Page 59 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
“There should be an extra toothbrush in the bathroom. And there are extra blankets and pillows in the closet if you need them.”
“I’m not staying in there, Emmy,” he said.
“You can have the couch but the bed in here is far more comfortable.”
“I’m sleeping with you.”
“No. This is the guest bedroom, Nick. And you are a guest.” If he thought he could use tonight’s ordeal as a way to get into my bed, he was mistaken.
“I’m not a guest. I’m your husband.”
“A husband that sleeps in the guest bedroom.” He closed the distance between us in a flash and before I could step back, his mouth was slamming down on mine. The intensity of his kiss completely took me off guard. My knees wobbled and I clutched his flannel shirt.
His tongue tangled with mine as his beard tickled the sensitive skin on my face. Though he was only touching my mouth, it felt like sparks were going to start shooting out of my fingers and toes at any minute.
Breaking our kiss, he whispered against my lips. “I’m not leaving you alone until we find out who broke in tonight. Scared me to fucking death to hear that call come in. I need you close. And that means I’m going to sleep in your bed.”
Nick’s kiss, along with his gentle pleading, broke my resolve. If he hadn’t been here for me tonight, I don’t know what I would have done. Because he was staying with me, I felt safe sleeping in my own bed. If sleeping next to me tonight would help some of his fears, I could give him that.
“Just for tonight,” I said and walked to my bedroom.
My room sat at the back of the house above the kitchen. The two exterior walls were made entirely of glass and a balcony wrapped around the corner of the room.
With the open view of the forest, my bedroom was styled to match. Dark walls. A deep green duvet. Espresso wood furniture. It felt like a cave.
Without saying a word, I shrugged off my robe and climbed into bed, facing away from Nick. I listened to the rustle of his clothes and the thud of his boots as they hit the floor. With every dropping article, my heart beat faster.
What was I thinking a minute ago? I couldn’t sleep next to him. I was crazy for agreeing to this.
When his weight hit the mattress, I stopped breathing.
Thankfully, my bed was wide, and even if I moved a bit in my sleep, it would be unlikely that we would touch. I just hoped that Nick would respect the imaginary boundary line between us.
No such luck.
As soon as his body sank into the memory foam, he shifted and reached for me. His strong forearm wrapped around my middle and he hauled me into the center of the bed. His arms locked around me as he buried his face in my hair.
“Sleep, Emmy,” he said, sliding one of his large legs between mine.
The hair on his chest pressed against the bare skin of my back and his heart beat against my spine. No way in hell was I sleeping.
Plus, I hated spooning. Whenever Logan had tried to curl into my back, I would always twist so that I was facing him.
Nick had ruined spooning for me in Vegas. The memory assaulted my mind. I remembered falling asleep in his arms, thinking that if this was how I went to bed for the next fifty years, I’d die a happy woman.
I couldn’t do this.
I couldn’t lay here with him like this. The familiarity of our position created an overwhelming ache in my chest. All I could do was close my eyes and try to breathe through the pain. I desperately wanted to escape Nick’s embrace but didn’t have the energy for another discussion.
So instead I waited. And waited.
Finally, when his body relaxed into sleep, I slipped out of bed and silently crept downstairs.
Sinking into a living room couch, I could breathe again. But when the air filled my lungs, the emotions I’d been holding in came pouring out. My body curled into a tight ball as sobs rocked my chest.
It wasn’t just tonight’s events causing my meltdown. It was a buildup from months and months of stress and anxiety. Moving across the country to start a new job. Finding Nick after years of searching. All the memories and heartache that came with seeing him again and ending my relationship with Logan.
It was too much.
