Show Me How to Love (Caldwell Family Book 1) by Synithia Williams Page B

listening, but heard nothing. He pulled the covers up and laid down when the shriek came again from the bedroom.
    That had him rushing to Mikayla’s door as if one of the zombies they’d watched earlier chased him. He burst into the bedroom and Mikayla thrashed around on the king size bed. She mumbled and swung her arms as if fighting off an attacker. He hurried over and grabbed her flailing arms. She struggled more. Eyes closed, her head jerking from side to side.
    “Mikayla,” he said giving her a soft shake. “Come on, baby, you’re dreaming. Wake up.”
    One of her arms broke from his grasp and she fought harder. He didn’t want to pin her against the bed. He wasn’t a dream expert, but holding down someone fighting a nightmare couldn’t possibly help the situation.
    He pulled Mikayla against his chest. Her body jerked.
    “No…please…leave us alone,” she murmured.
    He wrapped his arms around her. “Shh, baby, it’s okay. You’re having a dream. It’s okay.” He ran his hand up and down her back and gently rocked from side to side.
    She stiffened. He sucked in several deep breaths to calm his racing heart as she lay rigid against him, when suddenly her body relaxed and she collapsed into him.
    The tension left his shoulder, and he pulled back enough to see her face. Her eyes closed, her breathing smooth and even. She slept like the dead. A nightmare and a strange guy holding her and still she hadn’t awakened.
    She appeared calm now. He could leave. Lay her back down, tuck the sheets around her, and go back to the couch. He smoothed the hair away from her face. He watched and slowly the fear from seeing her thrashing around on the bed evaporated.
    He pulled her close again. Burying his nose in the crook between her shoulder and neck, took a deep breath, and pretended she was his, while he inhaled the sweet floral fragrance she wore.
    Andre’s heartbeat slowed, and his body temperature steadily rose. A reminder that his good deed for the day was done. He gently laid her back on the bed. He ran the back of his hand along her cheek, then moved to get up.
    Her hand shot out and grabbed his. His body froze. Her eyes opened and she observed him through sleepy eyes.
    “It was a nightmare,” she said in a low husky whisper.
    He smiled. “I kinda figured that out. You want to talk about it.”
    “You’ll think I’m crazy.”
    He rested his arms on his knees. “I doubt that.”
    She brought his hand back to the side of her face and placed a warm cheek against his palm. Her light breaths brushed against his wrist, sending a tremor through him.
    “I was being chased by zombies.”
    A relieved laugh burst from him, and his shoulders relaxed. He’d expected some deep-seated trauma to be the cause of her nightmare.
    “Then it’s my fault for bringing those movies.”
    She shook her head. “No, my fault for not telling you. I sometimes have nightmares after watching horror films.”
    “Then why did you watch?”
    She opened her eyes and met his. “I needed the distraction…you know?”
    His thumb trailed down the side of her face, stopping at the corner of her mouth. Her full lips parted. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, reflecting off her cocoa skin and that damn orange head wrap. He wanted to snatch the thing off, dig his hands in her hair and chase away the remainder of her nightmare with a kiss.
    “I should go back to the couch,” he said, though the couch no longer held its previous appeal. He moved to get up, but her hand tightened.
    “Don’t go,” she whispered.
    He cleared his throat and shifted on the bed. Her quiet declaration tightened his groin.
    “That’s not a good idea.”
    She shook her head. “Maybe not. I know there’s this…attraction between us, but we’re both smart enough to realize that it would be stupid to follow up. I would feel better if you stayed with me a little while longer.”
    She sucked in shallow breaths and her hand clung to his. Asking him to