When Marit awoke, the lengthening shadows indicated that she had slept for a while. Rising from her bed, she stretched out her arms and stood up. Yawning, she walked over to the window and pulled the drapes apart even further, standing to gaze out at into the parking lot. She could see her car and she smiled ruefully. It's fate, she thought. She turned as she heard the door whisper open and AJ peered his head in.
"You're awake," he said. She smiled at him, and he felt his heart constrict.
"Yeah, I guess so," she said, yawning again.
"And I think I'm hungry."
"You know, for someone as little as you are, you sure eat a lot," he teased, walking into the room and nearing her.
"I know, what can I say? I'm a pig," she joked back. "But I'm not in the mood to go anywhere. Can we order a pizza?"
"A night in, sounds like a plan," he answered. "But I get to pay." She looked at him in amusement.
"Fine, but I'm paying for the movie."
"Oooh, pizza and a movie? This might be too much excitement for me," he said. She laughed and playfully punched him on the arm.
"Ow," he said. "Just for that, I get to pick the movie." He picked up the movie guide and thumbed through it.
"Hmmm, an action movie, one that'll bore you to tears. Something with Arnold Swarzenegger in it."
"I love Arnold!" she exclaimed. "Oooh, what do they have?" He laughed at her.
"Wow, a girl that digs Arnold's movies. Too good to be true. How about his new one?"
"End of Days? Yeah, okay. Wasn't that great, but it was entertaining. Now go order the pizza. And no pepperoni or onions."
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted her in jest and headed into his room.
A few hours later, the two of them were comfortable stretched on Marit's bed, a half-eaten pizza between them. "This movie is so predictable," AJ remarked.
"Ssssh, Gabriel Byrne is so hot," she shushed him. She flipped over so that her head was at the foot of bed, allowing her a better and up- close view of the screen. He watched her settle in place, as she rested her chin on her forearms. His gaze swept over her body, from her charcoal curls down the curve of her back and up to her feet, resting in the air near his head. As she shifted again, sliding back a little on the bed, he noticed her shirt ride up, revealing the smooth skin of her lower back. He could almost feel it on his fingertips, velvety soft and warm.
Marit turned her head, feeling AJ's weighty stare on her figure. She licked her lips nervously. "What is it?" she asked. She turned her body a little to see what he was looking at, in the process twisting her shirt even more, revealing more skin around her waist. AJ looked up suddenly, meeting her gaze directly, reading the uncertainty in her eyes. He shook his head, as if ridding his mind of unwanted thoughts, and looked away.
"Do you want any more of this?" He waved his hand in the direction of the box, his eyes still elsewhere. She looked at him in confusion.
"No, that's okay, you can get rid of it." Sitting up, she pulled her shirt down and watched as he grabbed the box and walked to the door. Opening it, he placed it outside, then re-entered the room and approached the bed again.
Nodding his head towards the ending movie, he asked, "how about we just watch some TV?"
"Um, sure, whatever," she replied, slowly.
"Great." He seated himself on the bed again, and picked up the remote. Marit just looked him, slightly unnerved by his odd behavior. But when he didn't say or do anything else, she just shrugged and turned her attention back to the TV.
The two sat in silence for a while, watching the TV. Neither spoke a word, though AJ once in a while cast covert glances at her, observing her still form. After a little while, the steady rise and fall of her back made him realize that she had fallen asleep. Rising to his feet, he walked over to the closet to pull out an extra blanket. Making his way back to the bed, he unfolded the blanket, then paused to look at Marit once again. Her midnight curls spread all around her head and down her outstretched arm and he wondered idly if they were as soft as they looked. Her unlined face was peaceful, dark lashes fluttering against her dusky cheeks as she dreamed. Slim arms reaching slender fingers stretched out from three-quarter sleeves and the satin boxers she wore clung gently to her hips and bottom. His gaze drifted down her legs, and he frowned slightly at the small, faint scars crisscrossing the back of her thighs.
"Who hurt you so badly?" he whispered, referring to more than the scars. She sighed in her sleep, and shifted slightly. Shaking his head of his thoughts, he gently laid the blanket on her and softly walked into his room, leaving the connecting room door slightly ajar. Lying back on his bed, his cluttered mind refused to allow him to sleep. Picking up the phone, he tapped a few buttons and let it ring.
"Hello?" a voice sleepily answered.
"Hey, Howie, it's me."
"AJ, what's up? What time is it?" AJ glanced at his clock.
"I dunno, late. Did I wake you?"
"Yeah, but it's okay, what's going on?"
"Not much, I'll be back tomorrow."
"That's good, we were worried about you. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's great. Maybe a little better than great. I'm, uh, not coming home alone," he added. He heard an amused chuckle on the other end.
"Picking up strays are ya?"
"Oh, she's no stray, D. Pure bred, with these large soulful golden eyes, soft kissable lips," AJ sighed.
"She? Kissable lips?" Howie laughed again.
"Something tells me we aren't talking about a dog, here. So, where'd you meet this girl?"
"Here, in the hotel. She was in a little trouble, so I helped her out. I can't wait for you guys to meet her, you'll love her. She brings out every protective instinct you never thought you had."
"You've known her, what, two days? And she's willing to just go with you? Sounds a little shady," he remarked. AJ laughed ruefully.
"Well, that part was a little iffy. I had to practically force her to agree to it. "
"Oh. Well, then maybe I should be questioning your intentions."
"You know me better than that. Yeah, I kind of like her. Maybe more than kind of. But, D, she's been hurt before, I can tell. She's so vulnerable, even if she's got a little temper. But I really just want to help her."
"Okay, so call us when you get back. I'm going back to bed now. Good night."
"Good night," AJ responded, clicking off. He lay back in bed, his thoughts unintentionally straying to the sleeping girl next door as he drifted off to sleep.
AJ turned over, his eyes opening slowly to the light streaming in through the windows. Sitting up, he blinked a few times before finally noticing the figure sitting in the chair across the room. She looked up from her paper when she felt his gaze on her.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty," she said, smiling. He yawned.
"Good morning, what time is it?"
"About ten. Want to grab some breakfast?" she asked. "It would be a good idea to eat before hitting the road." He nodded, glad that she seemed to be opening up to the idea of going with him. As he stretched, the sheet fell away from him, settling around his waist. Her eyes widened at the sight of his bare chest, then looked away. At her discomfort, he remembered something.
"So," he started, conversationally, " with all that research you're doing on me, did you come across anything saying I usually like to sleep in the nude?" Her eyes widened again in alarm as she brought her gaze to meet his amused one. She looked him up and down, her gaze resting for a moment at the sheet at his waist, before coming back to his face. As he made to get to out of bed, she made a small noise of alarm. He looked at her and chuckled.
"What, the idea of my naked body doesn't turn you on?" She blushed furiously, dropping her head. Again, he made to stand up, and she looked up at him, then at the door, judging the distance between her current position and her room. He watched her, poised for flight and decided to take pity on her.
"Okay, I'll wait until you get back to your
room. But shut your
door," he teased. She looked at him,
wondering if she should trust
his mischievous grin, then nodded and
practically ran out of the
room. He laughed as he watched her go,
noting she left the
connecting door open. Throwing off the
sheet, he stood up and
adjusted the waistband of his boxers before
heading into the
bathroom.
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