Stunned, I watched him kneel in front of me and begin taking off my shoes and socks. He fiddled with my anklet. “On or off?”
“For what?” I asked.
He looked up at me. “You’re going to sleep.”
My panic spiked. “What?” I tried to scoot away from him, but he grabbed me by my ankles, holding me where I was.
“You’re going to sleep, Shiloh. Even if I have to hold you down.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to sleep.”
“Why?”
I snapped my mouth shut.
He tugged on my anklet again. “On or off?”
“Why bother asking? It’s not like I have a say.”
“I recommend you get comfortable, because you’re not leaving this bed until you’ve gotten at least eight hours of sleep.”
I sighed frustratedly. “Off.”
He unclasped my anklet and stood to put it on his dresser. I reached behind me and under my shirt to unhook my bra, then pulled the straps off through the armholes and removed it entirely from the bottom of my shirt. I held my cobalt-blue and red Superman bra out to him. If he wanted me to get comfortable, I’d get comfortable.
He took it and tossed it on his dresser. I leaned back on the bed and unbuttoned my jean shorts and shimmied them down my thighs. His gaze followed my shorts as I pushed them down my legs. I kicked them off at the ankles and they flew in his direction. He caught them with a tight expression. I sat up to undo my bun and shake my hair out.
Knox set my shorts next to my bra. I froze when he undid his belt and toed off his shoes. I stopped breathing when he reached over his head and pulled off his shirt. I refused to blink as he unbuttoned his pants and stripped down to his tight, gray boxer briefs. He had a few tattoos. One on his hip that looked like script and another over his ribs on his side that was of a car engine wrapped in feathered angel wings. Beneath it was more script that I couldn’t read. I tried not to let my eyes drop lower. I tried and failed. As if drawn by a beacon, my gaze dropped and saw that his boxer briefs left very little to the imagination.
He put his hands on his hips and I knew I was caught. I blushed, my eyes traveling to his. He was frowning.
I rolled my eyes. “Like you didn’t get a long look at my vagina,” I muttered as I scooted back toward the pillows.
He opened his dresser and pulled out a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt. “I thought you wanted to pretend that didn’t happen.”
I climbed under the blankets. “You were giving me the shame on you look and needed to be called out.”
I saw the corner of his mouth twitch before he put his shirt on. “You could have averted your eyes.”
I scoffed. “You could have averted your eyes in the kitchen.”
He put on his basketball shorts before climbing into bed next to me. “I guess we’re even, then.”
“We’re far from even. You saw everything. All your bits were covered.”
He smiled, shaking his head, and got settled under the covers. Silence stretched between us as we both lay there. I stared at the ceiling, fighting back my fear.
“Close your eyes, Shiloh.”
My hands fisted his white comforter. “I can’t.”
“Why?”
My forehead scrunched and I had to bite my lip to keep it from wobbling. I will not cry. I will not cry.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing my chin. He made me turn my head to face him. “Why don’t you want to sleep?”
I shoved his hand away and returned to staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t stand to meet his concerned eyes.
“Shi—”
“I don’t want to have a nightmare, okay?” I finally admitted. “I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to be trapped in that house. Every time I go to sleep, I’m forced to go back there.” I covered my face. “I can’t do it anymore.” My voice broke but I kept the tears back.
The bed moved before he shoved his arm under me and dragged me to him. “Roll on your side,” he ordered.
I did as he said and shifted so I was lying on my side, facing away from him.
He scooted even closer until his body molded against mine. He stretched his arm under my head and draped his other across my stomach. “Do you feel me holding you?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Do you feel safe?”
“Yes.”
“I want you to close your eyes, but when you do, just focus on me,” he said.
I hesitated.
“Close your eyes, Shiloh.”
I slid my hand into his, squeezing it tightly before letting my eyes close.