“Well, I do.” He challenged me with his look. “Now shut up and go to sleep.”
“Shut up?” I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a fiery look. “I’m not going to do something just because you tell me to. So, you shut up.”
Instead of being irritated, there was a smile in his eyes. He seemed amused more than anything else. “The only way I’m sleeping in that bed is if you sleep in it with me.”
“Look how that turned out…”
Mischief was written all over his face. “It’s a king so we can both fit easily. I’m not compromising on this. I either take the couch or we both take the bed. The ball is in your court, Muffin.”
“Fine.” I turned to the bed. “You won’t even notice I’m there. I sleep on one side and never move.”
“You’re acting like I’ve never slept with you before.”
“But that was only for a few hours.” I pulled the sheets back and examined them closely. “They’re clean, right?”
“Brand new, actually.” He moved to his dresser and pulled his shirt off. “You mind if I sleep in my boxers?”
“Uh…”
He removed his shorts then stood in the center of the room. He was the perfect specimen of a man. He was all muscle and all power. And he had a beautiful face to top it off. But right now, he was smiling like he knew he had something to smile about. “Great.” He moved between the sheets and took the right side.
Still dumbfounded, I lay down and pulled the covers over me. The second my back hit the mattress, I released a moan. “Man, this is comfortable.”
“A good night’s sleep is important to me.”
“How do you get out of bed in the morning?” I turned over and sighed happily.
“Sometimes I don’t.” He stared up at the ceiling with a distant look in his eyes.
I turned his way and watched his face. “Thanks for letting me stay with you.”
That ghostly smile spread across his lips. “You’re doing me more favors. I haven’t had a home-cooked dinner like that…in a long time.”
“You could just learn to cook yourself.”
“Nah. It’s a woman’s job.”
“Whoa…” I propped myself up on my elbow. “Excuse me?”
He grinned without looking at me. “It’s so easy to get you fired up. It’s fun.”
I grabbed my pillow and smacked him with it.
He held up his arm like it didn’t bother him in the least. “You’re so proud. It’s cute.”
“Cute?” I lowered the pillow.
“Yeah. Cute like a muffin.” He turned his eyes on me, and the sincerity shined in his gaze. “You hold on to what you believe, whereas everyone else instantly changes their beliefs once they meet someone with a different opinion. Instead of waiting for a man to take care of you, you take care of yourself. It’s nice to be around an independent woman for once. You don’t take shit from anybody, and you have more goals in life than just to settle down and get married.”
I hadn’t realized just how well he understood me until then. He understood all my qualities as well as my flaws. Most men were intimidated by my no-bullshit attitude. But Hawke was man enough not to care. “There are a lot of girls like me out there. You just need to look harder.”
“Where?” he asked. “Are they hiding under rocks? You don’t understand just how special you are.” He turned his gaze back to the ceiling.
I lay down and looked into the darkness of his room. “Well…thanks. I thought I annoyed you most of the time.”
A deep laugh emerged from the back of his throat. “I wouldn’t share this bed with you if you annoyed me. I’m a huge dick, so if you’re being annoying, I’ll tell you how it is.”
“You aren’t a dick,” I said automatically. “When have you ever been a dick?”
“I’m a dick in ways you don’t know about.” His meaning hung in the air.
I turned on my side and placed both of my hands under my cheek. The window was behind him, and some moonlight filtered through. I could distinguish some of his features. He had nice cheekbones and a strong jaw. His chest rose and fell at a regular pace. His eyes were open but he wasn’t looking at anything in particular.
Staying on my side of the bed was becoming more difficult with every passing minute. I didn’t want to be separated by a few feet of space. I wanted him, but in a way I couldn’t explain. I detected pain emanating from every part of his body. It was like a high-pitched song only I could hear.
Finally, I pulled myself across the bed and into his side. Like he’d been thinking the same thing, he opened his arms and pulled me tight against his chest. He held me like he’d wanted to do it for a long time. His body pivoted toward mine, and he pulled my leg over his waist. We were hooked around each other like lovers after a passionate evening.