“Yes, thank you.”
“Sonny not squashing you?”
“No.”
“Would you like me to sleep on the couch? Now there’s no need to share my body heat with Sonny.”
“No. He might— he might still need you.”
I didn’t want to tell Erik that, actually,Istill needed him. I didn’t want to be left alone. I needed his calm, reassuring presence and, besides, Sonny’s back might get cold, right?
The soft smile I caught on Erik’s face as he turned to walk round the bed again made me feel as though he were onto me. But at least he got into bed and snuggled up behind Sonny again.
I felt his fingers trace a quick trail across my stomach, making goosebumps rise in their wake.
“This okay?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
I had to swallow and breathe steadily in and out to try and breathe away the sudden arousal I’d felt. That was entirely inappropriate, and I didn’t need the embarrassment of either of them knowing about it.
When I woke again, the room didn’t seem much brighter. The window was grey but the light filtering in was blurred. I turnedmy head to check on Sonny and he was pressed against me, his breath fanning over my neck rhythmically.
Erik was gone.
I made a small noise in my throat, a sudden panic. I struggled to ease my arm out from under Sonny so I could sit up and… and find Erik?
The bedroom door opened and Erik came in, taking a long stride over the threshold. “Are you okay?”
I nodded.
Erik came closer to me and helped to ease Sonny off me without waking him.
“You want to get up?” he asked.
I nodded again. “I have to.”
My bladder was about to burst, not that I wanted to mention it to Erik.
As I pushed myself into an upright position on the edge of the bed, I asked, “What time is it?”
“It’s nearly eight o’clock in the morning.”
“I can’t believe we slept all night.”
“Shock,” said Erik.
“Must be.”
Before I could even think about it and realise that I had a problem, Erik was already holding a crutch out to me.
“It’s an old spare I had in the cupboard. I’ve tried to estimate how high you’ll need it but we can change it once you’ve tried it.”
I slipped my arm into place and gripped the handle, which had been wound round with padding to keep it from hurting.
“Bathroom’s next door,” he said and stepped back.
I went next door and relieved myself. He’d left a clean hand towel and face cloth on the side of the bath for me, which I used. By the time I emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, I felt better.
