Chapter 13 #3
“Baby girl, are you thinking something disparaging about me?” Damen was in front of me now. He placed his hands on his hips, further staining his white tank with baby-pink paint. “Have I mentioned that sometimes, when you look at me, I feel emasculated?”
“I only think positive things.” I waved my hand and stepped out of Julian’s way as he followed me into the room. “What else would there be?”
Damen frowned at Julian, who put his hands in his pockets as he surveyed the room. “Julian, I think she makes fun of us in her thoughts.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Bianca doesn’t know how to be mean. You’re just self-conscious.” Julian didn’t sound concerned. “I thought you’d be further than this.”
Damen’s mouth dipped. “I had to order furniture.”
“It was fine before.” I frowned at the dust scattered throughout the space. “This isn’t going to be one of those renovations where I’m going to be stuck living in sawdust for the next few years?”
I blinked as Damen wrapped his arm around my back, and his spicy scent washed over me.
It would have been nice if he also wasn’t entirely filthy. Standing this close to him, I could easily see the coarse stubble coating his jaw. A line of perspiration dripped down his shirt, and a thin sheen of dust covered his skin.
“What?” I asked, trying to pull away from his male grossness.
His grin was too pleased. “Are you planning on staying long-term then?”
“Maybe if you finish your project,” I said, pushing his arm away. “Please don’t stand so close to me when you’re dirty.”
“You don’t like dirt?” he asked, lowering his arm as he tilted his head.
“I-I like to be clean, and I don’t like sweat.” I brushed at my skirts, no longer looking at him. It probably made me sound girly and dumb, but how could I explain the combination brought back memories?
“Where should I sleep tonight?” I asked. I couldn’t stay in here with just a mattress. There would be nowhere to hide.
“You could sleep with me.” Damen sounded hopeful.
I would think not. He needed some initiative to finish this project. Julian was still a medical student, so he needed his rest. And as for Titus, if he didn’t go back to work soon, Maria would murder him.
And that left only one.
“Where is Miles’s room again?” I asked. Didn’t Miles usually stay closer to campus anyway? It wasn’t like I had to sleep with him or anything. I was borrowing his bed.
“My feelings are hurt.” Damen jutted his lip out in a pout.
“Don’t worry, it makes perfect sense,” I argued, glancing up. Julian stood to the side with a bemused expression as he watched us. Meanwhile, Damen stood back, his hand pressed to his chest.
He quirked his eyebrow, frowning. “Are you going to explain how?”
“No.” I didn’t need to explain myself. Damen had already proven that his judgment was better left untrusted.
“So you’re sleeping in Miles’s room?” Julian stepped to my side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
My heartbeat suddenly echoed through my ears—that had been rather assuming of me. “Do you think he’ll mind?” I asked, touching my bottom lip.
“Of course not,” Julian said. “In fact, he’ll probably be insufferable about the fact that you chose him.”
“I really should have asked him first,” I muttered. “But what if he says ‘no’?”
“He won’t.” Julian pulled my hand away from my mouth. “ But there’s a certain way to approach him. Would you like to know what it is?”
“What do you mean?” Why did Julian suddenly seem amused? I thought Miles was the direct, honest type.
“Julian…” Damen’s voice had taken on a warning tone.
“Relax.” Julian frowned at the other man, then returned his attention to me. “Miles has it coming.”
So… Was he helping me or not? I was so confused. And why, with every word out of his mouth, did it seem my initial conclusion about Miles not sleeping here tonight was incorrect? “What are you talking about? I don’t want to pick on Miles.”
“Don’t worry,” Julian replied. “Miles likes someone who can keep up with him.”
Then Julian laid out his plan, and my mouth went dry. Why would I ever want to put poor Miles on the spot like that? But now it was too late to back out of the plan. And even more importantly, I was suddenly nervous. I hadn’t exactly planned for the sleeping arrangements to work out this way.
I could try it out, but I wasn’t sure—would it be a problem?
Even though I comfortably curled under an afghan on the couch in Damen’s living room, my turning stomach made it difficult to focus on The Hobbit .
Guilt twisted in me, a twinge of anxiety. But under it was something else.
Julian had said this might make Miles feel special. Was it true?
I did want to help them.
Brayden and Miles watched sports on Damen’s television while Bryce and Damen played chess by the fireplace.
However, neither man seemed to be enjoying the game.
In fact, they spent more time narrowing their eyes at each other than moving their pieces.
I wasn’t sure I approved of all the glaring. It was a strange strategy.
Or maybe they acted this way because neither seemed to be good at chess. It was painful to see, and I’d been trying not to watch the whole evening.
If Julian or Titus had been around, I might have challenged one of them. I had the feeling that both men knew what they were doing.
But alas, Julian had a night shift, and Titus was… somewhere .
I could have, technically, played with Finn. He was a semi-decent player. But I had avoided talking to him. For some reason, he was here—leisurely lurking in the corner of the room as he played on his laptop.
What the crap was this all about? I had no idea Finn was staying here. Why had no one warned me?
No, I was not pleased with Damen Abernathy at all. Besides ripping up my room, he had also betrayed me. Just because I didn’t want Finn to die didn’t mean he had to be hovering about.
I glanced at the clock, noting the time.
I couldn’t put off the inevitable much longer before it would become too late to get a decent night’s sleep.
I got to my feet and brushed my hands over my ankle-length linen nightgown.
My heart raced in anticipation—Julian had said this was the best way, but my nerves still pulled at me.
I would have to trust him.
“Bianca?” It was Brayden who noticed me first. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s time for bed.” I nodded toward the stairs. I tried to ignore my pounding heart and sweaty palms.
“Right.” Damen swiped his arm over the chessboard, ending his game in a dramatic tantrum. Then he ignored Bryce’s protest and stood, touching the neck of his crew shirt.
“Well,” he said nervously and held out his hand. “Your room will be ready by Sunday. If you want, you can—”
“Come on.” I turned to Miles, who’d been sipping his tea. I wasn’t sure what Damen was going on about, but he knew the plan. Was this a last-ditch effort to get on my good side? “Let’s go to bed.”
The witch choked.
“What are you talking about?” Brayden asked, the humor falling from his expression.
“I can’t sleep in my bedroom,” I explained. “So Julian said I could sleep in Miles’s bed.”
Miles’s face turned redder.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you sleep in a guest room?” Brayden asked. “Lord knows there’s enough of them. You don’t need to sleep in someone else’s room or, heaven forbid, with someone.”
I’d raised my finger to protest before I realized he was right. Why hadn’t I thought of this?
Damen did have many guest rooms that’d become available over the last few days.
“Well, of course she’s sleeping in a guest room!” Bryce crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat. “There’s an empty one near me. Besides, it’ll make me feel better if she’s nearby. It’ll be less dangerous.”
“Who cares how you feel?” Damen frowned. “What do you think will get to her in my home?”
Bryce raised his chin and gave the other man a pointed look. “It’s not a what . It’s who . Who present in this room is likely to act on impulsive, improper behaviors?”
“You had better not be referring to me,” Damen growled .
“Have you lost your mind?” Finn was also glaring at Damen. “She can’t sleep with any of you. Figure out something else!”
My skin flushed—who were they to tell me what I could and couldn’t do?
“I don’t need anything else,” I said. “I’m sleeping with Miles.” Miles hadn’t responded. Instead, he continued to stare at me, red-faced. It was the look of staunch horror on his expression that caused my anxiety to fade completely.
He was scared of me.
Mentally rolling my eyes, I crossed the room and grabbed his arm. “Come on.”
“You’re serious?” Miles squeaked. “But why ?”
“Because I’m tired,” I said, tugging him to his feet. “Let’s go.”