Road Trip Ch. 02

She tiptoed to the doorway of his bedroom, peering in at him but not really seeing him. Her mind was still back in the kitchen, in that moment when he'd taken her arms, mesmerized by the intense look in his eyes just before he'd kissed her.

---

Will had shed his jeans and t-shirt before falling into bed, flinging an arm over his eyes, waiting for his breathing to regulate. His body was uncooperative. Remembering he hadn't taken another dose of the muscle relaxers, he reached out for the bottle and caught sight of her in the doorway.

She was hovering there, watching him. His movement made her jump, but she remained in place as if frozen. They regarded each other silently for a minute, then he moved his arm from the nightstand, holding it out to her. She hesitated for the briefest of moments before approaching. She took his hand and he slid carefully into the center of the bed, tugging gently. Responding to the wordless invitation, she dropped his hand and crawled in next to him, turning to her side so they were facing each other.

Eve smiled softly, a fond smile that quickly became teasing.

"You're a really good kisser," she said.

His cheeks flushed and he gave her a surprised smile. There was less than a foot of space between them but they weren't touching. He reached out to her hand resting on the bed, placing his fingers on hers gently.

"That wasn't just me," he said quietly.

Her playfulness vanished and she smiled shyly.

"Listen, Eve -" he began, not really knowing what to say.

"Don't," she interrupted. "We don't need to talk about it - at least not now. Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed uncertainly.

"Do you need another pill?" she asked, reaching behind her for the bottle.

"Probably," he admitted.

"Go to sleep," she murmured once he had swallowed the medication.

"Will you stay?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Her fingers touched his head softly, rhythmically stroking the worry line on his forehead.

"Of course," she whispered.

Will let out a long breath, sinking into the softness of the pillow and the soothing feel of her fingertips on his brow.

---

Eve stared at the ceiling, her fingers moving into his hair, sweeping gently through the soft waves. He had looked almost petrified when she got into bed, had sounded so apprehensive when he asked her to stay. It had calmed her, alleviating some of her fears, but the doubts returned once he fell asleep. What are we doing? she asked herself. She turned to look at him, only now taking in the sight of him shirtless and half-covered by a sheet.

Damn. He had been working out, she thought, studying the hard lines of his chest and stomach. Her qualms faded as she stared at him. His body heat seemed to transfer through her fingertips, making her relaxed and sleepy. And comfortable, she realized, her eyes drifting shut. Comfortable.

She woke up a few hours later to find her arm trapped under him. Smiling, she nudged his head to rest on her shoulder, and exhaled deeply.

---

When his medication wore off the second time, Will woke not from the returning pain but from the absence of the narcotic-induced haze. He knew without opening his eyes that his pain was gone and he would be able to move freely again. Rubbing his cheek against the pillow, he sighed in relief.

That's not a pillow.

His eyes snapped open. The lovely, sleeping face of Eve was inches from his. He was nestled in her shoulder, her arm around his neck. One of his hands was resting on her stomach. On the flat, toned stomach gently moving as she breathed the deep breath of sleep. He could feel her warmth through the thin layer of cotton that was her tank top. His body instantly responded and he concentrated on inhaling and exhaling as quietly as he could.

Eve stretched in her sleep, causing her top to rise up her torso, exposing an abdomen the delicious color of honey. Her free hand landed on her stomach, millimeters from his. He watched her fingers, twitching slightly as she slept, wondering what she was dreaming of. Propelled by the same unstoppable force that had made him kiss her, he slid his hand to hers, covering it with his, stroking it with his thumb.

He closed his eyes, losing himself in the silkiness of her skin. He felt her hand moving against his but resolutely kept his eyes shut, partly afraid that if she were awake he would feel compelled to withdraw, but mostly to enhance the sensations by exploring without sight. Warmth erupted from their joined hands like a slow-moving volcano, flowing up his arm to his chest until his entire body was sluggish as if he'd spent hours in a hot tub. Their hands moved against each other, their fingers undulating, twining and caressing, alternating control and docility from one to the other as naturally as if they'd worked out the details beforehand.

"Mm." The sound exited her lips in a satisfied sigh.

He opened his eyes to see her stretching again, still appearing to be asleep. She arched her back slightly and he was mesmerized by the gentle sloping line of her body, from her full breasts to the flare of her hips. She slipped her arm from his neck and turned to her side, automatically snuggling her back into his chest while keeping their hands joined. Taking a deep breath, he slid his arm under her head so she was resting on his shoulder. He felt her sigh with her whole body as she adjusted her head on his arm and he immediately buried his face in her hair.

He fell asleep enveloped by the satiny waves of her hair and the intoxicating smell of flowers.

---

The shifting of the mattress caused Eve to open her eyes just a sliver. Will was climbing into bed, now wearing a t-shirt in addition to his boxers. She was just able to glimpse one muscular leg before he drew the blanket up. His hand rested lightly on her waist and she turned to face him. He was watching her intently.

"Do you like eggs?" he asked in a serious tone.

She snickered.

"Uh, yes. And good morning."

He grinned playfully and her heart did a somersault.

"Good morning," he repeated meaningfully. "How did you sleep?"

Eve stretched and smiled at him.

"Really great, actually," she said with mild surprise.

She couldn't remember the last time she felt this well rested. His smile widened and she impulsively brushed his hair back, letting her fingers rest on his face.

"How's your back?" she asked.

"Completely recovered," he said cheerfully. "I was going to make you an omelet for breakfast. I've been waiting for you to wake up to make sure you like eggs."

It was such a simple thing, really - waiting for someone to wake up to have breakfast, asking their food preferences. She knew that logically. But even knowing that, his thoughtfulness filled her with unexplainable joy.

"Thank you," she said softly, trailing her fingers down his cheek before withdrawing her hand.

He grew solemn, and her smile wavered. It wasn't an expression of intensity or desire. There was none of the heated urgency she'd seen just before he kissed her. She could almost see the words forming in his mind. Could feel the impending conversation.

"Okay if I jump in the shower?" she asked, sitting up quickly.

"Oh - sure," he said, confusion flitting over his face.

On her way to the bathroom, she stopped in the kitchen to get her bag and saw Maggie curled up on her bed next to her half-full bowl of dog food. He took care of my dog. Eve smiled, her stomach fluttering. She crowded into the tiny shower, wondering how he managed to fit his large frame in there. She stood immobile under the spray for a few minutes, trying to avoid thinking and failing.

Whatever was on Will's mind about this - whatever this was...she didn't expect to like it. Sadness fell over her like a shroud. She would have expected to feel thrilled at being so close to living out her fantasy of being with him, but the reality was that it could never be anything, could never turn into anything...real. It would have been better to just leave it as an unrequited crush than to come so close only to know it would inevitably slip away.

Forcing the thoughts aside, she showered quickly, knowing if she gave in to even one tear, she might not stop. Putting on a t-shirt and jeans, she tied her wet hair back and straightened her shoulders. Steadying her features and putting on a smile, she returned to the kitchen where Will was just finishing their omelets.

"That smells great," she said appreciatively. "And coffee?" she added excitedly. "This isn't a bad way to travel. It almost makes up for that teensy shower."

He laughed, plating their food and joining her at the table.

"What should we do today?" Will asked tentatively. "Do you want to head straight to Chicago?"

"Up to you," she said easily. "Katie's working until six, so there's no rush. I can't check into my hotel until two, I think."

"I'd like to go back to that bookstore," Will said. "I knew I would regret not buying that book of poetry."

"Well, it was nice of you to leave at least one book behind," she said, giggling.

He grinned, glancing at the stack of books he'd purchased the day before.

Eve could sense him waiting for the right time to broach the subject. She purposely kept their conversations throughout the morning trivial, regularly changing the subject, knowing she was likely not fooling him. When they began the drive to Chicago after lunch, she sat nervously in the passenger seat, feeling trapped.

"Katie suggested a place to meet for dinner," she said, reading a text from her friend. "Will you come?"

"Did you want me to?" he asked, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

She chewed her lower lip guiltily, hating how confused he sounded by her behavior today.

"I do," she said quietly.

He turned and she met his eyes briefly. They were unreadable.

"Then I will," he said, turning back to face the road.