sleep.
Chapter Seven
A sharp knock on my door woke me out of my restless sleep. My heart jammed in my throat. Body taut
as a rope, my eyes immediately stole to my bedroom window, hoping it wasn’t another neighbor alerting
me of a potential break-in. I had managed to get to sleep the last couple of nights without completely
stressing over it, especially after taking an extra kickboxing class that morning.
I did however, move the biggest knife from my kitchen drawer to beneath my mattress. And now
my fingers were reaching for it.
My blinds remained dark, however, the only pinnacle of light from the streetlamp on the corner. I
was safe.
So who the hell was knocking?
I heard his voice before I padded my way to the door. “Avery?”
Bennett stood there, a bit unsteady on his feet.
I folded my arms. “Are you drunk?”
“Maybe a little,” he said, his hand wandering to the back of his neck. “More nervous than
anything.”
I had the power to make this beautiful man nervous?
“What the hell are you nervous about?” I asked, hands on hips.
“That you’re pissed at me.” He leaned forward. “That you won’t let me in so we can talk.”
“I’m not mad. Frustrated, maybe.” I opened the door wider to allow him to pass. I wasn’t sure what
I was doing, but I knew I wanted to see him, talk to him, spend time with him. “Were you hoping to test the coziness of my bed tonight?”
He stretched his gaze across my body, and a shiver bolted through me. “More than anything.”
“Well, good.” I turned and walked away. “Because I’m exhausted, and I need to go back to sleep.”
I marched to my room, and felt him follow closely behind. I slid back into the comfort of my sheets
while he inspected the photography on my walls and the trinket boxes on my dresser, like he was
memorizing everything.
My heart throbbed in my chest as I watch him unbuckle his belt and then unzip his pants. His gaze
remained locked on mine the entire time, like this striptease was for me, and me alone. So damn sexy.
He took off his jeans, flicking the material down one muscular leg at a time to reveal his blue boxer
briefs. Then he reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. The light from my bedside
lamp highlighted his ripped biceps and his lean abdomen. I caught a glimpse of the tattoo on his rib
cage. Swirls of black letters curled along his smooth skin, and I hoped for the chance to examine it more
closely one day.
“So you do sleep on that side,” he said matter-of-factly as he slipped into my bed. “Not just at my
place.”
We lay facing each other. Studying each other. Drinking each other in.
“Bennett,” I said, taking a deep breath. “What happened to that girl you were seeing?”
“Dunno. Haven’t talked in a while,” he said. “Guess I’ve had other things on my mind.”
He reached out and skimmed his fingertips over my shoulder and then up to my jawline, sending a
bolt of electricity through me. Anticipation coiled into a tight ball in my stomach. I couldn’t take it
anymore. I wanted him. I needed him.
I wasn’t sure if I’d ever been more desperate to kiss someone.
Chill bumps broke out on my skin and raced up and down my arms and back.
“Avery?” Bennett stroked my lips with his fingers, and the heat from his touch shot straight through
my stomach and whispered a trail along my thighs. I panted out a breath. “Yeah?”
“I don’t know what this is or what the hell we’re doing,” he said. “But if I don’t kiss you right now,
I might explode.”
His fingers curled over the nape of my neck and into my hair, tugging me nearer.
“God, Bennett.” My voice was breathy and my head rolled back against his fingers.
He whispered soft kisses against my neck, along my jaw, and below my ear. Then he nipped at
Chapter Seven
A sharp knock on my door woke me out of my restless sleep. My heart jammed in my throat. Body taut
as a rope, my eyes immediately stole to my bedroom window, hoping it wasn’t another neighbor alerting
me of a potential break-in. I had managed to get to sleep the last couple of nights without completely
stressing over it, especially after taking an extra kickboxing class that morning.
I did however, move the biggest knife from my kitchen drawer to beneath my mattress. And now
my fingers were reaching for it.
My blinds remained dark, however, the only pinnacle of light from the streetlamp on the corner. I
was safe.
So who the hell was knocking?
I heard his voice before I padded my way to the door. “Avery?”
Bennett stood there, a bit unsteady on his feet.
I folded my arms. “Are you drunk?”
“Maybe a little,” he said, his hand wandering to the back of his neck. “More nervous than
anything.”
I had the power to make this beautiful man nervous?
“What the hell are you nervous about?” I asked, hands on hips.
“That you’re pissed at me.” He leaned forward. “That you won’t let me in so we can talk.”
“I’m not mad. Frustrated, maybe.” I opened the door wider to allow him to pass. I wasn’t sure what
I was doing, but I knew I wanted to see him, talk to him, spend time with him. “Were you hoping to test the coziness of my bed tonight?”
He stretched his gaze across my body, and a shiver bolted through me. “More than anything.”
“Well, good.” I turned and walked away. “Because I’m exhausted, and I need to go back to sleep.”
I marched to my room, and felt him follow closely behind. I slid back into the comfort of my sheets
while he inspected the photography on my walls and the trinket boxes on my dresser, like he was
memorizing everything.
My heart throbbed in my chest as I watch him unbuckle his belt and then unzip his pants. His gaze
remained locked on mine the entire time, like this striptease was for me, and me alone. So damn sexy.
He took off his jeans, flicking the material down one muscular leg at a time to reveal his blue boxer
briefs. Then he reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. The light from my bedside
lamp highlighted his ripped biceps and his lean abdomen. I caught a glimpse of the tattoo on his rib
cage. Swirls of black letters curled along his smooth skin, and I hoped for the chance to examine it more
closely one day.
“So you do sleep on that side,” he said matter-of-factly as he slipped into my bed. “Not just at my
place.”
We lay facing each other. Studying each other. Drinking each other in.
“Bennett,” I said, taking a deep breath. “What happened to that girl you were seeing?”
“Dunno. Haven’t talked in a while,” he said. “Guess I’ve had other things on my mind.”
He reached out and skimmed his fingertips over my shoulder and then up to my jawline, sending a
bolt of electricity through me. Anticipation coiled into a tight ball in my stomach. I couldn’t take it
anymore. I wanted him. I needed him.
I wasn’t sure if I’d ever been more desperate to kiss someone.
Chill bumps broke out on my skin and raced up and down my arms and back.
“Avery?” Bennett stroked my lips with his fingers, and the heat from his touch shot straight through
my stomach and whispered a trail along my thighs. I panted out a breath. “Yeah?”
“I don’t know what this is or what the hell we’re doing,” he said. “But if I don’t kiss you right now,
I might explode.”
His fingers curled over the nape of my neck and into my hair, tugging me nearer.
“God, Bennett.” My voice was breathy and my head rolled back against his fingers.
He whispered soft kisses against my neck, along my jaw, and below my ear. Then he nipped at
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