Laila reared back. “I will not run again.”
At least not tonight.
“Sorry if I don’t believe you. I know you’d rather be with your sister, just like I know you’ll do nearly anything to get there. So pick. Are you staying here”—he nodded toward the comfortable queen bed—“or coming with me?”
“You will not cuff me to your bed?”
“No.”
The thought of lying beside Trees, their skin brushing, their eyes meeting in the shadows… It was dangerous, but her heartbeat quickened. Would he touch her? Would he seduce her? If he did, would she say yes? If she got scared, would he truly stop everything with a single word?
Laila wasn’t sure…but her curiosity was gnawing away at her good sense.
“I will sleep with you.”
Trees couldn’t have been more shocked when those words fell out of Laila’s mouth.
“Not here alone?”
“Cuffed to the bed? No.”
“If you’re worried I’ll come in here and take advantage of you while you’re vulnerable, I won’t.”
She took a long moment answering. “I know.”
When had she finally figured that out? “Good. Since I don’t have any night lights, if you stayed in this room, you’d have the overhead light shining in your eyes.”
“You have other lights in your room?”
“Yeah.” The dim LEDs built into the crown molding cast a soft glow onto his ceiling. “It should be perfect for you.”
“All right. I will go with you.”
Probably for the best, but it was going to be a long night. “You need anything else before bed? A glass of water maybe?”
“To finish the dishes.”
“There weren’t many. They’ll wait until morning. Can I talk you into sleeping in one of my T-shirts?”
She shook her head. “I cannot pay for it.”
“Of course not.” As much as he hated this shit, he understood. “How about if I let you do the laundry tomorrow to earn the shirt?”
Laila paused. “That is acceptable.”
“Great.” He took her hand and led her back through the living room.
It was so dark she tensed. For a moment, she clung to his hand, then had second thoughts and let go. Trees held in a curse as he whipped his phone from his pocket, letting the device illuminate the unfamiliar space around her.
Laila sighed with relief, even smiling when they reached his room and he flipped on a light. “Thank you.”
He nodded. Bringing her to his bed was probably a really fucking bad idea. Even the thought of her beside him in one of his T-shirts, asleep and trusting, made his cock ridiculously hard. What the hell would happen when he actually lay beside her?
You had to give her the choice, dude. She would never trust you until you did.
True, but he really hadn’t expected her to choose his bed—and him.
Worse, since realizing she’d been jealous of Madison, he wanted her ten times more.
And if he didn’t think about something else, Trees feared he’d do something stupid, like touch Laila.
She glanced around the bedroom, her gaze skimming his bulky wooden dresser, the tall rattan king-size bed with its four posters and blue comforter, and the case full of books on the far side. The space was simple and comfortable, the way he liked it—original floors, striped burlap rug, reclaimed wood on the walls. What did she think? He couldn’t tell. Her face gave nothing away.
Clearing his throat, he made a beeline for his dresser and pulled out a soft red shirt, then handed it to her. “You can change through that door. You need anything else?”
She took it with a shake of her head. “I will be back.”
“Sure.”
When she disappeared into his bathroom, he double-checked the house alarm. Set. He checked the windows. Locked. He glanced outside at Barney. Yep, on his sleeping bag in his doghouse. Everything was as it should be—except his fucking nerves. It made no sense. He’d been sleeping beside Laila every night in the RV, so this wasn’t new.
But it was the first time she had chosen to sleep with him, and somehow that changed everything for him.
Or it proved he was being ridiculous and he needed to stop thinking with his dick.
Sighing, he grabbed something to wear from his dresser drawer, then shucked his jeans and donned nylon shorts for bed. As he yanked his shirt off, he heard the creak of the bathroom door and turned. His heart stopped. Laila looked fucking beautiful all the time, but in his faded red cotton tee that hung to her knees with her thick curls twisted on top of her head in a messy bun? She looked incredible. So feminine. So soft.
A thousand urges hit him at once—to hold her, to kiss her, to strip her, to sink inside her. But he also wanted to protect her, reassure her, promise her that all of the horrible things she had endured in the past—shit even worse than he’d suspected—would never befall her again.
He swallowed as he set his discarded clothes on his nearby rocking chair. Laila just wanted to sleep, and he’d better get his shit together. “Comfortable?”
Shyly, she nodded. “Very. Show me how you prefer to have your clothes laundered in the morning, and I will take care of the rest.”
Because a freaking ratty-ass shirt couldn’t be free. “Sure.”
She bit her lip and wrung her hands. “You have a nice room. Cozy.”
“Thanks. Here.” He turned on the ambient lighting above his crown molding and turned off the overhead cans, plunging the room into a hazy dim. It felt soft and golden. Intimate.
Laila looked up, seeming to marvel at the muted illumination around her. “I have never seen anything like this.”
No shit. If she’d only ever lived in a run-down farmhouse and a drug lord’s bunker, there were a lot of things she hadn’t seen or experienced. “It’s nice when I’m getting ready for bed. Helps to prevent stubbing my toe in the dark.”
“You have done that?”
“More times than I want to admit.” He smiled to set her at ease.
“I am sure your toes appreciate the improvement.” She gave him a ghost of a smile in return. “I left my clothes folded on your bathroom counter. I hope that is all right.”
“Fine.” He crossed the room to the bed, tossed off the checked decorative pillows, then folded back the heavy comforter. “I’ll…um, give you the left side of the bed. You’ll be closer to the bathroom, just in case.” And he would be between her and every avenue of escape.
“Thank you.” She padded past him slowly, her eyes all over him.
Because she was afraid he would put his hands on her? Or because she wanted him to? Trees couldn’t answer that question as she climbed between his sheets and laid her head on his pillow, wrapping her arms around herself and curling into a ball.
“You cold?”
“I will be fine.”
He glowered at her. “That isn’t what I asked. Are you cold?”
She nodded.
“All you had to do was say so.” Trees reached for the remote in his nightstand drawer and pressed the button. His electric fireplace snapped on, the hiss of blowing air soon distributing warmth through the room. He preferred to sleep cold since he put off heat like a furnace, but he would live with a little extra warmth tonight if it made Laila happy. “That should warm up the place quickly.”