Page 33 of Tangled Hearts

He snorts. “Sure.”

It’s not worth arguing over, not when a solution is so fucking easy. If Eli wants companionship, I can definitely do that. Easily. Well, maybe not easily, but I can do it. “Then how about I stop avoiding you?”

He sits up, settling sleepy eyes on mine. “So you admit it, then. Youhavebeen avoiding me.”

“Not intentionally, but I don’t want to make you feel bad. Not even a little. So if you want company? Easy. Done.”

There’s a hopeful spark in his eyes. “Really?”

I nod rapidly. “Really.”

A slow smile spreads across his face, devastating and fucking breathtaking. “Will you make breakfast with me in the morning?”

“Definitely.”

He nods, almost to himself, and settles beside me again, his head finding its way back to my shoulder. “I should probably go to bed,” he says, but he doesn’t move, and I don’t ask him to.

Chapter 12

Eli

Ilove sleeping in my dads’ bed. I always wake up feeling so warm and safe. Cozy. It’s my favorite. Something feels different this morning, though. My face scrunches in confusion as I turn my head back and forth.

I open my eyes and see jeans.Jeans?Since when do Beck and Roman sleep in jeans? Wait a damn second. I sit up, confused because I’m not at my dads’ at all. I’m in my living room. Which means… Oh shit. Oh fuckity fuck.

I turn around and come face-to-face with Nic. He’s awake, but he’s on my couch. I was lying in his lap. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my fucking God. I make eye contact with him. He really does have the most gorgeous eyes, and right now they’re even prettier, heavy with sleep and soft. No. Nope. Absolutely not. Not going there.

“What the fuck?” I practically yell the words. Nic’s lips turn up in a smile.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

Heat floods my face. “Why did you let me fall asleep on you?” I ask, unable to keep the accusation out of my tone. He doesn’t answer, which just makes me more frustrated. “It doesn’t mean anything. This.” I gesture between the two of us, realizing belatedly that I’m still half-sprawled across his lap. “I just like to cuddle in my sleep. Shut up. Mind your own business.”

Nic’s smile keeps growing. “As you recall, I didn’t say a word.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “No, but your smug smile says it all for you.”

“And yet,” he says, leaning closer to me. For a second, I think he’s going to kiss me. I have no idea why I’d think that. He wouldn’t. Of course he wouldn’t. Not that I’d want him to anyway. My heart flutters in my throat as he stares at me. “You’re still half in my lap.”

I scramble away from him and stand up. “Whatever.” He laughs. All raspy and shit. Fucking annoying. Mentally adding his sexy, raspy laugh to the running tally in my head. The list is starting to get out of hand. “Anyway, are you gonna make me breakfast?”

“Of course.” Nic stands. “I’m going to go change first, though. I think someone got drool on my pants.”

He leaves me standing in the living room, my jaw open and my cheeks burning. When he comes back in, he’s wearing a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt. The man has a nice collection of sweats. I’m seriously tempted to steal some. I won’t. Probably, anyway. I already have his leather jacket. So it’s not like I really need to steal any more of his clothes, but they do look hella comfy.

“You ready?” he asks, smiling at me.

As ready as I’m ever gonna be. “Yep.”

“I’ll take Kassie out for you and meet you in the kitchen?”

“Thank you.”

While he’s taking Kassie out, I work on getting everything together. I’m feeling like eggs and bacon, so I grab them from the fridge and start pulling pans out.

A warm body presses against my back, and I startle, but the contact doesn’t last long. I’m half-dazed, so I don’t even put up a fight when Nic takes the pans from my hands. “I’m making it.”

Well, I guess I won’t argue with that. I climb onto the counter and watch as he cracks eggs into a bowl and starts whisking them. He glances at me. “I’m feeling scrambled today. What about you?”