That thought sent shivers down my spine even if I couldn’t completely identify why. And it also made me wonder if I’d passed.
Fifteen minutes later, I was ready for bed. I had on the same sleep shirt and shorts I’d worn the night before. Jessie was in the bathroom when Kincade entered the bedroom carrying an extra pillow. He had on black boxers and nothing else.
“Mind if I sleep in here?” he asked.
I couldn’t help looking across the hallway to the other dark bedroom. Brock had stayed out to turn off and cover the hot tub. Surely, he wasn’t planning on sneaking a woman in later tonight?
Kincade followed my gaze. “It’s kind of a long story, but it’s better if I sleep in here with you.”
Obviously something was going on with Brock, but I let it drop. “It’s your bedroom.”
“It is, but I feel bad that I didn’t ask before climbing in next to you last night.”
I smiled. “I definitely don’t mind.”
He returned my smile. “Thanks.” He put his pillow on the right side of the bed, and I thought he was going to get in, but then he turned back to me. “Out there in the hot tub… that kind of thing, I just want you to know it won’t happen in here. You’re here because you need a place to sleep, not to be pawed at by strange men. You’re one hundred percent safe sleeping next to us.”
His words were so sincere and so un-Kincade-like that they moved me. I reached up and patted his cheek. “Thank you for saying that.”
“You’re welcome. Every word of it was true,” he said. “Are you okay with the middle?”
“Yes.” That was true, too. I couldn’t imagine being near one and not the other. I settled into the middle spot, and Kincade slid in next to me, drawing the sheets and cover up for both of us. I heard the door to the bathroom open and knew that Jessie would be back within seconds. “Kincade?”
“Yes?”
I took a deep breath and angled myself so I could see him. “What if… maybe… sometime… I might not mind so much being pawed at?”
He grinned. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
14
Maddie
I woke up spooned between Jessie and Kincade. Unlike yesterday, this morning I was facing Kincade. He was on his side, his back to me. My body was lined up with his—my chest to his back, my legs pushing against his. Did that make him the little spoon?
But there was a big spoon behind me. I could feel Jessie at my back. His body fit against mine as well as mine did against Kincade. Even better, Jessie’s warm hand rested on my hip. I felt cozy and comfortable and strangely happy.
For years, I’d heard people talk about how they loved being the little spoon. How come no one ever mentioned how awesome it was to be the middle spoon?
I took a deep breath, wanting to stretch, but unwilling to risk waking my bedmates. It still seemed pretty early, so I was about to close my eyes and try to catch a little more sleep, but something caught my attention. An awareness of some kind. It felt like someone was watching me. Squinting, I lifted my head, and that’s when I saw Brock.
He was standing in the doorway watching us. His expression was unreadable, but to me, he looked a little sad. Was he feeling left out? But he could’ve shared his bed if he wanted to. Four people and two beds divided evenly, after all. Or did he have someone else in there? It was still a possibility, but it felt unlikely to me.
His eyes flickered to me once, and our gazes locked. Then he gave a slight nod and disappeared in the direction of the bathroom.
How long had he been watching us? Was he the reason I woke up? Maybe I’d heard a floorboard creak and didn’t realize it.
I couldn’t get back to sleep even after I heard Brock return to his room. He was a big, strong, confident man—one who’d looked hot as hell with his tan skin covered only by black shorts—but still, there had been something lonely about him. Or isolated.
It bothered me.
Since I couldn’t get back to sleep, I eased the covers down, enjoying the amount of skin it revealed on the guys, and slid off the end of the bed. I shook my head, wondering if there was an easier way for the middle person to dismount.
I freshened up in the bathroom and then put on my swimsuit. I though perhaps I could go out on the deck and do some stretches until the others were up. I’d been trying to do more of that kind of thing in preparation for the wedding before things got hectic. But then I remembered that I’d have to go through Brock’s room to get to the deck, so I just returned to the bedroom. Fortunately, Jessie and Kincade were showing signs of life.