trying to warm her up.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.” He rolled over and scooted closer, hoping some of his heat would make its way over to her.

“Hmm.” She inched closer to him until they were almost touching.

“Sharing body heat is the best way to get warm.” While it was true, he wasn’t sure his motives were all that altruistic. He was aching to hold her. “I’m going to wrap my arms around you. Is that okay?”

She moved closer, until her back was pressed up against his front. Jesus, she was like an ice cube. He pulled her flush against him. Her ass was nestled against his groin, and his cock jerked in happiness.

Down, boy. This wasn’t about sex. It was about making sure Izzy was comfortable.

She shivered again. He held her tighter. Her hair tickled his nose, and he breathed in her sweet, earthy scent. She made a humming noise and snuggled deeper into the mattress.

It took a few minutes, but she finally relaxed fully, letting sleep take her. A familiar, soft snore drifted in his direction. His lips twitched, tilted up into a smile. He’d missed this, missed her. So much. He’d been such an idiot to let her go, to let their relationship deteriorate to the point where she felt she had no choice but to leave.

He tightened his arms around her. She hummed and snuggled against him. This, this right here was all that mattered. She was all that mattered. And it was time he showed her how he felt.

But what if she rejects you? What if it’s too late, what if you waited too long?

The thought made his stomach do a tuck and roll, right out of the room and down the stairs. He closed his eyes, breathed deep. He couldn’t think like that. It couldn’t be too late for them.

A sliver of fear snaked its way through him. Maybe he just needed to relax and see how the next few days went. He could still show her he wasn’t the same man as he’d been after her last miscarriage. When he’d almost lost her, too. He’d freaked out and pulled away, threw himself into work. Because work was safe and predictable.