Chapter 198: Sleep
** Harper **
Was sleep really possible when Eli was hugging her like this, turning her whole body into jelly with the scent and warmth that she so craved?
Harper curled into him, soaking in his precious presence. When they made it into the room and he put her down into the bed, rearranging the blanket carefully to tuck her in, she let out a whimper of protest at the loss of delicious contact from his embrace. But it wasn’t long before the protest turned back into a sigh of delight, because he was quick to climb in next to her and wrap his arms around her again from behind, holding her tight.
"Mmm ... It feels like we’re still in Hawaii," she commented happily when he switched off the light. "So comfy and familiar ... Only without the whole place smelling nice like plumerias and orchids."
"Is that a hint for getting you a big tropical bouquet tomorrow?" Eli breathed into her neck, giving her a rush of tiny tingles. "I’ll make sure to include roses, too."
Harper chuckled, folding herself more snuggly into his arms.
That was when she noticed, with belated observance, that he was carefully spooning her at an angle, keeping a suspicious amount of distance between her body and his groin.
"... Is there a situation of some sort that you’re trying to hide from me?" She wiggled her hips slightly to demonstrate her point.
A half groan was her confirmation. "A situation of some sort is almost always guaranteed whenever I’m with you, Harper." Eli stopped her with a squeeze on the waist. "But before you suggest anything other than sleep, no, not tonight. You look exhausted. Even your eyes are pretty badly bloodshot."
Oh ... Really? But wait, had she really just greeted her boyfriend at the door with a messy apartment, crazy hair, and bloodshot eyes?
Fortunately, Eli didn’t seem to be focusing on the same aspect of it as she was. "I should’ve gone ahead and changed your flight anyway," he added regretfully. "Direct first class would be so much easier. And I could’ve been there with you the entire way."
The longing edge in his voice when he said the last part brought a smile to Harper’s face. "Well, but then you wouldn’t have missed me so much and come all the way here just to snuggle with me," she offered. "So in the end, I consider it a fair trade."