Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Owen

This was a mistake.

I knew it the moment the suggestion flew out of my mouth but there was no taking it back at that point. I was committed and I needed to find a way to make it work.

Annalee and I stared through the doorway of my second bedroom. For some stupid reason I didn't remember there being so many boxes I had yet to unpack.

"Did I mention I don't have a spare room for you to sleep in?" I ran my hands through my hair and scrubbed at the back of my head. Not sure what my plan was.

Oh I know. I didn't have one.

"You said something of the sort when you were talking to your sister."

Right. But because I saw the despair on Annalee's face too many times today, I was making recommendations without using my brain.

"You can have my bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

Annalee walked back out to the living room and I followed. One look at the couch and I knew what she was thinking. There was no way my ass was fitting on it. I was six foot three, and when I purchased the couch, I knew it was only to be used when guests came over to hang out. I much preferred my recliner. If all else fails, I could sleep on that.

"I would fit better on that couch than you."

That was true, but I would never let her sleep on it. My mama raised me to be a gentleman, and even if she hadn't, my sisters made sure I knew how to treat a woman. If any of them found out I let Annalee sleep on the couch while I slept in my king-sized bed, they would kick my ass. That was the only explanation for what popped out of my mouth next.

"We can share my bed."

Even knowing it was the only possible solution, I still wanted to slap myself upside the head for how quickly I blurted the suggestion out.

"Share your bed?" Annalee's voice squeaked with confirmation.

I lifted my one shoulder like it was no big deal. "It's a king size. There is plenty of room for the two of us. I can even put up a pillow barrier if it would make you more comfortable."

A pillow barrier? Seriously? I was spewing shit out of my mouth like a nervous teenager instead of the middle-aged man I actually was.

When the hell did I start referring to myself as middle aged?

Annalee was seriously fucking with my head at this point.

"Ah, no." Annalee cleared her throat. "Like you said, the bed should be big enough for the two of us."

At least I wasn't the only one having strange feelings about us sharing a bed. In my fifty-five years, I think I could count the number of times I shared a bed with a person on one hand.

Pretty pathetic actually.

"Do you happen to have a toothbrush I can use? I found mine floating in the toilet." She paused for a moment. "With what I'm assuming was my stepbrother's piss."

Gross. I hid the shiver the thought gave me. I had been in some nasty parts of the world but that was fucked up. First thing I was doing tomorrow when I got into the office was looking Dennis up. He sounded like a real winner.

"I'm sure I have a spare one here somewhere." I stepped into the bathroom and dug around the drawers. Finally, I struck gold with the last one I opened. "Here you go."

"From the dentist office. I always save mine up along with the little tubes of toothpaste and floss they give you and then donate them to the shelter. Guess I should've kept a few."

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "We never got stuff like that in the Marines. I mean, don't get me wrong, we saw the dentist every six months but they didn't send us back with little care packages like they do in civilian life. I just threw it in the drawer and forgot about it, to be honest."

I didn't have as much time to accustom myself to civilian life like my friends did. I was one of the last to finally retire. Unlike my friends, I wasn't eager to get out.

"Well, I appreciate it."

We stood in awkward silence for a few seconds before it dawned on me that I should leave and let her get ready for bed. It had been a long damn day. I left yesterday afternoon and drove straight through, only stopping for gas and food when absolutely necessary. When I arrived in Baton Rouge in the wee hours of the morning, I figured it was better to find someplace to sleep for a bit instead of going straight to Annalee's place. In hindsight, I should've gone straight there. Then I could've avoided her having to witness the destruction her stepbrother caused.

Now it was late at night and I wanted nothing better than to fall face-first into bed. It sucked getting older. I used to be able to function on four hours of sleep no problem. Not so much anymore; six hours or I was dragging ass.

I stepped into the closet and stripped out of my jeans and shirt. I looked at the pair of shorts I usually wore to go for a run. I much preferred to sleep in just my boxers but I didn't want to make Annalee any more uncomfortable than the situation already was. With a sigh I dragged the mesh shorts up my legs and pulled on one of my Marine t-shirts. It was old enough that in some places the material was thin enough it would rip at any moment but the damn thing was comfortable. I couldn't see myself getting rid of it.

Annalee was just coming out of the bathroom when I emerged from the closet. She was wearing a pair of checkered shorts and a tank top that looked about two sizes too small, that was how tight it was around her boobs.

"Do you have a preference of which side I sleep on?"

I had to forcefully drag my eyes away from her chest and thanked my lucky stars she wasn't looking at me. Getting caught ogling her wasn't the best idea. If I learned anything from the Easton situation, it was that.

I coughed into my hand. "Uh, the side farthest away from the bedroom door is fine."

Annalee still didn't look at me as she scurried to the far side of the bed, and I used the time to go into the bathroom to try and clear my head. I wasn't a shy kind of guy. I didn't get flustered easily and I’d never had problems talking to women. I didn't consider myself a ladies’ man but growing up with five sisters meant there wasn't much that embarrassed me.

And believe me, they tried.

The fact that not only was I feeling shy and uncomfortable, but I was having difficulties talking, was new to me. Annalee had me tied in knots and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

I took my time getting ready for bed. I brushed my teeth for longer than the two required minutes. I washed my face, which was something I never did, but considering I was on the road all day, I should've showered, but the thought of doing so with Annalee just in the other room didn't sit well with me. Instead, I wiped my body down, and when I felt like I was hitting the amount of time that was no longer sociably acceptable, I exited the bathroom.

Annalee was on the far side of the mattress, practically hugging the edge, and that was when I realized what an asshole I was. I was doing nothing to make the situation more comfortable for her.

"You don't need to hang off the bed. I promise it's big enough."

"I'm good," she was quick to answer. "I prefer to sleep like this."

I doubted that but now didn't seem like the best time to call her out on being a liar. I settled on the other side of the bed rather than the middle like I normally slept. I was used to sleeping in strange places, so not having my normal spot was fine.

"Good night, Annalee."

"Night." The whisper of the word came out a minute later and I resigned myself to the fact that I would be getting another night of very little sleep.

The image of Annalee's ass in the tiny shorts was the last thing I remembered before sleep pulled me under.

Well, I think it’s safe to say Annalee didn't know the meaning of personal space and neither did I. At some point in the middle of the night, I gravitated to my usual spot in the middle of the bed and Annalee's declaration that she slept on the edge of the bed had, indeed, proven to be a lie. Just like I assumed it was.

She was currently wrapped around me like an octopus. One arm was slung over my pecs while the other somehow slipped under my neck. Her one leg was tangled up with mine and the other was hiked dangerously close to my very stiff cock that was all but begging her to move just an inch higher so the damn thing could get a little action.

I tried to mentally remind my body that, while Annalee was the one cuddled up, she didn't do it consciously. In fact, I was ninety-nine percent positive that as soon as she woke up, she would be scrambling her ass as far away from me as possible.

I was about to find out how well I knew her.