Distinctly Defiant

Chapter 11 ~ Moonlight

Chapter 11 ~ Moonlight

Vivienne just stared at Everett’s sprawled out form, taking up the middle of the bed. His eyes were closed the moment he hit the bed and he had already started softly snoring. She rolled her eyes as she shut and locked the door behind. She placed Everett’s bag, which he had discarded near the door in the corner with their other stuff.

She recalled how startling his blue eyes were in contrast to the redness of his eyes. His jaw was dark with stubble and his dark brown hair messy. His white shirt had ridden up revealing tanned skin. She stared a bit too long at the hint of exposed abs and then noticed a blood on the edge of his shirt. She grabbed the edge of the shirt, searching for a source.

His torso had a few scars, a shade paler than his skin. She hadn’t paid much attention to his scars while he was shirtless for fear that he would tease her about it. She ran her fingers over the puckered skin, wondering what had caused them. She tugged his shirt down after determining there was nothing that caused the blood on his shirt. She frowned and kept looking, finally finding a deep scratch near his wrist on his right arm.

She inspected it, determining Everett had done nothing to take care of it. She found her medical supplies she bought in the first town she had been at and then located Everett’s wineskin and poured some on the cut to disinfect it. Everett groaned and tried to pull his wrist away but she held on until he calmed down. She dabbed some herb poultice to speed healing and prevent infection and then bandaged it.

She packed up her things and placed her hands on her hips as she debated what she should do next. Considering the powerful stench of alcohol coming from him she didn’t think he would be waking up anytime soon as to move from the middle of the bed. Her eyes fell on the makeshift bed on the floor.

Ever since that night they had shared a room Everett had decided it was safer to continue to do so. He was ever the gentlemen and insisted on sleeping on the floor. Vivienne didn’t really see the problem with sharing a bed but she hadn’t said anything in protest since he seemed so adamant. However, now that he had no say in the matter she didn’t feel like sleeping on the floor to avoid sharing a bed. It was just sleep, after all.

She went over to him. She placed her hands on his arm tried to push him to one side and slightly succeeded in making more room for her. He was now taking up around three quarters of the bed; she would make do with the space. But then as she moved to blow out the candles Everett gave one loud snore and moved over so he was more or less in the same spot. She glared at him even though she knew he couldn’t see.

She blew out the candles and grabbed the blanket off the ground feeling the chill. She pushed him over once again and then quickly got beside him, putting the blanket over the both of them. She turned her back to him and shut her eyes trying to ignore the signs that told her that there was someone else in the bed. She tried to calm her rapid heart rate, it was just sleep…

When she woke up she was immediately aware of a body pressed up to her back, she arched her back away from the warmth feeling too hot. Her eyes opened and she saw the room was filled with sunlight. She tried to move further away from Everett but the muscular arm draped around her waist only pulled her back. She tried to pry away his right arm but she hadn’t miraculously woken up with the strength of a werewolf.

“Everett?” she called. He couldn’t be awake for she didn’t think he would knowingly do this. A snore near her ear confirmed her guess. She sighed and turned onto her back.

His hair was sticking up randomly and his face was turned towards her, his pink lips slightly parted. His long nose had a bump in the middle, hinting it had been broken at least once before. His eyelashes cast a shadow on his cheeks and that drew her attention to the faint, barely visible freckles on his cheeks. His chiselled jaw was dark with the beginnings of a beard. He sighed and his breath skimmed over her shoulder. She nudged him.