Flight K109 (#1 ¬ Aiello Racing Series )

Mia James

My bed is warm, so am I. I am warm and comfortable and my blankets have never felt this soft. I have no idea what's going on but I feel so calm right now, all I want to do is go back to sleep. I snuggle deeper into the blankets.

Then I remember. The flight, the storm, the emergency landing, the hotel, Elliot.

My eyes fly open faster than they ever have. It doesn't take me much to realize that the blanket I was just digging myself into is actually Elliot, who during the night somehow managed to tangle us together. He's got both arms wrapped around me and his chin is resting just above my head.

He's still asleep, I can tell from the way his chest moves against me as he breathes, calm and measured.

Jesus Christ.

I untangle myself from him and get out of bed, the sudden lack of his warmth is making me want to crawl right back into bed with him. He looks peaceful, he doesn't look like he usually does, alert and taking in every detail of the world around him like it's going to disappear. His hair is mussed up against his calm face. The shirt he wore to bed has ridden up and I can see the outline of his stomach. Damn, he has literal abs. I mean, I know he's an athlete, but still, impressive. Also, weirdly hot.

I shove the last thought as far down as I can when Elliot starts to stir. He rolls over a bit and uses one hand to rub his eyes. Blinks several times. And then he sees me.

Smiles. 

It's a sleepy, sleepy smile.

I can't help but smile back. I feel like I've been split open and stuffed with sunshine. I've never seen sleepy Elliot before. Never woken up in his arms. Never seen him be anything but sharp and awake.

He looks almost lazy right now.

"Good morning sweetheart." he says groggily

"I like that." I admit quietly, and I have no idea where it comes from, "I like it when you call me that."

He laughs then, shoulders shaking as he rolls onto his back. God, he looks so cute right now.

"I have never slept so well." I say softly

"That's good." he says, and smiles, dimples on both cheeks, and yawns, "I feel so strange."

"We slept for a really long time." I comment, looking at the time on my phone, there's a couple messages from my parents, more from my friends, I ignore them all.

"Did we?"

"Yeah, longer than I've personally slept in years."

He sits up in bed, "See," he grins, "I told you sharing a bed was the best idea."

I shoot him a look, "That was my idea you muppet."

"And it was a good one."

I move over to my suitcase and dig through it for clothes to wear.

"You moved around a lot during the night." I say nonchalantly, I don't mention how I woke up tangled together with him like a koala, or the fact that we were so close I could feel his every heartbeat, or how I could feel his breath on my face, or how heavy he was with his arms wrapped around me, or just how much I enjoyed every single one of those things.

I need to put some distance between us right now, before it's too late. I can already feel us going down a slippery slope with all of this. I thought he was going to be the one to have a hard time being mature about this but I think it might just be me.

Claire's words from earlier on ring in my ears.

Are you sure you don't even want to try?

Yes, I am. Well, maybe.