The Body #3: Rogue and Euphemia

Chapter 22 (Rogue): Any Warm Body

Euphemia couldn't hide the yawn she tried to cover with her hand.

"I'd like to sleep on your couch tonight, if you'd let me. Just in case you wake up and you...well, just in case you wake up."

She thought about that for a minute, then nodded. "To be honest, I really don't want to be alone tonight, so thank you. We can pull out the sofa bed for you."

If I ever wanted to know how much I fucked up with this woman, the sofa bed explained everything I needed to know.

Standing up quickly, she started pulling the bottom cushions off the couch, and then I grabbed the handle and pulled the bed out while Effie went to get the sheets and pillows. Together, we made the bed and she grabbed a light blanket that we spread that over the mattress. We both grabbed a pillow and stuffed it into a pillowcase, making it a race to see who could finish first. Effie won since I lacked any pillow stuffing skills.

"Two pillows and a light blanket still enough for you?" she asked me.

"Perfect, thanks."

"There's an extra toothbrush in the right drawer of the bathroom vanity," she said. 

"Thanks. Don't I get a complimentary teddy bear to cuddle or something? Chocolates on my pillow?"

That made her laugh and she went off to her room and came back with a stuffed whale and one, gold-foil wrapped Ferrero Rocher chocolate from the stash she always kept in her room in the nightstand drawer. You could never tell when those middle-of-the-night chocolate cravings would arise. With a flourish, Effie placed the chocolate in the middle of my pillow and then arranged the whale so it was facing the chocolate.

"You can't beat this for turn-down service," I smiled at her, then lifted my chin toward the whale. "You still have Cuddles."

"Yeah," she said. "She didn't have to suffer the purge just because you turned out...well, it wasn't her fault."

Because you turned out...to be a jerk? An asshole of untold magnitude? A horrible human being and boyfriend?

Yes to all of the above, but some strange part of me counted it as progress that she hadn't finished that sentence and that she still had the whale. 

We'd been out shopping one day and Effie saw the light purple whale with it's happy, goofy expression and she'd grabbed it up to hug, exclaiming at its velvety softness and how perfectly the shape of the whale fit in her arms. I'd gotten it for my girl despite her protesting that I really didn't need to do that. But she'd been smiling delightedly as I paid for it and her eyes had been dancing.

"You can hold it while you fall asleep and I go work," I'd told her.

So every night after I'd put her into an orgasmic pleasure coma, as she called it, I'd tuck Cuddles the Whale into her arms, press a light kiss to Effie's lips and go work for a few more hours while she slept not too far from me. Every so often, I'd get up to just check on her and smile at the sweetness of the picture she made, her hair spread out over the pillow and the purple whale clutched to her chest.

"So if I have Cuddles tonight, what are you going to hold?" I asked her.

"I can go without her one night." That had also been the deal: the whale had to be a girl because I teased her that I was the only male allowed in her arms.

Picking up the stuffed animal, I held out my hand to Effie. "Let me tuck you in with your whale because I think you should have her tonight."

What I left unsaid was because it's been about the shittiest, scariest end you could ever have to what had been a really nice evening. 

I didn't even have to argue with Euphemia to get her to take back the whale, and she actually took my hand as we walked to her room. That alone told me how much she was unsettled. I pulled back the covers for her and she took off her robe and I tried to not peek too long --

Fuck that. 

I totally devoured her with my eyes in the tiny pajama set she was wearing. It wasn't all that revealing, but she looked adorable in it. This particular set had tiny silver unicorns scattered all over. From the time we'd been together, Effie had always loved fun little sets, some covered with ducks, others with flowers, some with bees. I'd taken to picking up pajamas for her whenever I came across ones with unique designs because she liked them so much.

I'd even bought her the unicorn set she was currently wearing. She settled in under the covers, and I pulled them up to just below her breasts before I handed Effie her sleep whale.

"Do you need anything? Glass of water?"

"No, I'm good," she answered. "I took some melatonin when I came in to get your sheets from the closet, so I should sleep."

"I'm just out there on the couch if you need anything. Call me if you wake up."

"Thanks," she murmured, then she yawned again and closed her eyes. 

Taking a chance, I pressed a kiss to her her forehead. "Sleep well, Effie." I figured sweet dreams on this night might be a stretch.

Turning off her light, I pulled her door until it was almost closed. Then I lay down on my back on top of the sheets and blanket, both hands behind my head. I left the light on so if Effie did wake up, enough light would get into her room so that she wouldn't be in complete darkness.

My thoughts drifted. So close. Tonight had been too damn close, and I felt like I was going to get sick when I thought about it. I'd had to keep telling myself it was over and done, that the threat to Euphemia had been removed thanks to Lucio and his gun-happy men. The Body did not fuck around and even though I'd never imagined working for them, I was good with the bargain I'd made with Lucio. 

Strangely enough, when I'd sat down to talk with Lucio and his wife, Janie, he'd told me that while it would be some criminal defense work, much of what they needed me for would be contract law.

"When I looked into you, I saw you had specialized in both types of law. You always been an overachiever?" Lucio had asked, glancing at his wife as he'd done often throughout the interview. His hand had been on his wife's leg the entire time.

She hadn't said anything until the very end, letting Lucio ask the questions while she watched everything. Then, without warning, she stood and Lucio shot to his feet and so did I.

"Welcome to the Body, Aksel." She'd smiled and then added, "Don't fuck us over or the last thing you'll see is me handing you a shovel."

"I believe you," I said, "But I'll never fuck you over. I'll be the best damn lawyer the Body's ever had, and you have my promise on that."

Then it was her turn to look at me as if assessing my claim before she lifted her chin at me. "I believe you."

We shook hands and I walked away, somehow not feeling as if I'd sold my soul but had made the smartest move of my life to ensure Euphemia's protection if she ever came back and if there was ever a need.

She had returned, the need had arisen despite having heard nothing from the MC for a year and Lucio had eliminated the threat and protected Effie. So now, I'd keep my end of the bargain, and those thoughts made me too wired to sleep. A few hours later when Euphemia padded out of her room to stand beside the sofa bed, I sat up right away.

"You OK, Effie?"

"Just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."

"You want me to come sit with you until you fall back to sleep?"

She didn't give me an answer for a while. "Rogue, I don't even know what to do with this feeling because you're the last person I should find comfort in. But I also know I would feel better if you'd come sit with me for a few."

Swinging my legs out of the bed, I stood beside her. "If it makes you feel any better, Euphemia, any warm body would probably make you feel better after what happened tonight."

Looking up at me, her face was serious and conflicted. "No, that's not true. It's you."