Chapter Eleven
Aideen
I had to ask again. Spending the night at their place was not on my agenda but, strangely, I felt no weirdness about it. Their home was comfortable and lived in. Not messy but not sterile, either. I felt more at home here than at my apartment, which didn’t scare me.
It should have. Someone else’s home shouldn’t feel more inviting than my own.
“Are you really sure about this?” I asked as they led me up the stairs and to a closed door.
“Absolutely, Aideen. We would never forgive ourselves if something happened to you on the drive home. Never.” Comet was a bit standoffish, physically, one big hug excepted, but his words rang sincere.
“I didn’t bring any clothes.” That was my last protest point. I wasn’t trying very hard. Driving in the dark wasn’t my favorite thing.
But the weirdest part? Thinking about leaving them made me sad. I barely knew them, but going home alone had me on the verge of crying.
“Give me a second. I’ll grab you some of my sweats.
” Dash sprinted to a door at the end of the hall and came back with a navy-blue sweatshirt and pants and a pair of socks.
Before thinking twice, I pressed the pile of clothing to my nose.
I had to find out what kind of detergent they used.
Each one of them smelled so damned good.
I let out a giggle, thinking about Dash and how he ran to his bedroom.
When I looked up, all their eyes were on me. I wanted to squirm under their intense stares but didn’t.
“What’s on your mind, beautiful?” That wasn’t the first time Blitz called me that word, but every time felt like the first.
“I was laughing about Dash…dashing to his room.”
Everyone laughed. I’d met many a man who couldn’t take a woman laughing at him. Dash clearly wasn’t one of them. “I do that, actually.”
Comet shook his head. “You should see him in the warehouse stores. It’s like someone is timing him.”
Dash shrugged one shoulder. “I’m efficient.”
A pause hung between us. “I’m going to go to sleep now. Thank you.”
They left me there. Everyone went to their rooms and shut the doors.
I’d never felt so lonely. Not even before I met them.
They called this a guest room, but I’d never seen a guest room like this.
Most were stark white or maybe beige with minimal decorations.
Like the forgotten room or the storage area.
This? This room was fit for a queen. Emerald paint on the walls.
A dark-wood four-poster bed. Gold and emerald velvet bedding.
A small area with a chair and some shelves.
The bathroom was more of the same. A huge jacuzzi tub.
A shower with five showerheads. If this was their guest room, what did their own rooms look like?
I changed into Dash’s clothes and lay on the lush bedding only to find that sleep eluded me. I was so tired downstairs, but now my eyes refused to close. All I could think about was this dream I’d stepped into.
After a few hours of tossing and turning, I got up, thirsty. I was padding down the stairs, intending to get a glass of water and try to sleep again, when I heard the hum of the TV. I peeked around the wall to see Comet sitting on the couch.
“Aideen?” he said, jumping up. “Is everything okay?”
In these dark hours, Comet was especially sexy. “I was thirsty. Got up for some water.”
“I’ll get it for you.” Dash wasn’t the only one who dashed. “Here.”
I drank some of the water but soon found another kind of thirst emerging. “Do you mind if I watch with you for a while?”
He beamed. The man smiled so wide, I thought his cheeks might hurt the next day. “Of course.”
We sat on the couch, and he offered me the remote. Another big green flag. “No, it’s fine. What were you watching?”
“Um, a paranormal investigation. We don’t have to watch it.”
“Ghost shows are my favorite. Do you watch Dead Files?”
That began a conversation about all of our favorite shows. I hadn’t taken Comet for a ghost guy, but he surprised me again and again. We settled in on the couch, and he put a throw blanket over my legs. His arm slipped over my shoulders. I’d never felt so warm. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah.”
The commercial breaks were filled with after-Christmas sales, making me think about their seasonal jobs. “You three love Christmas.” A statement. Not a question. Anyone who dedicated their lives to making toys and had a seasonal job couldn’t hate the holiday.
“We do.”
“And you said you’re very busy on Christmas Eve.”
“We are.”
I laughed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you three were Santas or something. Well-traveled. Busy on Christmas Eve.”
Comet looked at me. “No, sweetheart, not Santa.”
Soon after, while we were watching a new show, I dozed off, but I knew who carried me to bed. Who tucked me in. Who turned off the lights and told me good night with a kiss to my head.
The others were more forward about it, but Comet liked me. He liked me a whole lot.