A dull flush washes over the high crests of his cheeks. “I want you to sleep with me.”
“Uh…what?” I can’t form better words.
“Just sleep,” he clarifies quickly. “I…bloody hell…I sleep when you’re there. I have to sleep.” For a second, he looks so weak, the circles under his eyes deeper and bruised. So weary. “You can stay here, travel with me. The compensation will be—”
“Sunshine,” I cut in. “Are you seriously trying to pay me to sleep in a bed with you every night?”
And holy hell, if his tense, straining body language is anything to go by, he wants this badly. I’m so shocked I have to take another sip of my drink. God, the idea is tempting. But dangerous. He hasn’t said, “Sophie, I want you and can’t live another night without you.” He’s trying to hire me, for fuck’s sake.
He sits straight, his jaw clenched. “Look, I know it’s ridiculous.”
“It is,” I agree, heartily.
His expression goes blank. “You’re right.”
He moves to rise, and I reach out, laying my hand on his stiff forearm. “It is ridiculous because you don’t have to pay me for that.”
If anything, he looks even more put out. “Yes, I do. This isn’t… If I don’t pay…” He shakes his head with an exasperated breath. “It isn’t right not to pay.”
My fingers curl around the hard muscle of his arm. “Do you need this?”
He pulls at his cuff. “The fact that I’m humiliating myself ought to tell you as much.”
I give him a watery smile. “All I’m trying to say is, even if you don’t consider me a friend, I consider you one. I help my friends. And it wouldn’t be right for me to take money from a friend. Besides, you’re offering to let me stay here. This is flat-out luxurious compared to being cramped in with five other people.”
His expression is so perplexed, my heart hurts for him.
“You’ll do it?” he asks.
That’s what I just said, wasn’t it? I didn’t even think it over, just blurted out my answer. I should be thinking this over. How am I supposed to live with this man? I’m attracted to him—total understatement. And he expects me to sleep next to him every night? Torture. And yet so very appealing. I want this. For reasons best ignored. Focus on the now. I’ve always operated on instinct. It has yet to fail me. And my instincts had me agreeing from the start. I’m not going back on that.
Gabriel sits quietly, fidgeting with his cuffs, though clearly trying not to. The man has the most ferocious scowl, and I’ve never seen grumpy look so hot. Inappropriate visions of a naughty schoolgirl and the punishing headmaster fill my head. Down, girl.
He makes a noise of impatience mixed with self-disgust. “I apologize for putting you in an awkward position. It was badly done. Let me walk you back—”
“Show me the bedroom.”
He blinks at me as if I’ve spoken in a language he can’t understand.
I start walking to the back of the bus, kicking off my shoes as I go. He watches me the way someone might track a stray raccoon who’s found its way inside. But I notice he stands as well, slowly following.
The bedroom is as gorgeous as the living area. With the glossy, mellow wood paneling, it’s cozy and warm. His bed is a king, taking up most of the space. I crawl onto it, sinking into the cream-satin covers.
Gabriel stands at the threshold, his gaze darting from me to the space beside me. I lay on my side, resting my head on my hand. This isn’t going to be easy. Stretched out on his bed, with him looking on, this feels like something more.
It feels like seduction. I’ve never been good at lying to myself, either. I want his weight on me, the solid strength of his muscles shifting and bunching as he moves between my legs. I want that heat, to feel his cock sliding thick and wide into my empty, aching sex.
But he didn’t ask for that. And the fact that he needs me for something non-sexual means something to me. I’m not just a pair of tits and ass for him to get off on. He could get that anywhere. We both know it. He needs me for this.
I let my head fall to the pillows. “Don’t leave me hanging, sunshine.”
“It’s…” He glances at his watch. “Ten-fifteen in the morning.”
“And I’m tired. I need a nap.”
I really do. I hadn’t realized how very exhausted I am until I said it out loud.
A calculating gleam enters his eyes. My nipples pulse in response. Damn.
Slowly, he takes off his jacket, the move pure suit porn. He takes his time, hangs it up, slips off his shoes, and removes his cufflinks. Muscles strain against his fine, white shirt. I watch him with a lazy sort of attention. The intimacy of his action soothes in a strange way, and my lids grow heavy.
He pauses at the edge of the bed. “Every night?” It’s a husky rasp, with more yearning than I think he realizes.
Soft warmth blooms in my heart. “Naps too, if you want them.”