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He kissed the top of my head, deciding it was a safe zone, and said, “Stay here. You can sleep in my bed. You have clothes here. Remember?”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to invade in your personal space,” I said, struggling to keep my eyes open.

“Of course I don’t mind;
you could never invade my personal space.” A thought seemed to strike him and a worried expression clouded his face. “Do I invade your space?”

“No, no, of course not,” I said. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “
Okey
dokey
then, my bed it is,” his mouth grazed my ear and I shivered from the contact.

He took my hand in his and led me into the house and up to his bedroom.

“Can I have a bath first?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said. He opened his bathroom door and then seemed to recall that he only had a shower. “Mom won’t mind if you use her bathtub. The thing is the size of a small swimming pool.”

“Let me grab something to change into,” I ruffled through what was now my drawer. I grabbed a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top that would be comfortable to sleep in. “I’m ready,” I said.

“Mom’s room is this way,” he said an
d
led me to a side of the upstairs I’d never seen before. “Mom wanted our rooms away from hers because of my music and Bryce’s games. Apparently we’re too loud,” he r
olled his blue eyes as if them being too loud was an impossibility.

He opened a door and ushered me inside.

The walls were painted a pale but warm brown. The furniture was a rich dark wood with mostly antique pieces, only a few contemporary items. The bed covers were a golden honey color and so fluffy that it tempted me to take a dive for the bed.

Ca
eden opened the bathroom door and ushered me inside. Like the bedroom, the bathroom, was brown and gold.

Caeden started a tub of hot water and he hadn’t been exaggerating. It was huge! There was a cluster of different bubble baths. Caeden picked one up, unscrewed the cap, and sniffed.

“Ugh! Oh! Ew!” he said and thrust the bubbles away from him. The soapy residue lingered on the edge of his nose and I giggled. He picked up another and hesitantly sniffed it.
“Oh, that’s better,” he added a cap full of bubbles to the steaming water. The scent of vanilla permeated the air.

He ventured over to the double sink and opened the cabinets. He pulled out a downy gold towel and laid it beside the tub.

Caeden looked around and scratched the back of his head. The movement caused his shirt to ride up and flash his smooth tan muscles and light smattering of dark hair. “I’ll… uh… be in my room. If you need me,” he pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

I smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not going to pass out in the bathtub are you?” he asked. Concern flooded his eyes, turning them from their normal pool blue color, to a stormy sea gray.

“No,” I laughed. “I’m tired but not
that
tired.”

“Don’t take too long or I’ll be forced to barge in here,” he said in all seriousness.

“You wouldn’t dare,” I stuck my hands on my hips.

“I’ve already seen everything anyway,” he said. He tenderly caressed my face and in a soft tone said, “You don’t need to hide from me, ever.” His long black lashes fanned out and brushed the high planes of his
cheekbones. H
e cupped my face in his warm, large hands
. He took my breath away.

I blushed and words failed me.

He kissed my forehead, my nose, each cheek, and finally my mouth.

“Seriously,” he said. “Don’t take too long. I’ll worry.”

“Give me thirty minutes,” I said.

“Twenty,” he countered.

“Thirty,” I said stubbornly.

He grinned. “Fine, thirty minutes and don’t think I won’t be counting.”

“Go,” I pushed him out the door. He laughed at my persistence. I finally got him all the way out the door and locked it.

I divulged myself of my dirty clothes, turned the water off, and sank greedily into its heavenly depths. An embarrassingly loud sigh of pleasure escaped my lips. I closed my eyes and leaned back; letting the hot water work its magic as it uncoiled my stiff and tired muscles. When my body began to loosen I chose one of Amy’s body washes. I was happy to smell like a normal human being again and not a sweaty mess. I pulled the plug and watched the water circle down the drain. For some odd reason I’d always found the swirling motion of the water relaxing.
I pulled myself out of the tub, dried, and dressed in my clean clothes. I spotted Amy’s brush and ran it through my unruly locks.

Was that a stick in my hair? Ew.

I bundled up my dirty clothes to take back to Caeden’
s room and opened the bathroom door.

“Oh my God!” I screamed when Caeden’s tall presence startled me. The clothes dropped to the floor with a plop.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he bent down to pick up my clothes. “I was worried. You were gone for thirty-one minutes.”

“Caeden,” I whined. “I was fine. You worry far too much.”

“That’s true. But I would rather worry too much than not all.”

I shook my head at him. “Nap time?” he asked.

“Now that I’m clean? You
betcha
.”

I followed him down the hall and into his room. He closed the door and tossed my dirty clothes into his hamper. “Don’t do that! I’ll take them home and wash them,” I tried to grab for them but Caeden grabbed my hands instead.

“It’s fine,” he kissed the side of my mouth while I squirmed in his grasp.

“Caeden, your
mom doesn’t need to clean my dirty clothes.”

“It’s not a problem. Besides,” he said huskily in my ear, “my mom doesn’t do my laundry. I do
my own
, just like a big boy.”

I laughed.

“And you know what else?” his lips brushed my ear.

“What?”

“I even make my own bed.”

He picked me up and tossed me on the bed. “Caeden!” I cried but then began to giggle.

He jumped onto the bed beside me, yanked the covers down and then over our bodies.

“
Nappie
nap time,” he kissed my forehead.

I cuddled into his side and fell fast asleep.

* * *

When I woke up the bed was cold. I lifted my head from the pillow and saw that Caeden was gone. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. Ah,
dinnertime
. That explained his absence. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and thought to myself,
if I keep this up I’ll sleep my entire spring break away.

I looked around Caeden’s room for my hairbands. I knew I had stashed some somewhere. There was no way I was going downstairs with my hair looking like this. I thought I had put them on top of the dresser but none were there.

Maybe he put them in the bathroom, I mused.

I didn’t see them in there either.

Caeden!
I called in my mind.

Huh? Are you okay?

I’m fine. But where are my hairbands?

Your what bands?

Ponytail holders
,
Caeden.
I left some here but I can’t find them. I thought I put them on top of your dresser but they’re not there.

Oh,
he said
, those weird brightly colored circle things? I put them in your drawer.

I opened the drawer and sure enough there they were.

Found them. Thanks.
I said.

I smoothed my hair down with my fingers and pulled it back into a ponytail. It wasn’t
the
best-looking
ponytail ever but it was better than looking like Medusa.

I found Amy, Caeden, Bryce, and Charlotte eating dinner in the kitchen.

I went to go
grab a plate
when Caeden said, “
I already fixed you a plate
.” He then patted the empty seat beside him.

I slid in and eyed Charlotte, looking between her and Bryce. She blushed profusely and looked down at her plate.

Dinner was fairly quiet, which was a rarity in the Williams’ household. Dinner was usually a raucous.

Amy had made some kind of health food dish that was barely recognizable as food. I basically pushed it around on my plate while my stomach rumbled.

Amy finished her dinner and cleaned her plate. “I’ll be in the library if you need me.”

When she was gone we all breathed a sigh of relief. We dumped our food in the garbage disposal and Caeden
then
rummaged through the fridge for something edible.

“Who wants ice cream?” he asked, now digging through the freezer.

“Me!” Bryce screamed.

“
Shh
,” Caeden scolded. “Don’t let mom hear you.”

“Sorry,” Bryce said. The kid seriously reminded me of an eager, over active, puppy.

“We have…” he looked through the various ice creams, “pretty much every flavor. What does everyone want?”

“Rocky Road,” Charlotte and Bryce said together. They looked at one another and blushed.

“Soph?” he asked.

“Umm,” I peered at the different flavors. “Banana.”

“Good choice,” he said and handed it to me. “I think I’ll have mint chocolate chip.”

Bryce and Charlotte were eating out of the carton but Caeden grabbed us bowls. He opened a drawer and pulled out a scoop. He took the ice cream carton from me and made me a bowl. Sticking a spoon it he grinned and handed it to me. “Dig in,” he said.

I took a big bite. “
Mmm
, yummy,” I said.

He laughed as he scooped his own ice cream. He put the ice cream away before it could melt and hopped up on the counter to eat.

“I have the next two days covered for duty so we can redecorate your room.”