“Oh, baby girl,” he whispered sadly.
Leaning across the bed, he gently brushed a kiss on her forehead. She did not respond to his touch. Backing away, he eased the connecting door closed once more. Stripping off his clothes, he took a quick shower to wash away the sweat, baby oil, and other women’s fingerprints his performance had left on him. After drying off, he pulled on a pair of loose-fitting boxers and a soft cotton T-shirt.
Leaving the light on his room, he returned to Sunny’s room. She had not moved an inch during the time he had been gone. Pulling the covers back, he slid into the other side of the bed, thankful that the hotel’s single rooms all boasted king-size beds. After pulling the sheet and blanket over himself, he worked his way across the bed until just a couple inches separated his body from hers.
Then he settled in to warm up and quiet his mind enough to sleep. That took some time for his thoughts were racing a million ideas a second. Mostly they were about how to talk Sunny into moving to Texas in general, and into his ranch, his life, and his bed, specifically.
Once he felt that his presence would not be a shock to her sleep-warmed body, he closed the last small distance between their bodies. Sliding one arm under her neck, the other wrapped around her middle. He held her to his chest like a child would a favored teddy bear. Then, with one breath, he relaxed, drifting into sleep and dreams of their future together.
Chapter Five
Sunny tried to roll over, but something, large, solid, and very, very warm stopped her. And it was not the pillow she normally cuddled with half the night, then fought with the other half.
“Shhh, baby girl. Go back to sleep,” a deep, deep voice said from somewhere above her head.
Opening tear-swollen eyes, she did not recognize the room. It took a minute to remember where she was and what in hell had happened the night before. Finally she remembered she was in a hotel room in Texas. Then her memory floodgates open. She recalled the flight, dinner with Geo, and then the men dancing, her emotional meltdown, and having to leave before Geo got down to whatever it was he was going to get down to.
She even remembered her conversation with Gigi. Then she came up here and completely lost it. What she could not remember was allowing a man into her room, much less to her bed.
Shifting and squirming, and fighting with the pillow that she had been clutching to her chest when she had fallen asleep, Sunny fought her way out of the covers and jumped from the bed. Pulling at the nightshirt twisted around her waist, she straightened it, smoothing it down to cover her from shoulders to mid-thigh. Only then did she turn to face the bed.
The man was sitting up, watching her closely, a concerned expression on his face that she could read even through the dim light coming from the open doorway to the next room. “Geo?” she asked, her heart fluttering with excitement at the same moment her stomach dropped with shyness.
The man nodded slowly before lying down on his side, and looking far too sexy for her comfort. “Come back to bed, Sunflower. It’s too early to be running around just yet.”
Sunny frowned at him. “What are you doing in my room? And in my bed?”
Geo smiled as he straightened the covers she had thrown back just moments before. “Sleeping with the sweetest flower in Texas,” he replied with a smile. “Now come back to bed. If you don’t want to sleep, I’m sure we can find other things to do to pass the time until the restaurant opens.”
Sunny glanced at the clock and the glowing red numbers showed it was only four-something, too early to be awake in Texas, though due to the time difference, at home she would already be up, dressed, and working at her computer.
Turning back to the bed, she cocked her head in confusion. “When did you come in here?”
“About an hour after you disappeared from the ballroom. I came up as soon as I finished my routine and talked to Gigi. But I had to take a shower before I could join you. What were you dreaming about last night?” he asked, propping his head up on one bent arm and giving her a smile that screamed sex.
“I don’t dream,” Sunny answered automatically.
Most nights she slept so deep that, even if she did have them, she never remembered her dreams upon wakening. She barely remembered falling asleep and waking hours later, feeling rested and ready to face the day though feeling like no time had passed since lying down.
“Well you had a dream last night. You were restless and moaning in your sleep, so it must have been a good one. Now come back to bed.” His voice deepened and developed a thread of something that Sunny could not identify but was unable to fight against.