“There are dark circles under your eyes. Just share the bed with me tonight. We can go back to the thrift store for my mattress tomorrow.”
My jaw clenched, but I forced myself to breathe normally as I sat back down and joined her beneath the blankets.
She was nowhere near as close to the middle as she had been when we slept together while we were snowed in.
I was going to have to be okay with that. Or at least get used to it. The woman didn’t want me.
Though it was the last thing I wanted to do, I stayed on my side of the mattress and didn’t reach for Madison.
It was fucked up that we were closer before we were mated, but that was my fault. I was just going to have to learn how to deal with it.
Madi wasquiet for a few minutes after we got comfortable.
I itched to pull her into my arms, but resisted. Which made sleeping nearly impossible. I ended up just staring at the ceiling, wrestling my inner beast. It was getting more difficult as my exhaustion compounded, but I’d survive.
Eventually, she spoke up.
I hoped she was going to ask if I was okay with cuddling.
“Emily thinks you’re in love with me,” Madi said.
I blinked up at the ceiling.
What?
For once, I wished my female would dance around the conversation rather than just coming out and asking. Her bluntness was usually great. Not this time.
“If you are, we need to figure out how we’re going to deal with it,” she added.
I blinked again.
Then cleared my throat.
“What do you mean?” I still sounded gravelly. There was probably no helping that.
“We can’t screw casually if it means something to you.”
“Why not?”
She rolled onto her side, a little closer to me.
I didn’t dare do the same.
If we looked at each other head-on, she was going to see through to the battle that was going on inside me.
Probably.
Or she’d just realize how much I wanted her.Neededher.
“Because it’s not fair to either of us, Ambrose.”
“I don’t see how consensual sex that’s pleasurable for both of us is unfair.” My voice strained.
“If you have feelings for me, having sex would mean something to you.”
“If I know you don’t have feelings for me, I’m aware that itdoesn’tmean anything to you. That cancels out whatever it might mean to me.”
“I don’t think it does.”
