Page 82 of Riding the Curve

Fuck me.

Of course she’d be wearing a thong.

And not just any thong. It’s the tiniest scrap of black lace I’ve ever seen, barely held together by even thinner straps.

It takes all my resolve to peel away the rest of her pants. By the time I pull the sheets over her body, I can feel the sweat dripping down my forehead. Scrambling to the door as fast as I can, a small whimper halts me in my tracks.

“Em?”

I stay silent. I’ll just wait a few more minutes, and she’ll fall back into her deep sleep.

“Stay,” she whispers.

My body freezes. Did she just say what I think she said?

“Please?”

I toss my head back, groaning internally. If I stay, will she not remember in the morning and freak out finding me in bed beside her? Or what if she’s fully awake and knows exactly what she’s doing? If I leave now, what signal would that send to her?

With a deep breath, I stroll back over to the bed. What am I doing?

Stripping down to my boxers, I ease myself into the bed beside her. She mumbles something unintelligible while I try to figure out what she’s doing underneath the blankets.

When a black polka-dot bra flies to the floor, my curiosity is answered. And I’m suddenly aware how much more trouble I just got myself into.

Adrenaline rushes through me as I lie on my back trying not to think about the fact that Hen is currently lying beside me in only a thin thong and a T-shirt. Just as I take a deep breath and attempt to calm my nerves, heat envelops my body.

To make matters even more complicated, her head snuggles into my chest. Her soft sigh cascades over me as her legs intertwine with mine.

“Mmm,” she hums. Her voice is husky and thick with sleep. “So warm.”

My cock stirs beneath my boxers as I curse it silently to settle down.

Seconds turn to minutes. Minutes to an hour.

Hen’s heavy breaths turn into light snores, and I’m finally able to relax my muscles. My fingers itch to touch her skin, but instead I opt for the safer route—her hair. Soft waves weave between my fingers, and I carefully comb through it.

I have dreamt about this moment for so long, and it feels exactly how I’d envisioned it. Henley fits perfectly beside me. Like the missing piece to my puzzle that’s been incomplete for years.

With a heavy sigh, my hand falls from her hair and wraps around her waist. Her body stirs, and she starts to roll backward, but I hold her tighter. Determined to keep her planted on my chest.

Ryleigh’s right. I need to tell her how I feel.

Somewhere between listening to Hen’s soft snores and planning exactly when and how I’m going to talk to Henley about our future, I fall asleep.

CHAPTER 31

Henley

Sunlight peeks into the cabin, slowly finding its way to warm my face.

That was one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a long time. I think when I move out of this cabin, I need to ask if I can take the sheets. And this body pillow is divine. It molds perfectly against me. It’s even warm. I never realized it had a heating element to it.

Wait a minute. I’ve never had a body pillow.

My lashes flutter open and I find my cheek pressed up against the smooth expanse of abs.

“Morning, beautiful.” A low, gravelly voice stirs from above me, sending a delicious shiver down my spine.