Chapter 7: Hot summer night

-SIENNA-

I tossed and turned on my bed for almost two hours, but no matter what I did, I still couldn't sleep. This past week at work was a little hectic. We need to finalize the company’s budget for the next year, and everybody’s stress level is pretty high. The numbers keep changing, and mistakes are constantly happening all over the place. At least the main part of the job is done now, and I was hoping to get a good night's sleep finally.

My body was exhausted, but my mind was still refusing to slow down, repeating the numbers and revising spreadsheets mentally. It didn’t help the fact that it was a hot late summer night, and my room was like a sauna. Even with my silk cami and shorts, I was sweating.

I gave up trying to sleep and decided to watch a movie instead. I don’t like to watch movies on my laptop, so I headed to the living room to watch TV. I grabbed a cold water bottle and sat comfortably on the sofa. I chose one of my favorite comfort movies, Pride and Prejudice, and put it on at a low volume to avoid disturbing Matt. Since that day when we exchanged rings, I haven’t seen him much around. It’s almost like having a ghost as a roommate. I should be thrilled to have the house by myself most of the time, but the situation bothers me a little, and I can’t understand why.

The movie started, and Mr. Darcy performed his magic on the screen again. With his charm, my mind finally quieted, and I began to doze off.

—————

"Sienna! Sienna, wake up". I heard Matt’s voice and I opened my eyes, startled.

He was crouched in front of the sofa, shaking my left shoulder softly with his hand. "It looked like you were having a bad dream", he said, and removed his hand quickly.

I sat up and looked at him. "Sorry for waking you up".

He came to sit beside me on the couch. "Are you okay? I heard you making muffled noises. You seemed deeply disturbed. I wasn't sure what to do."

"Yeah, I’m good. It wasn’t a nightmare, though. I was having a sleep paralysis episode. It is similar to having your mind awake but without being able to move your body. It is truly disturbing. I have it sometimes. It is nothing to worry about. Thanks again for helping me this time."

He looked concerned for a moment but managed to give a crooked smile. "No worries, I was awake anyway. It is too hot to sleep."

I pressed my lips together. "I know. Sorry about that. The building is very old, and it doesn’t have air conditioning." I apologize.

I looked at him and noticed for the first time that he didn’t have a T-shirt on and was only wearing boxer shorts. The movie had already finished by now, and the TV brought the only light to the room. I was only dressed in my cami and shorts, and the atmosphere was somewhat intimate.

"I don’t mind it much. I like classical buildings. The summer is almost gone by now, and the temperature is going to drop a few degrees next week", he answers. His eyes drop from my face and linger on my flimsy silk cami for a moment before coming back to my face.

His bare thigh brushed mine, and I couldn't help but notice how muscular he was. His dark hair was messy, and the locks fell to his front head, parted like a curtain. He looked devastatingly handsome.

I leaned my body towards him without realizing it. "I love the summer, but it will be nice to have cooler nights again. At least we can sleep better." His stormy gray eyes seemed darker than normal, and they captivated me with his long, dark eyelashes.

Trying to break the connection, I forced myself to look down. Big mistake. I am faced with his strong bare chest. My eyes were traveling down through his hard pecks, defined abs, deep V ridges leading to his… I caught myself in time to stop this madness and gazed away. This man seemed to be carved in stone, and my cheeks were blazing. I was blushing and only hoped that he wouldn’t notice in this poorly lit room.

He rested his left arm on the back of the couch, near my right shoulder. "Does it happen a lot? The night paralysis, I mean". His voice sounded raspy.

I turned myself in this direction again. With our thighs pressing together, I was able to feel his heat seeping through my whole body.

"No, only when I am exhausted and sleep deeply. I normally manage to wake myself up after a while by moving a little, but it is a stressful event nonetheless. Having someone else to wake me up is ten times better. It is a pretty common condition, don’t worry about it".

"Okay", he says in a very low voice, and his stormy eyes linger on my lips.

My breath hitched, my lips parted, and my whole body tingled with the promise of a kiss. His woodsy scent was the only thing I could smell. I leaned a few inches towards him, but I stopped. Something was nagging in the back of my brain. A muffled thought that I was choosing to ignore.

This is a bad idea. You shouldn’t hook up with your fake husband.

I finally managed to get back control of my body. I retreated to my seat and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

"I should go to bed right now. It’s late". I turned off the TV and stood up. "Thanks again, and sorry for the disturbance. Good night."

I made a beeline for my bedroom without waiting for his reply and closed the door quickly. Dropping to my bed, I gathered my thoughts.

What is going on with me? I was about to kiss Matt. This can’t happen. This agreement can only succeed if we remain just friends. No benefits! That's the plan I'm sticking to.

No matter how attracted I was to the guy.