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“Stay tonight, Mari”

Her head lifted froo

“Luca, I…”

“Not into do with sex He turned, wanting her to understand how he couldn’t say the words “Just…stay I’d only worry about you if you went home You can have the bed I’ll sleep on the sofa”

“What you did forlike that for me before I can’t impose on you further”

“You’re not i”

For a longunspoken

“Wait here”

He disappeared into the bedroom and returned with a T-shirt “I don’t have pyjamas to lend you”

She took the T-shirt “Thank you”

She disappeared into his room, and he heard the bathroo after several minutes, he decided he should check on her

She was in his bed, the duvet pulled up to her chin Her blotchy cheeks were relaxed and her eyelashes were sainst her cheeks She’d fallen asleep before he could even ask if she was hungry

He’d let her sleep And when she woke he’d ht

And then, somehow, he’d find a way out of this mess

Mari woke to sunlight filtering through the bedroo her hair out of her face, she realized she was in Luca’s bed, the smell of his cos in the suite filtering through

She’d spent the night And she hadn’t given a thought to going ho door on the porch