After roughly drying my hair, I dragged a comb through it and decided to let it dry naturally. Tomorrow, I’ll just tie it up if it looks like a bird’s nest. Wrapping my big, fluffy towel around my body securely, I stalked out of my room and into Carson’s next door, hesitantly opening his drawers until I found what I was looking for – one of his T-shirts. I smiled, slipping it over my head and pulling it down over my body, silently wishing it was a dirty one so his scent would surround me. After pulling on a pair of his boxer shorts and folding them over at the waist so they’d stay up, I headed out of his room.

As I walked past Rory’s room, I could hear the distinct sounds of the PlayStation so I didn’t bother to interrupt. Once downstairs in the living room, I turned up the under-floor heating controls and snuggled onto the sofa, pulling my schoolbag onto my lap so I could finish off my assignments for university. If, by some miracle, they didn’t kick me out after it being splashed all over the papers that I was a lap dancer, I would need to hand in my five thousand word essay on Friday. I sighed deeply, setting my head back and opening my textbook to the right place, preparing myself for some hard work and hand cramps.

“EMMA?”

I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut as a sleepy fog muffled my ears. My mouth was dry as I tried to lick my lips, not yet ready to wake.

“Come on, you. Let’s get you to bed.”

I swatted the hand away as it tried to take my books from my lap. “Rory, just leave me be. I’ll just have five minutes,” I muttered, turning my head and pressing my face into the back of the sofa.

My rejection was met with a throaty chuckle. Something solid slid under my thighs and around my back. I was jostled slightly, but my eyes stung when I tried to open them, so I just left them closed. “Rory, leave me,” I protested weakly as I was lifted effortlessly from the sofa and pulled against a warm, hard body.

“Emma, it’s Carson.”

Carson? I forced my eyes open, looking up into the face of the love of my life. An involuntary smile stretched across my lips as I reached out, cupping his cheek just to see if I was still dreaming. When my hand touched his cheek, the slight stubble gently scratched against my fingertips, and my stomach fluttered knowing he really was home.

“Hi,” I whispered, grinning now as I slipped my other arm up and looped it around his neck, pressing myself tighter to him.

“Hi,” he whispered back. The sound of his voice and the delicious smell of his skin made my whole body ache. “I thought I told you not to wait up for me,” he scolded playfully.

I grinned tiredly, pressing my face into the side of his neck, as my muscles all seemed to relax as one in his arms. “I didn’t. I was working on my assignment. Is it after two already?” I asked, yawning against his neck.

“Yeah, it’s almost three. Come on, let’s get you to bed.” I smiled to myself, loving that Carson Matthews was carrying me to bed. This was another fantasy of mine I’d had over the years I never thought would come true. As he carried me effortlessly up the stairs and toward my bedroom, he chuckled. “How come you’re wearing my T-shirt and pants?”

I was too tired to feel embarrassed at being caught, so I just shrugged. “I didn’t have any clean pyjamas. I only brought two pairs,” I answered sleepily.

“Well, usually, I would offer to buy you some, but in this case, I think I won’t just because I actually like the idea of you sleeping in my clothes,” he teased.

He fumbled with the door to my bedroom and after another few steps, bent and gently placed me on the soft bed. I tried to open my eyes but failed miserably as the deep sleep pulled at the edges of my subconscious. Carson groaned, pressing his lips against my cheek and brushing my hair away from my face.

“Don’t suppose you’ve missed me enough that you want me to sleep in here with you tonight, have you?” he whispered, gently pulling the quilt cover up to my shoulders.

I smiled at the thought. Carson in bed with me. Hell yeah, I want that! “If you want,” I muttered, turning to my side and snuggling under the cover, pulling it up so it covered my chin and my ear.

“Yeah? Seriously?”

“Mmm hmm.”

Clearly not needing to be told twice, the bed dipped a moment later, and the cover raised as a warm body slid up close to me. A contented sigh left my lips as his chest pressed against my back and his legs tangled with mine. Being in the bed with him was something I’d fantasised about since I first met him. His body wrapped around mine and it was like some kind of magic wove over me, lulling me into a safe, contented, peaceful stupor. It almost felt like a dream. If I weren’t as tired, I certainly would have instigated a little sexy time, but I couldn’t even keep my eyes open so, unfortunately, that wasn’t something that was going to happen.

“Oh, yeah, this is much better. I’m not going away on my own again; you’re going to have to come with me from now on,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss against my temple as I drifted off to sleep in his arms.

“MUM! MUMMY, MUMMY, Mum, Mum, Mummmmmmmm!” Sasha’s voice blasted through the baby monitor. “Mummy, up! Up! Sasha up!”

A loud groan came from behind me. “Jesus. She gets her loudness from you.”

I jumped, squealing from the shock of someone else being in my bedroom, and twisted so fast it actually made me dizzy. Carson’s sleepy smile greeted me as he rubbed at his eyes.

“Damn it. Shit!” I hissed, pushing on his bare chest, trying not to notice how magnificent his skin felt under my hand. “You frightened the life out of me! What are you doing here?”