Chapter Twenty One

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Gracie ~

My eyes opened slowly as I tried to remember where I was. Surveying the dark room, I tried to find something identifiable before registering the hard body that I was practically laying on top of.

I'm in Wes' room, in Wes' bed, laying on top of Wes...

He was on his back with one arm folded up behind his head and the other wrapped around me.

My body prepared itself to sit up and move but I stopped and took a second to enjoy how truly comfortable I was, laying on Wes' muscular chest. My cheek was against his skin that smelled clean and masculine as his chest rose and fell with his even breaths.

I could have slept for a few more hours, but I remembered Wes saying that he worked early mornings at the gym and wanted to get out of his way. He'd done enough for me over the past 24 hours and I didn't want to become a burden.

Shifting my weight and stretching my arms, I felt aching pains all over my body causing me to wince and grimace at my own movement.

"You okay?" Wes' deep gritty voice echoed from beneath my head. His voice was thick with sleep and vibrated against my cheek without opening his eyes.

"Yeah, of course I'm okay." I said quickly trying to hide how much pain I was in so he wouldn't feel guilty about leaving for work.

Wes opened one eye and arched a brow at me, clearly not buying a word that had just come out of my mouth.

"That doesn't look like an I'm okay face" Wes grumbled.

"That looks like an I'm in a lot of fucking pain face."

I made a conscious effort to change my facial expression and forced a full toothed smile up at him.

"Now you just look like a crazy person...that's in pain." Wes chuckled at my failed attempt.

"Did you just call me crazy?" I laughed as I slapped playfully at his chest and winced as I raised my arm.

Wes gave me a smile and turned gently on the bed to face me.

"No I said you looked crazy. But more importantly you look like you're in pain."

"I don't understand why I'm so sore all over." I admitted softly, finding a new pain every time I moved.

"Somebody forcefully threw you to the ground and dropped their body weight on you. I'd be surprised if you weren't sore to be honest."

His words made be feel like less of a weakling and more comfortable admitting how sore I truly was.

"My whole body hurts." I confessed, closing my eyes as I tenderly rolled onto my side.

"How can I help?" He asked as he ran his hand softly up and down my arm. As much as I tried not to react, my body melted beneath his touch and goosebumps trailed my arms and shoulders.

"That feel good?" He asked, picking up on how the skin to skin contact was affecting me.

I wanted to lie and say no, I wanted to pull away so he wouldn't think I was flirting, but the truth was his hands on my skin felt amazing and I never wanted him to stop.

"Mmhmm." I hummed, causing him to settle in a little closer.

"I can lay here and do this for a while so you can sleep a little longer." Wes offered sweetly.

"Don't you have to go to work?" I asked with my eyes still closed.

"I text my boss last night and told him I wouldn't be in today. Family emergency." Wes said casually.

My eyes popped open at his words and I eyed him up and down as if he'd gone insane.

"What's that look for?" He chuckled.

"You didn't have to do that, Wes. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself if you need to go to work. I don't want to intrude and I definitely don't want you to feel obligated to take care of me."

His brows furrowed and his head recoiled slightly.

"Obligated?" He asked.

"Gracie, if I didn't want you in my bed, you wouldn't be here. And if I didn't want to take the day off, I wouldn't have. I'm here in my bed taking care of you for no other reason than I want to." 

The words almost seemed foreign coming from his mouth mostly because I wasn't expecting them. My mind tried to force him to be what Amanda had described him as, but he proved me wrong at every turn.

Maybe I'm wrong about him. Sure he's got a bad reputation, but he hasn't been that person toward me.

"Okay." I accepted his words and felt a pang of guilt as I calmed my own nerves and settled back down in the bed, making myself take in deep breaths.

I forced my guard down and Wes seemed to sense what I was doing, giving me a reassuring smile as he continued to run his rough hand up and down my arm and shoulder. His large calloused hand made soft trails from my wrist, up my arm and shoulder all the way up my neck until he reached my jaw, then back down again. The sensation was heavenly and calming, making all of my sore knotted muscles relax and my heart sigh.

If he was a heartless fuckboy wouldn't he have either made a move on me or kicked me out by now?

"Relax Gracie." Wes said as if he could hear my internal struggle.

I felt him scoot in closer and pull me against him and just before I started to relax and drift I felt his lips against my shoulder. He pressed his mouth against my skin, leaving a trail of soft kisses.

Is this it? Is he going to try and get in my pants when I'm at my most vulnerable? That would fit Amanda's narrative of him perfectly.

My body must have tensed as I prepared myself to shoot down his advances, but to my surprise he moved his lips from my shoulder to my forehead, planting one last kiss there before he rested his chin on top of my head and relaxed against me.

"Sleep sweetheart." He whispered against my hair.

His words were soft and endearing. They weren't sensual or seductive and despite the perfect opportunity, Wes didn't try to pull a move on me. He didn't try to take advantage of me or manipulate me when I was vulnerable, like I had expected him to - like Amanda had convinced me he would if given the opportunity.

Maybe Wes isn't such a bad guy after all.

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