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Shell nodded, her chin bu his chest “I know,” she whispered

“Good Now get iggle as she hurried into her room

Copperthe doors and ere locked, before following her into her room He was too beat to drive ho himself This wouldn’t be the first time he’d crashed at Shell’s It’d happened two or three times since she’d been back in Tennessee The other ti an eye on her due to soainst the club Both tiot about fifteen minutes of sleep

Not tonight

When Shell e on her bed, eyes closed

“Oh,” she squeaked “You, uh,” she cleared her throat, “you staying here? Uh, in my bed?”

“Yeah, youto sleep on that tiny-ass couch”

“No, of course I don’t mind” she answered too quickly “I’m the one who always tells you you’re crazy to sleep there” Barefoot, she padded toward the door “I’ll sleep on the couch”

As she walked past the bed, he reached out and captured her wrist God, her skin was soft Felt like silk under his callused fingers “Just take the other side Trust me when I tell you that couch is no place to sleep Actually, I think you need to stop calling it a couch It’s an insult to real couches”

“I, uh, well…” Her mouth opened and closed about three times Co her so flustered was kind of funny Norht She

“Look,” he said “I’ that prick was just here I get that you’ve been dealing with hi you and Beth have a guard tonight, okay?”

She still stared at hi his words

So he went in for the kill

“You need a solid night sleep so you can take care of Beth tomorrow You know you won’t sleep well on the couch” He knew the ave in Her body lost its tension, and she nodded her head