I glanced to Tenn to see what he thought about Parker's… husband? I assumed Tyler was her husband after Sterling had mentioned serving him with papers. Tenn's ever-present grin was gone, replaced with a look of disgust.
"You don't like him either?" I murmured.
"Sterling is right. Parker deserves better. Much better. I hope she is serving him with papers."
We all looked to Griffen and Hope at the head of the table, but they gave nothing away. Hope changed the subject to the new cottages at the Inn, and I went back to listening with one ear while I stressed about the empty couch in Tenn's rooms. When Sterling mentioned putting on a movie in the family gathering room, I leaped at the opportunity, ignoring Tenn's sly smile at my obvious attempt to evade him.
I thought about trying to find an armchair to watch the movie, but there wasn't one. While I was standing at the door, trying to figure out where to sit, Tenn took my elbow and guided me to a loveseat. Not good. The whole idea was to avoid being alone with Tenn and I ended up curled into his side, basically in the dark. Great job, Scarlett.
Relaxing was impossible. I was braced for a move, ready to fend him off. I had to be vigilant. It didn't take much before my hormones took control of my brain and convinced me that anything to do with Tenn Sawyer was a very good idea.
He barely had to look at me and I felt myself softening, leaning into him, tilting my head up, ready to be kissed. To be touched. We were already too close on the loveseat, the room dark enough to hide all manner of questionable behavior.
If Tenn slid a hand up my leg or even around my shoulders, I was toast. I shivered at the thought, then tried to hide it. In the dark, I caught the movement of his jaw beside me. The bastard was grinning again. He was torturing me on purpose. I knew it.
I ground my teeth and stared at the screen, completely oblivious to everything except the solid heat of the man beside me. I swear, I heard his every breath, his every heartbeat. I was completely in tune with him, and he didn't seem to care. Maybe he'd just been messing with me. Maybe he was so confident I'd sleep with him he wasn't worried about it. Maybe he—
Ugh. I was making myself crazy. I had to get away from Tenn. Quietly, so I didn't bother anyone else, I murmured, "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."
Note I said sleep, not bed. I wasn't saying the word bed to Tenn. I didn't even want to think the word bed. Not waiting for a response from him, I slipped out of the room. Another cold shower? They didn't seem to be dulling the heat.
Maybe I should just—
No.
Sleeping with Tenn was a terrible idea.
I got ready for bed, choosing my baggiest, most ancient t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants that did not do good things for my ass. See, not trying to sleep with Tenn. A mumu would have been sexier than my sleepwear. Eyeing the king-size bed, I thought about my bolster from the night before. It had ended up on the floor. I assumed after Tenn threw it there.
Grabbing the cushions from the back of the couch, I lined them up in the center of the bed. They were wider than my bolster, leaving a narrow strip on either side for us to sleep. The cushions made a very clear point. I was not interested in sex. Not at all.
Some small part of me looked at that wall of couch cushions and knew I was being crazy. Completely irrational.
I didn't care. I just had to get through this one night and everything would be fine. I'd find Vitellius and Thatcher and get the hell out of this house without doing anything monumentally stupid. Like having sex with Tennessee Sawyer.
By the time Tenn came to the room, I should have been asleep. I tried. I did breathing exercises, counted sheep, tried to remember state capitals… anything I could think of to relax enough to fall asleep. None of it worked. By the time Tenn climbed into his side of the bed, I was wound tight and sleep was a distant dream. I waited, ready to turn him down.
I heard a low chuckle and thump… thump… thump… as one by one, the pillows between us took flight, landing on the floor. If he said one word—
He didn't.
Once the pillows were out of the way, Tenn rolled over, giving me his back, and went to sleep.
He. Went. To. Sleep.
My head was spinning. He was sleeping? We finally had privacy. It was eventually.
And he went to sleep?
I wanted to hit him with my pillow. Forget that, I wanted to punch him. I wanted—