Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 76881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“So I’ll be staying with you?” Our kiss is still on my mind.
The way they are all so easy about touching and flirting, even around each other, it confuses me. Maybe it shouldn't be, given how relaxed they are about sex in general, but not counting the little kisses for luck, Poe is the one I’ve actually come closest to having a real moment with. Does that mean something?
Do I want it to? Does he?
“Is that a problem?” he asks, leading me inside and up a wide staircase with a railing down the center that wraps around and opens up onto the second floor. More stairs lead up towards a third floor, but I don’t remember from the outside how tall the school is.
“No, I guess not.” I don’t quite want to admit it, but I’m glad. I’m not sure I want to be alone tonight after everything that’s happened, and not in this place where I can hear deep voices laughing and talking, but everyone except Poe is a stranger.
“Here's my place.” Poe stops in front of a typical classroom door, even down to the long rectangular window, though it's been covered on the inside. He points across the hall. “Crank's quarters are over there. Savage is in the officers’ house. He has more room, but if you ask me I’m not sure it’s worth the added responsibility. C'mon.” He unlocks the door and opens it.
“Wow, it’s actually pretty nice in here. Way better than the room I had when I was studying.” I say as I look around. If I didn’t know it was a classroom, it could pass for a pretty nice, high ceilinged studio. The walls are painted a pale brown, and large windows overlook the church on the far end. There’s a kitchenette alongside one wall and a sitting area with a couple chairs and a leather couch in front of a coffee table. A couple of guitars hang as decorations on the wall. “You play guitar?”
“Real fucking badly, yeah. I had dreams when I was fourteen, but life got in the way. It’s still fun, so I keep them around.” He tosses his biker vest over the back of one of the chairs.
The room is shaped like a stumpy 'L', with a short nook off the end that has just enough space for what looks like a king sized bed. Out of nowhere, a yawn hits me. and it's like my body's already starting to shut down. Now that the opportunity is here, I guess I’m sleepy after all. “Do you have sheets I can throw on the couch? I'll sleep just fine there. I'm small.”
“The fuck you are. Take the bed and get some proper rest. I'll take the couch.”
He points at the big bed. It looks really inviting, but then I look at him, look at the couch and then back at him. “You're joking, right? I might have to bend my knees, but you'd have to fold in half. It makes sense that I take it.” I even start moving that way, but he grabs my shoulders and turns me around, guiding me right back into the bedroom.
“Don’t fucking argue. Bathroom's in there.” He nods at the only door. “Shower's good, and there's more hot water than you could use up in a day. I don’t fold shit, but the towels in the left basket are clean.”
I yawn again, my eyes starting to droop. The industrial looking clock over the door says it's past midnight. No wonder I'm beat, and it was a pretty crazy day. So you know what? I'm not going to fight him for it. “Fine. If you want to curl up on the stupid couch, I'm not going to stop you. Just remember, I offered.”
“Get in there so I can take my turn.”
I strip and turn on the water before something occurs to me. I poke my head out the door. “Hey Poe? Can I borrow a shirt or something to sleep in? I think Crank has my backpack.”
His grin is pure cocky amusement. “Absolutely.” He pulls a long, rolling container out from under the bed and fishes out a black shirt before walking over and holding it out just far enough away that I have to reach a little bit.
I snatch it from his fingers and slam the bathroom door. When I finally crawl into the bed, I can hear him in the shower so I don’t have to hide the way I hold the sheets to my nose and inhale the faint scent of Poe clinging to them. It’s not unpleasant. Kind of the opposite, actually.
There’s plenty of room for two in the bed.
If I invited him to share, I bet he would, but as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m gone.
15
PAIGE
I wake up with a terrified shriek, popping up like a jack-in-the-box, my fists clutching the sheets.