Chapter 6: Morning Revelations

 

Cole's pov 

Why is he not talking? Oh God…has he changed his mind?!

“What are you afraid of?” Xavier said with a smirk, taking a calm step forward and sliding beneath the heavy sheets. He pulled the duvet up over both of us, resting his head back against the dark leather headboard without a care in the world.

"I sleep better with my clothes off," Xavier said smoothly, settling into his pillows. "You don't mind, do you?"

Oh, hell yeah, I fucking mind! I screamed in my head, staring wide-eyed at the dark ceiling while my heart hammered against my ribs. Sleeping in bed butt-ass naked right next to me?! What the actual hell is wrong with this man?!

I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing my lips into a small, tight smile. "It's... it's fine. Whatever makes you comfortable."

"Good," Xavier murmured, closing his eyes. "Get some rest, Clara."

"Yeah. You too."

He didn't make another move toward me. He just lay there on his side of the massive king-sized bed, leaving a solid two feet of empty space between us.

I immediately turned my back to him, scooting all the way over to the very edge of the mattress until I was practically hanging off. I clutched my side of the blanket right up to my chin, my body locked so stiffly I felt like a wooden plank.

Just stay on your side, I prayed silently, staring into the dark corner of the room. Just don't roll over, don't reach out, and don't touch me.

I spent the next hour lying awake, listening intently to the quiet, rhythmic sound of his breathing. Every time the mattress shifted even a fraction of an inch, my whole body flinched. But as the silence dragged on, Xavier didn't pull anything crazy. He just slept peacefully, completely oblivious to the sheer panic paralyzed beside him.

Eventually, the absolute exhaustion of the craziest day of my life caught up to me. My stiff muscles slowly relaxed, my heavy eyelids fluttered shut, and I finally drifted off into a deep, heavy sleep.

The next morning, I slowly began drifting out of sleep, feeling warmer and more comfortable than I had in years.

I let out a tiny, satisfied hum, sinking deeper into the plush mattress. My whole body felt relaxed, wrapped around something broad, solid, and radiating an insane amount of natural heat.

Man, this duvet is amazing, I thought lazily, still half-asleep and completely drowsy.

I instinctively cuddled closer into the warmth, resting my cheek against the soft fabric while pulling my legs up. I squeezed my hand, feeling whatever I was gripping expand and contract with a slow, steady rhythm.

Wait... rhythmic? Breathing?

My brain slowly began to process the actual texture under my palm. It wasn't the silk duvet. It was smooth, bare skin. Hard, firm muscle. Deep, faint vibrations from a quiet chest.

I froze instantly, every muscle in my body locking up.

Slowly, terrifyingly, my fingers twitched. My hand shifted down just an inch along his torso, feeling for what my legs were tightly tangled around. My bare knee was hooked over a heavy leg, and pressed right against my upper thigh was something extremely warm, firm, and distinctly hard.

My eyes snapped wide open. The last lingering traces of sleep vanished in a single, horrifying second.

I stared straight ahead at the broad, bare collarbone just inches from my nose. My arms were completely wrapped around Xavier's waist, and his arm was draped comfortably over my back, pinning me flush against his naked body.

That better not be what I think it is...