Chapter 29

I close my eyes and weirdly enough not seeing what's happening is more sensual than if I was watching her undress.

Reese stays put between my legs as she pulls the soft sweater she was wearing over her head. I can tell that's what she's doing from the sounds and movements she makes. I brush my hands up the back of her thighs over her leggings until the fabric comes loose, and she shimmies out of it. She must be down to her underwear now, and there's never been sweeter torture than not being able to see her in it.

Reese leans sideways. If I had to guess, to retrieve those silky PJs from under the pillow. Fabric swooshes. Then she's back to standing straight between my legs.

I explore with my hands. She's half bare and half covered in silk in what I suppose are PJ shorts and a loose tank top. I'm dying to know what color.

Speaking like a man who hasn't had a drink of water for days, I ask, "What color is the silk?"

Her fingers brush over my hair, making my scalp prickle, the goosebumps traveling down my spine.

"A deep green with an orange carrot pattern."

My eyes flutter open, my lips pulling apart into a smile. "You're lying."

I look down at her and a breath catches in my throat as I take in the simple pale pink silk, and all the smooth skin in between.

I pull her up and drop her onto the bed, tickling her sides. "Didn't anyone tell you it's bad to lie?"

She laughs and tries to wiggle free. "Please, stop. Please."

Her laughter is music to my ears. I keep tickling her until tears stream down her face.

When I finally stop, she's panting, her cheeks flushed with color. She looks up at me with wide eyes that are full of emotion.

I have to muster every drop of self-control I possess to pull away from her and roll over to my side of the bed.

"You'd better burrow under those covers if you want me to keep acting like a gentleman," I threaten.

Reese is still catching her breath. "Are gentlemen notorious for their merciless tickling?" she teases but still wiggles under the soft, white covers, leaving only a sliver of her tantalizing skin exposed. Collarbones shouldn't be that sexy, but I might die if I don't touch one of hers now. I trace a finger down her left one, and she shivers under the blankets.

I shake my head and crawl in beside her, pulling the blankets up to our chins.

"Are you cold?" she asks.

I turn my face on the pillow to watch her. Her hair is fanned out around her face, framing it in a brown-pink halo like Botticelli's Venus.

"No, this is just a precautionary measure."

She blushes and bites her lower lip.

"Don't do that," I say, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You have the most beautiful eyes," she says.

I grin. "Smoldering, I believe someone once said." I waggle my eyebrows.

"Jerk." She pushes me away but I grab her and tuck her into me.

Her warmth against me is divine. I bury my face in her hair to savor it better, reveling in the sweet scent of her shampoo. She reaches for the switch on the wall and plunges the room into almost complete darkness.

In the dark, she whispers, "I never thought not being kissed would be so romantic."

"I never thought I'd be the one to say no to kissing you."

"Have you wanted to do it for a long time?"

I pull her further into me, molding her back to my front. "I've wanted to kiss you since day one, Campbell."

She makes a small noise and turns in my arms to face me. Even if we can't see each other, I know she's looking at me. Reese tentatively traces her hand up my arm and cups my face, dropping a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Thank you for waiting."

I want to say thank you for existing, but that seems a little melodramatic. Instead, I flip her back into a spooning position and ask, "Which website did Chewbacca get arrested for creating?"

She shakes her head on the pillow.

"Wookieleaks."

Reese laughs, which makes me smile, and I'm still smiling when I fall asleep with her in my arms.