Page 84 of A Wild Darkness

I look up at her, confused, but amused by her flustered demeanor.

“You don’t want me to tell you what they’re for?”

She shakes her head. “Nah, I trust you,” she rushes out as she walks away toward the bedroom.

“Okay,” I say. “I was planning on using them to help us⁠—”

“When I get out of the bathroom, you can use it,” she tells me before disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door.

“Good night?” I say to the empty space.

Should I go after her? She’s acting weird, but this is something she should be aware of. She asked me to tell her about our plans…and she just disappears?

I decide to let it go and turn in for the night. But first, I take a quick inventory of the things we might need while we’re here, then tuck them back into the safety of the lining of my suitcase.

After some time, I no longer hear Stevie moving around the room, and it alarms me, so I give the wooden bedroom door a quick knock, but there’s no response.

“Stevie?” She left it ajar, so I take it upon myself to enter, pushing slowly. “Stevie?”

The room is dark except for one small lamp on the nightstand. And to my surprise, I find her sprawled out on top of the covers. She’s wearing a pair of matching silk pajamas. My eyes drag up her smooth legs until they land on the bottom half of her exposed ass cheek from the fabric riding high. Goose bumps cover her skin. She’s cold.

Feeling like this is another invasion of her privacy, I squeeze my eyes shut and kill every dirty thought popping into my mind. But as I’m ready to walk back into the living room, I stop.

I can’t let her sleep in the cold.

The wooden floor creaks under my feet as I walk to the edge of the bed. Will she be pissed I’m in here?

“Sebastian?” she mumbles, her eyes still closed. “Is that you?”

Shit.

“Yeah, it’s me. I was checking on you.”

“Oh,” she says.

I move to walk out when she meets my gaze and says, “Will you stay with me?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Please?”

I think of turning her down again, but I want to. I want to stay with her. I need to make sure she is safe, and the closer she is to me, the better I feel.

“Sure.” I bend to lift the covers. “But you look cold, so let’s get you under the blankets first.”

Stevie wriggles her body until she’s tucked into the bed before closing her eyes once again.

I flick the lamp off, then walk around the bed to the other side. Reluctantly, I drop my pants, leaving only my boxers, then pull off my shirt and climb into the bed next to her.

My pulse is racing. I clasp my hands behind my head and stare up at the ceiling, trying to ignore that she’s lying less than a foot away from me.

It’s ensuring her safety, I remind myself.

But then, the bed slightly moves as Stevie flips her body around, sliding it into the space under my arm. My limbs lock into place. Her subtle sweet scent engulfs me, and I desperately fight the urge to jump out of bed and go to the couch. But as I’m ready to give up, her hand glides across my bare chest and a soft whimper escapes her lips.

Fuck.

This is hard.