Sip of Assistance

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I groaned as I began to wake up, wanting nothing more than to stay in my soft, cozy bed and sleep the day away. My body was slightly achy as if I hadn’t moved from one position all night. As a laid on my side, eyes still closed, I stretched my arms out to ease the tension in my shoulders, then pulled the comforter up to my nose, nestling my face in it planning on falling back asleep. I inhaled deeply and just I started to drift something about the scent of my bed caused the wheels to spin inside my head until it clicked that my blankets smelled like James. It was delicious and soothing, but I shouldn’t smell it in my bed.

I opened my eyes and was blinded by sunlight streaming through the window. I panicked immediately because if there was sunlight out, then I had overslept. I went to sit up but felt a heavy arm around my waist. That’s when I noticed I wasn’t in my bedroom, but in James’ and that meant the arm was probably his.

I froze, freaked out about how I ended up in his bedroom with him. I hadn’t been drinking heavily or on medication, I didn’t remember having sex with him… I didn’t even remember getting home last night. What the hell happened?

I pulled the comforter away from my face and looked down to see I was still in my red top from the night before. I moved my legs and felt that I still had pants on, but when I moved my feet I realized I was just in socks, no shoes.

I had to be sure it was James in bed and I needed to know how I ended up there so I rolled over under the muscular arm around me and came face to face with James, who apparently, was also awake.

In my surprise to find him staring at me, face inches away from mine, I swallowed deeply and just looked into those twinkling eyes that I found myself constantly evading. This was exactly why; I couldn’t look away from the soft arctic blue that held so much intensity when they were on me.

My breathing picked up as his hand slid from my back to my hip, still firmly holding onto me.

“Holls…” his voice was soft and hesitant. It broke me out of my unmoving state.

“What am I doing in your bed?” I asked calmly, knowing there had to be a logical explanation.

“Oh, right…” I sat up and he pulled his hand away from me, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. He looked away momentarily and the comforter fell around his waist allowing me to see that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. His arms were muscular even though he wasn’t flexing and his shoulders were broad. His pecks were those of a man and my eyes passed over them to his chiseled six-pack. In the morning light he was so beautiful I had to look away.

Instead I focused my attention on the tall coffee toned wood dresser on the far wall that I knew matched his bed, the abstract painting to my right with blues and greens, the cobalt toned comforter on my lap, the large chocolate and gray area rug just past the foot of the bed; anything to not look at him as he spoke.

“You fell asleep in the limo and I didn’t want to wake you so I just carried you in. Didn’t want to go through your purse to find the keys to the guest house so I figured you could sleep in my bed – I planned to sleep on the couch, I swear- but I sat down next to you for just a second before I was going to leave the room and I must have passed out,” he explained briskly.

I finally looked at him and he was clearly waiting for my reply, looking guilty. “No biggie, thanks for carrying me in; haven’t slept well lately and I guess I just needed some rest.”

I jumped up from the bed, looking at the clock on his nightstand. “It’s eight already, we may have to grab a bite and some coffee on the way. I’m gonna shower and get dressed, you have that interview at ten,” I yelled over my shoulder as I left the room, picking up my shoes from the foot of the bed on my way.