him. “I’m good.” The last thing I need is him touching me again.
“Okay.” He takes a seat in the chair by the door, wisely giving me some space. “I ordered some Chinese food. That alright with you?”
“Sure. Sounds good.” My stomach rumbles at the mention of food, reminding me it’s been hours since breakfast.
A few minutes later, there’s a knock at the door. Our food’s here. Thank God for the distraction.
Colt arranges the cartons of egg rolls, fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and chow mein noodles in the center of the table. He cracks open a can of Coke and slides it toward me. “I know you like diet. But this has sugar. Drink it. It’ll make you feel better.”
He hands me a pair of chopsticks.
I fumble with them, looking down.
“Did the bath help?” he asks, glancing up at me through his eyelashes.
I nod. “It did. Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He smiles.
I’m relieved to see that things feel back to normal between us, the kiss already forgotten, which is both a relief, and sort of insulting.
He slides the container of fried rice toward me. “Eat. And stop thinking. Field assignments aren’t always like that. I know this seems crazy right now, but it won’t always. And getting some food in your system will help.”
I nod. The food does smell good. I try a bite of rice, wishing I had a fork. I manage to get some of it in my mouth, but most of the rice lands on the table in front of me.
Colt’s eyes follow my movements, and after another failed attempt with the chopsticks, he leans in toward me, taking my chopsticks. He loads them with rice and lifts the bite to my mouth. I hesitate for a second, then open it and let him feed me. “Good girl.”
I chew the rice and make myself swallow. He turns the chopsticks over to me, pushing the rice container closer. It’s nice to know that he cares enough to make sure I’m well fed. I can’t allow myself to mistake his concern for something it’s not though. I’ve seen his track record with girls. I have no plans to get on that list.
“Eat, Taylor ,” he says, noticing I’m lost in my own thoughts again and thrusts the container of sweet and sour chicken toward me. “A few more bites.” He picks up the chopsticks I’ve distractedly set down and hands them to me again.
When it comes time for bed, without a word, Colt makes a pile of blankets on the floor for himself. This place isn’t exactly topping the cleanliness charts, the carpet looks sort of cruddy, but I keep my mouth shut, it’s not like I’m about to suggest that we share the bed. I’m not that stupid.
Chapter 18
I toss and turn on the hard mattress unable to sleep. I glance at the digital clock. One in the morning. I hear Colt turn over on the floor. I peek off the edge of the bed, trying to see if he’s awake. In the moonlight streaming through the curtains, I can see his eyes are open.
“Hi.” He look s up at me.
“Hi.” I giggle, feeling like I’ve been caught. “I can’t sleep.”
“Me neither.”
I don’t say it’s because I’m freaking out about that kiss just as much as I am over our botched assignment earlier today.
He sits up, and stretches. I notice at some point, he changed into a pair of mesh shorts and a white T-shirt.
“Is there any Chinese food left?”
He laughs, shaking his head. “There might be an egg roll left.” He gets up, turns on a lamp and rummages through the containers we left on the table. “And some noodles too.”
He carries both containers over to me, setting them on the bed and hands me a pair of chop sticks.
“Thanks.”
“Mind if I turn the TV on?”
“Nope,” I say around a mouthful of noodles.
He flips on the TV, and stands at the end of the bed, flipping through the channels.
“You can sit with me.” I pat the side of the bed.
“Thanks.” He sits down, scooting up until his back is pressed against the headboard.
“Want a bite?” I offer him half the egg roll.
“I’m good,
“Okay.” He takes a seat in the chair by the door, wisely giving me some space. “I ordered some Chinese food. That alright with you?”
“Sure. Sounds good.” My stomach rumbles at the mention of food, reminding me it’s been hours since breakfast.
A few minutes later, there’s a knock at the door. Our food’s here. Thank God for the distraction.
Colt arranges the cartons of egg rolls, fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and chow mein noodles in the center of the table. He cracks open a can of Coke and slides it toward me. “I know you like diet. But this has sugar. Drink it. It’ll make you feel better.”
He hands me a pair of chopsticks.
I fumble with them, looking down.
“Did the bath help?” he asks, glancing up at me through his eyelashes.
I nod. “It did. Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He smiles.
I’m relieved to see that things feel back to normal between us, the kiss already forgotten, which is both a relief, and sort of insulting.
He slides the container of fried rice toward me. “Eat. And stop thinking. Field assignments aren’t always like that. I know this seems crazy right now, but it won’t always. And getting some food in your system will help.”
I nod. The food does smell good. I try a bite of rice, wishing I had a fork. I manage to get some of it in my mouth, but most of the rice lands on the table in front of me.
Colt’s eyes follow my movements, and after another failed attempt with the chopsticks, he leans in toward me, taking my chopsticks. He loads them with rice and lifts the bite to my mouth. I hesitate for a second, then open it and let him feed me. “Good girl.”
I chew the rice and make myself swallow. He turns the chopsticks over to me, pushing the rice container closer. It’s nice to know that he cares enough to make sure I’m well fed. I can’t allow myself to mistake his concern for something it’s not though. I’ve seen his track record with girls. I have no plans to get on that list.
“Eat, Taylor ,” he says, noticing I’m lost in my own thoughts again and thrusts the container of sweet and sour chicken toward me. “A few more bites.” He picks up the chopsticks I’ve distractedly set down and hands them to me again.
When it comes time for bed, without a word, Colt makes a pile of blankets on the floor for himself. This place isn’t exactly topping the cleanliness charts, the carpet looks sort of cruddy, but I keep my mouth shut, it’s not like I’m about to suggest that we share the bed. I’m not that stupid.
Chapter 18
I toss and turn on the hard mattress unable to sleep. I glance at the digital clock. One in the morning. I hear Colt turn over on the floor. I peek off the edge of the bed, trying to see if he’s awake. In the moonlight streaming through the curtains, I can see his eyes are open.
“Hi.” He look s up at me.
“Hi.” I giggle, feeling like I’ve been caught. “I can’t sleep.”
“Me neither.”
I don’t say it’s because I’m freaking out about that kiss just as much as I am over our botched assignment earlier today.
He sits up, and stretches. I notice at some point, he changed into a pair of mesh shorts and a white T-shirt.
“Is there any Chinese food left?”
He laughs, shaking his head. “There might be an egg roll left.” He gets up, turns on a lamp and rummages through the containers we left on the table. “And some noodles too.”
He carries both containers over to me, setting them on the bed and hands me a pair of chop sticks.
“Thanks.”
“Mind if I turn the TV on?”
“Nope,” I say around a mouthful of noodles.
He flips on the TV, and stands at the end of the bed, flipping through the channels.
“You can sit with me.” I pat the side of the bed.
“Thanks.” He sits down, scooting up until his back is pressed against the headboard.
“Want a bite?” I offer him half the egg roll.
“I’m good,
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