Page 61

Ruben’s laughter vibrated against my mouth. “You sleep alone every night.”

“Mhm. I never sleep. I lie awake and wonder why you’re so far away from me, when we could easily solve my sleeplessness.”

“You sleep very well,” Ruben continued to speak against my lips. His grin rubbed against my skin. It penetrated me. “I see and hear it every night.”

“That’s not true!” I put one hand on my hip in feigned indignation.

“It’s true. How would you even know?”

“Like I said. I’m awake.”

Ruben rolled his eyes and pushed me in front of him.

I let myself fall backward onto the bed and pulled him on top of me. I slid my hand around his neck and held him close to me.

“If you kiss me, I can’t sleep loudly.”

Ruben laughed out. He kissed my cheek, my neck, my chin, my nose, my other cheek, along my neck. He licked my Adam’s apple.

“Shane,” he whispered.

“Hm?”

“Shane, I don’t know what else you have in mind, but I need to sleep.” He slid to my side and lay down next to me.

He stroked my sides. I moved toward him and pushed him onto his back.

“Oops.” He clung to my shoulder.

His hips hung off the bed. I quickly pulled him back.

“Okay, okay, don’t overreact. We’ll find a solution.”

Ruben stretched and let one leg hang off the bed. “I’ll just go to my bed.”

“No!” I pulled him toward me. “We’ll find a solution. Stay there. Wait.”

I got up and assessed the situation. I pushed the clutter between our beds aside and pulled his bed closer to mine. From there, Ruben watched me struggle. I no longer knew exactly what I was doing and grinned to myself.

“Hands up!” I shouted, and Ruben raised his arm, which was hanging out of bed.

With all my strength, I pushed Ruben’s bed to the side of mine. He stretched out starfish style and spread himself across both surfaces, grumbling contentedly.

I jumped onto the bed with a swing, braced myself next to him, and let myself sink down on top of him. The beds drifted apart beneath us, and Ruben was sucked into the gap. At least that’s what it looked like, and I quickly rolled to one side so as not to accelerate his descent.

With a crumpled face, he scrambled up and hopped onto the bed opposite me. My bed. Where he belonged.

“I’ll tie the legs down.”

Ruben stretched out his arm and grabbed my hand. His eyes closed, and he stroked the skin on the inside of my wrist with his thumb.

“Wait. Shane, I’m exhausted. And I have to get up early tomorrow. Connie and I are going to the market at five. Can we please . . . ”

My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to be as close to him as possible. But what I wanted even more was for him to be okay. And Ruben didn’t need me right now. He needed rest. Damn it.

I watched him. His breathing became deeper. His stroking with his thumb slowed down.

“Can we rearrange the room tomorrow?” I had to ask, as if I were a toddler.

Without opening his eyes, Ruben grinned. “Sure.”

Within seconds, his grip loosened and his fingers opened. Watching him drift deep into sleep was heart-stopping. He was beautiful.

Being able to lie next to him was deeply satisfying.

I was much more involved with Ruben than I thought.