The only thing Ike didn’t like about Jess feeling better was that he no longer had an excuse to sleep with her. Selfish bastard.
They’d been sitting on the couch for a few hours trying to find something to watch. Cop and military type shows were out—too much like real life. The Walking Dead marathon was out, because people you liked always died on that show—too much like what they feared life might become. Ike had suggested the World Series of Poker, but Jess thought watching people play cards was boring. She’d suggested a dancing reality show, but Ike put the kibosh on that idea with a single look. Ike’s desire to put off sleeping alone again had him finally agreeing to a house hunting show Jess liked where the couple saw three houses and had to decide which to buy.
Ike’s conclusion: people were idiots sometimes.
“Should’ve picked the older house. More character,” he said.
“Right?” Jess said, smiling. “You can fix up an older house, but it’s harder to give a newer house that kind of character.”
“I knew I liked you for a reason,” he said, giving her a wink.
“Because I’m awesome.” She turned toward him on the couch and propped her elbow on the back of the couch.
Well, Ike couldn’t disagree with that, but he probably shouldn’t agree with it either. Lest it lead them into saying—or doing—things they probably shouldn’t. Now that Jess was feeling better, Ike’s brain kept resurrecting the memory of their fucking amazing kiss as Ike had carried her to the loft. And his body was completely on board with the idea of picking up where they’d left off.
Ike stretched his arms over his head and yawned so big his jaw cracked. “Man, I’m dragging.”
Jess peered up at him. “Can’t imagine why. It’s not like you’ve lost any sleep the past couple days while taking care of anyone.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know if you remember me telling you this the other night, but I really didn’t mind, Jess. Still don’t.”
She nodded, her gaze assessing, maybe even hopeful. “You know, you could still sleep in the bed if you want.”
Oh, he wanted, all right. “Nah. Be fine here.”
Hell, if the disappointment that flickered across her face wasn’t a kick in the gut. But he was doing the right thing for both of them. Besides, he’d rather have Jess in his life as a friend—even if he wanted more—than fuck things up with her one way or another and lose her altogether.
Her words from before still echoed in his head. You guys have become my family the past few years. And I couldn’t take it if anything happened to any of you.
Ike felt the same way about her and Jeremy. Since he saw and worked with them every day at Hard Ink, he’d come to be as close to them as he was with the Ravens, who he’d known for over a decade.
And Ike knew for goddamned sure that he wouldn’t be able to take it if anything happened to Jeremy or Jess, but especially Jess—whose safety and protection rested squarely on his shoulders.
Thus why he would not be sleeping in the bed again.
“Okay, then,” she said, rising. “I’ll go up so you can get some rest. Besides, I want lots of sleep tonight so I have enough energy to sit on the couch all day tomorrow eating Doritos and watching trash TV.”
“It’s important to have goals,” Ike said, shaking his head.
Jess chuckled. “My thoughts exactly.”
When she disappeared into the bathroom, Ike took the opportunity to grab a pillow and blanket from the closet in the loft as well as something to sleep in and clothes for the morning. By the time she came out, her wavy red and black hair pulled into two low pigtails that sent Ike’s thoughts right into the gutter, he’d made up a bed on the couch.
“Night,” she said, heading up the steps.
“Night,” he replied, watching her hips sway in a pair of silky black shorts. Combined with the form-fitting black tank top and those perfect-for-grabbing pigtails, she was going to make it damn hard for him to fall asleep tonight.
Damn hard, indeed.
He turned out the light and went horizontal, the soft couch so comfortable against his sore back even though it was a little too short to fit his whole body. He adjusted his erection, willing it to get with the no-sex-with-Jess program. Problem was, in the quiet darkness, Ike could hear her moving around in the loft. Soft footsteps on the wood floor. The shifting of covers. The squeaking of the box spring. And all that did was invite his imagination out to play. Easy, since he had so much material to work with after sleeping with Jess wrapped around him the past two nights.
His shoulders and chest knew what the silk of her hair felt like when it skimmed over his skin. His hip knew the heat of her core when she slept with her knee across his thighs. His hands had memorized the curve of her lower back and the shape of her biceps and just how much of her luscious ass he could fit in his palms.