Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 9
Gabriel
The guest bedroom isn’t huge. There’s enough room for a double bed, a dresser, a big window which is covered with frilly white curtains, and a small braided rag rug perched under the bed. It feels homey and cottagey. The room isn’t wallpapered. It’s painted gray, like the rest of the house, and it has the same hardwood floor. I have the impression there was once floral wallpaper of some sort adorning this room.
“How old is the house?” I ask, half to be conversational, half to distract myself from the fact that Pearl is peeling back the patchwork quilt and sliding into the bed, still fully clothed.
“Oh…I think around a hundred years old. It was built either in nineteen twenty-five or twenty-six. I can’t remember. I could ask my parents tomorrow morning.”
“Sure.”
As soon as Pearl turns over to face the wall, I kill the lights. Even though it’s summer, it’s past ten, so it’s fully dark out. The room doesn’t have any light drifting in. It’s pretty much inky black. I unzip my jeans and shove them off. I realize, too late, that I should have thought to find my pajama bottoms. I have to flick the light back on, and Pearl groans. But she doesn’t look at me, thank god.
I quickly unzip my duffel and produce my blue plaid pajama bottoms. I tug them on, hit the light again, and hesitate. Now what? Should I build a pillow wall between us? There are only two pillows on my side, and I think I’d like to use them for sleeping. Should I pull out all the clothes I brought, which isn’t many, and build a barrier? Should I shove my duffel in between us? It’s only a double, and I doubt there’s much room for me as it is.
“What are you doing?” Pearl whispers.
“I…the bed…it’s small…”
“I know it’s small. It’s only a double, and you look like you could take up the whole thing by yourself.”
“I can sleep on the floor. Yeah, I’ll do that.” I grab for the pillows on instinct, but Pearl rolls in the bed, and her arm flies out, blocking them.
“No, don’t do that. That would make me feel terrible, and I feel bad enough already. Just get in. I’ll roll to the edge. We don’t have to touch.”
I’m afraid of what will happen in my sleep. All I can think about is that kiss. And now I’m about to get in bed with Pearl, who is gorgeous. Sexy. Funny. And who kisses as if her life depends on it, even when she’s taken by surprise. If that’s fake, I’d like to see the real thing.
No, I wouldn’t. Damn it. Stop thinking about that.
I can’t just stand here all night, so I make a quick decision to obey. Once Pearl falls asleep, if she starts moving around at all, I’ll exit the bed and hit the floor, and all our problems will be solved. I hope. As long as no one opens that bedroom door, which doesn’t have a lock on it. If her parents see me there, I’ll just say I fell off the bed in my sleep or something. I’m sure I could make it work.
I pull back the blanket and the sheet and edge in. The bed looks and feels even smaller as I ease myself down. Pearl edges away, and I angle away too. I flip onto my side, giving her my back. She’s on her side too.
God, I hope our asses don’t touch by accident. Rubbing cheeks in the night, even fully clothed, is not going to be cool by her. Don’t think about butt cheeks. Don’t think about Pearl’s butt cheeks. Don’t think about how good her ass looks in skinny jeans. Stop, you pervert. STOP. Fuck.
Great. Now I want to jam my fist down my throat to keep the groan I can feel edging up from getting out. I also want to put a muzzle on my dick. Dick muzzles. I wish they were a thing. Maybe someone out there could make me one. No, I have no idea what they should look like. Something steel, with a lock and key maybe. Is that a chastity belt? Did they make those for dudes?
By the time I get myself to calm down and convince my dick to deflate, I can hear Pearl’s deep, even breathing. I lay there just listening to the gentle cadence. It’s nice. Soothing. Relaxing. Deep. Calm. How the heck did she fall asleep so quickly? She must have been worn out. Or maybe she’s just like that. Maybe she has the ability to turn off everything that’s happened and just pass out.
I wish I could do that.
But nope.
Hell nope.
What must be hours later, I’m still awake. I can’t move, and my shoulder is getting numb. My back hurts from being angled like this. I’m not a side sleeper, and everything is starting to ache, but I don’t dare move a muscle. I’m seriously contemplating getting onto the floor since it would probably be a relief when something else starts to ache.