I spear her with a sharp look. "For me, it was."
Her mouth falls open again as the lass yawns loudly for a third time, and then a fourth.
Bollocks. I sweep her up in my arms and carry her to the bed, setting the lass on her feet beside it. "Get ready for bed. For sleep."
"Aye-aye, sir." She salutes me.
I can't help it. My lips tick upward a hair.
Then I march around the foot of the bed, yank the drapes closed, and dig my wallet out of my trouser pocket, tossing it onto the nightstand. I sit down on the bed's edge and begin to untie my shoelaces. I'm carefully removing my shoes when Emery takes hold of her shirt's hem and slides it up and over her head.
I bolt up off the bed. "What are you doing?"
"I sleep naked."
My slat loves the idea, but I throw my hands up. "Ye cannae."
No, I will go insane if she strips.
Wearing only her bra and shorts, she shakes her head. "Honestly, Rory, how can you be such a prude after last night? We were both naked. All night. In this bed."
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, grasping the back of my neck. My gaze flicks down to her lacy pink bra, and I'm fair certain my nostrils flare. I veer my attention to the pillow on my side of the bed. "Please, wear something to bed."
"Like what?" She flaps her arms. "Forgot to pack a nightie."
"You were planning to sleep in the nude in your communal hotel room?" I might be gaping at her. Can anyone blame me? The thought of Emery lying naked in a bunk bed in that place… Well, my cock wants me to keep imagining that, but my brain commands me to stop.
Rationality always wins.
Most of the time.
With a frustrated growl, she flings her hands up. "My roommates didn't care. Why should you? For pity's sake, we've had our hands all over each other's naked bodies."
I compress my lips and focus on the wall behind her. Am I being too…stuffy? No one will know what I've done with this woman. When I go home, the secret will go with me. Besides, it's not as if I'll be taking her in front of the living room windows. The bedroom curtains are closed. We could both sleep naked.
But I can't quite make myself tell her that.
I tear off my T-shirt and chuck it at her. "Wear this."
Emery catches the shirt. "Okay, but I have to take off everything else. Not sleeping in my bra, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you."
"Fine." I turn my back to her. "Undress quickly."
"I prefer sleeping naked, though. Hard to believe you're the same guy who tore my clothes off right there in the living room last night."
"That was different."
"Because you wanted to get in my pants then."
"I—" Yes, that's exactly right. I make a noise that feels like part growl, part hissing sigh. "Change yer bloody clothes, would ye?"
Soft noises indicate she's undressing.
Her bra drops onto my shoulder.
My entire body flinches. It's a bloody stupid reaction, I know. But it's her bra. Draped over my shoulder. Her pink lace bra. The woman has no shame. I take the garment between my thumb and forefinger, cautiously pluck it off my shoulder, and toss it onto the floor.
Maybe I like that Emery has no shame, but I can't live like that.