Wife for a Week(32)

Oh, yeah. Modern woman. Freedom. Equality. Respect. ‘That was before I knew you liked to be in on the whole decision-making process,’ he said by way of defence. ‘I wanted to surprise you.’

‘I think surprise gifts are wonderful,’ said Jasmine. ‘They’re so romantic.’

‘I think I agree,’ said Hallie with a sigh. ‘I may not be such a modern woman after all.’

‘I don’t know how you keep up,’ murmured Kai as he set another three bowls of noodles on the table and took a seat beside him.

‘She sleeps a lot,’ Nick countered dryly. ‘That helps.’



Hallie was looking forward to getting some well-earned sleep. What she wasn’t looking forward to was that pesky little time before she went to sleep. That five-metre walk from bathroom to bed, with her in her sleepwear and Nick over by the window all brooding and sexy. She made it to the bed by refusing to let her memories of this morning’s lovemaking get the better of her. Did it by counting pillows. Denial was a hell of a lot easier when you didn’t know what you were missing, thought Hallie glumly.

‘I still have some work to do before tomorrow,’ said Nick. ‘It may be a while before I come to bed. I’ll try not to disturb you.’

She risked a glance and immediately wished she hadn’t as those knowing dark eyes met hers. ‘It’s okay,’ she said, wiping damp palms down the sides of her boxers for girls. ‘I have a plan.’

‘You do?’ His lips tilted. ‘I can’t wait to hear it.’

Actually it was more theory than plan. ‘I think I need to sleep on the other side of the bed tonight.’

‘You mean my side,’ said Nick. ‘And that would be because…?’

‘It’s obvious, isn’t it? Last night I was trying to get to that side of the bed in my sleep, so I figure if I start there tonight I’ll stay there.’

‘That’s it? That’s your plan?’

She nodded.

‘No pillows?’

She shook her head. Fat lot of good the pillows had done. ‘I’m keeping it simple.’

‘Let me get this straight. You want to sleep on my side of the bed tonight because that’s what’s going to stop you from wrapping yourself around me and—’

‘Yes,’ she interrupted hastily. ‘That ought to do it.’

‘What if it doesn’t?’ he asked silkily.

Good point. ‘Well, maybe one person could sleep on top of the sheets and the other between them.’ Yes, that could work. She hurried on. ‘I’ll sleep between the sheets and you can sleep on top of them. You slept without a sheet over you most of last night.’

‘That’s because I couldn’t find it, not because I didn’t want it.’

Oh. ‘A gentleman would offer the sheets to the lady,’ she said finally.

‘Whatever happened to equality?’ Nick’s smile was pure rogue.

Hallie sighed heavily. It wasn’t always easy, practising what you preached. ‘Or we could toss a coin.’

Nick dug in his wallet for a coin and sent it spinning towards her. ‘Tails and I get to sleep between the sheets,’ he said.

It was tails.

‘Fine.’ Hallie lifted her chin. ‘I’ll stay on top of the sheets.’

Nick’s smile deepened.
She lay down on the bed with her back to him and tried to block him out, tried to get her weary body to relax and sink into sleep, but it wouldn’t comply. It was no good. She needed something over her. The red satin bedspread that she’d shoved to the bottom of the bed was her only option. She sat up, fully aware of Nick’s amused eyes on her as she drew the coverlet over her and lay back down. There. Much better.

Ten minutes later she sighed heavily and shoved the cover aside. She was too hot beneath it. She sneaked another look at Nick. He wasn’t working; rather, he was watching her. Laughing at her, to be more precise.

‘Change of plans?’ he enquired.

‘Yes. Separation by sheet has been abandoned.’ She crawled between the sheets defiantly, wrenching the top one into place so it covered her from chin to toe.

‘I don’t suppose you have a new plan?’ he asked her.

‘Er, no.’ Nothing sprang to mind.

‘We could always sleep top to tail,’ he suggested. ‘I could have my head up this end and you could have yours up there. That way if we moved towards one another through the night we’d end up next to feet.’

‘No!’ she said hastily. ‘Absolutely not!’ That would be bad, really bad, and it had nothing to do with feet. Because if he pulled the sheet up and she followed it down as she was wont to do, they’d end up next to something altogether different to feet and, dear Lord, she was getting all hot and bothered just thinking about what a man of Nick’s obvious sexual experience might think to do in such a situation. Never mind keeping her own rampant curiosity under control.