“I’m sure you have but we have a long day tomorrow and I’d rather we both got a good night’s sleep. Anyway, I think the tent is probably smaller than this bed.” She busied herself doing nothing. Plumping up the pillows and then straightening the quilt as she hid her flaming red cheeks from him. “So we’d better get used to being in such close proximity.”
“I’ll go grab the packs.” O’Malley slipped silently out of the room and Hannah let out her pent-up breath. She could do this. She could lie by his side and sleep.
Or would she be tempted to touch him, to stroke his skin pulled tautly over his toned muscles?
“Here are the backpacks.” O’Malley dumped the two packs on the floor and crouched down to open his up.
Hannah stood as if frozen, watching him move. Maybe she should step outside into the cold mountain air. That would be the same as taking a cold shower, right?
She shivered and O’Malley glanced up at her. This wasn’t going to work unless she forced herself to behave naturally. Hadn’t she done that after her mom died? She’d forced herself to act normal, to sound normal, even as her heart broke and her soul shriveled up.
Hannah shuffled forward, grabbed her pack and pulled it toward her as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Unclipping the clasps holding the flap closed, she took out her toothbrush, although she had no idea where she was supposed to brush her teeth. Did the house have a bathroom?
“This way.” O’Malley stood up. “O’Brian showed me where they wash…and everything.”
Hannah gave a small laugh. “Outside plumbing?”
“Not quite.” O’Malley inclined his head toward the door. “Come on.”
She followed him out of the bedroom. There was a small room with a door leading into it from both inside the house and outside. It was basic but functional. Hannah needed to get used to basic once they were trekking across the mountain.
A sudden panic caused her heart to flutter and her stomach to flip. Sleeping in a bed next to O’Malley would soon be the least of her worries.
They went back to their room. Sleep was already creeping up on Hannah as she quickly undressed while O’Malley went to fetch a couple of glasses of water. She slid into bed and pulled the covers up around her chin just as he reappeared at the doorway.
“Here, drink this, it’ll hopefully counteract the effects of the alcohol in O’Brian’s homemade brew.” He handed her a glass of water.
“Thanks. It was strong. I didn’t drink it all, I hope he isn’t offended.” Hannah shuffled up the bed and sat up, her back against the wall. Sipping her water, she tried not to stare as O’Malley stripped down to his shorts and slid under the covers.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked as he rested his head against the wall and drank his glass of water. “I don’t mind the floor.”
“It’s cold out there.” Hannah was grateful for the heat emanating from his body. Perhaps that was a shifter thing.
Or an O’Malley thing. Everything about the guy was hot.
“It’ll be colder on the mountain, especially at night.” He finished his water and placed the glass down by the side of the bed. “O’Brian offered for you to stay here with Elvie while he and I go and search for Karl.”
“Oh.” She stared down at the cool water in her glass. “I guess that makes sense since the two of you are shifters and can cover more ground.”
“That’s true. But I told him you wanted to do this yourself.” O’Malley fixed her with a look that seemed to bore right into her brain. “This is important to you.”
“This is my pilgrimage.” She looked up at him and their eyes locked together. For the longest time, neither of them spoke.
“I already told him thanks, but no thanks.” O’Malley took the glass from her and placed it down next to his. Slipping down the bed, he rested his head on the plump pillow but didn’t take his eyes off her. “I thought that would be what you wanted.”
“It is,” she confirmed. “Elvie said that maybe this is all happening for a reason.”
“Maybe it is.” He patted her pillow. “Sleep. We have an early start tomorrow.”
Hannah snuggled down next to him, her elbow brushing against his ribs as she tried to get comfortable. The nearness of him was going to make it impossible to sleep. All she could think about was reaching out and touching him, of pressing her lips to his and trailing her fingertips down his chest.
However, when the sound of a rooster crowing as the sun crested the mountains woke her, she realized she’d had no trouble falling asleep.
“What time is it?” She rubbed her eyes, trying to keep her breathing steady as she realized her leg was draped across O’Malley’s thigh.
“Seven.” He looked just as perfect first thing in the morning as he had when he’d climbed into bed beside her. As Hannah brushed her fingers through her knotted hair, she wished the same could be said about her appearance. “Stay there for a while if you want. I’ll go and get some coffee.”
“Do they have coffee?” she whispered, not wishing to offend their hosts. It wasn’t as if they could just pop to the store.
“I can smell it.” He slid across the bed and she lifted her leg, trying to make it seem as if it was the most natural thing in the world that her leg should be draped across him possessively. “I’ll bring you a cup.”
“I’ll get up and get dressed.” She stuck her leg out of the bed, surprised at how cold it was and instantly slid it back under the bed covers. “Maybe I’ll get dressed under the covers.”
He chuckled as he pulled on his clothes, covering his sun-bronzed skin, and then left the room. Hannah missed him immediately. He was her security blanket in this strange world
