Page 64 of Devil's Queen
“I’ll head up too. I need to get some of my clothes out of my room. Will you be okay down here, Mama?”
“I’ll be fine. The girls are already getting comfortable in the living room. I’ll get them settled and Pike on his way.”
I bid my mama goodnight before following Rex up the stairs. My thought of giving Rex and Birdie my room goes out the window when Rex and I find Birdie taking up the bulk of Beaux’s twin bed. Her arms and legs spread out like a starfish while Beaux is mushed into a tiny sliver against the wall. Both sawing logs like lumberjacks.
“Well, this complicates things,” I remark, still watching my son sleep from his bedroom doorway.
Rex only chuckles at the sight in front of us. He squeezes past me, heading into my room, and reappears a few seconds later with Jellybean in his hand. With quiet ninja-like footsteps for a man as large as he is, Rex tiptoes into Beaux’s room without waking either of them and tucks the pink stuffed elephant next to Birdie’s chest before exiting as quietly as he entered. Birdie’s little arms wrap tightly around her plushie, pulling it against her chest.
“Guess you’re bunking with me.” Rex slides past me again and heads into my room. I follow him, stopping short at the door. Rex reaches into his bag on the bed and pulls out clothing. It’s weird enough that he and his daughter are under the same roof as us. Weirder still that he’s in my room. The terrifying idea of feeling him sleeping next to me settles into my mind.
My heart thuds heavily at the thought of sharing my room with Rex. It was fine before because I would have been sleeping with Beaux in his room, but the thought of sharing my bed with Rex alone sends a heavy dose of panic through my body. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Rex notices my apprehension and takes a step closer.
“It’s not like we haven’t done this before, Rem. It’s not that big of a deal.”
Maybe not to him it isn’t, but to me, it is quite a big deal. It has been years since I shared a bed with anyone. Not even Skyler stayed here at the house with me. We’d always stayed at his place. With Beaux and Mama here at the house, privacy is in short supply, and the last thing I wanted was for either of them to walk in on us.
I watch as Rex settles into my bed, making himself comfortable amidst the mess of blankets and pillows. The moonlight filtering through the curtains casts shadows on his strong features, accentuating the amusement of our situation on his face. “I promise to stay on my side of the bed, unlike you.”
“Hey, I can stay on my side of the bed.”
“Rem, I used to sleep on the edge of the bed when we were first together, and that was on a good night. There were a few nights when you shoved me onto the floor with that starfish routine of yours. Don’t get me started about the blankets hogging.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes at Rex’s playful jab. Some things never change, even after all these years. He had a way of teasing me that was both infuriating and endearing all at once. But as I stand here contemplating the idea of sharing my bed with him, I can’t deny that a wave of nostalgia washes over me.
It takes me back to those early days of our relationship when everything was new and exciting. We were young and reckless, never caring about the consequences or what others might think. It was just us against the world, navigating through life with nothing but our love to guide us.
“Come on,” he says softly. “It’s just for tonight. We’ll both be fine.”
I take a tentative step forward, my eyes fixed on his peaceful expression. The moonlight dances upon his face, highlighting the lines etched around his eyes and the slight graying of his beard. He looks different now, older and wiser, but there’s still that spark in his gaze that always drew me in.
“I’m, uh, just going to go change,” I mutter, hurrying to my dresser and grabbing the first pair of pajamas before rushing to my ensuite bathroom. It’s not until the door closes behind me that I find the ability to breathe again. It’s only a temporary reprieve until I see the pajamas I chose. The slickness of a black satin nightgown lies in my hands. One I had purchased for a Valentine’s Day date with Skyler that never happened after I found out he’d been stealing my clients and employees. It has sat in the bottom of my dresser drawer since then, and I have no idea that out of all the T-shirts and shorts in said drawer, I managed to grab this.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I hiss. Holding up the thin black straps of the nightgown, I swear again. Obviously loud enough this time because Rex calls out from the other side of the door in response.
“You okay in there?”
“Yeah,” I mutter back, but I am anything but fine. Of all the pajamas in my drawer, this is what I grabbed. I should have looked. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I spy the hamper in the corner. Without thinking, I charge for it, hoping that maybe Mama didn’t grab out last night’s pajamas for the washing this morning. Flipping open the lid, my heart sinks when it’s empty. There goes that plan. I’m left with only two choices—go back out there and get something else, further embarrassing myself, or take what my stupid anxiety gave me and own it.
My eyes flicker to the mirror on the wall next to me. A bright red hue flushes on my face—a beacon and sign of my embarrassment.
“You can do this, Remington Lee. You can share a bed with that man out there and not fall back into a relationship with him. Sure, it’s happened once already, but you know better now,” I whisper to my reflection, who even though I know it’s me looking back, has a skeptical look on its face. Who am I kidding? I’m so screwed.
Changing out of my work clothes, I slip the slinky nightgown over my head. The lace around my bust barely covers my cleavage. All it will take is one cold breeze, and my nipples will be on full display. I pad to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it and silently praying he’s already asleep.
It’s wishful thinking when I see Rex sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes full of surprise as he watches me approach. I’m fully aware of his stare the second I am out of the bathroom. Rex grins mischievously. “Black satin nightgown, huh?”
“Not a word,” I warn him with a waggle of my finger. “Not one fucking word. I didn’t mean to grab this.”
“I may have to thank Birdie for falling asleep in Beaux’s room in the morning.” Rex’s voice is low and husky, sending a shiver down my spine.
“You will do no such thing. I didn’t plan to wear this or to share my bed with you.”
“Not saying you did, Rem, but I also can’t say that I am upset by it either.” His gaze falls to the top of my nightgown again. “Come to bed. You look cold.” Rex scoots back against the headboard, making room for me beside him.
I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I climb onto the bed, trying to ignore the way the satin clings to my body, accentuating my curves. I don’t miss the way he watches every sway of my hips. The mattress dips slightly under my weight as I settle in, careful to keep a respectable distance between us. But even with the physical gap between us, the tension in the air feels palpable.
As we lie there in silence, the only sound is the faint rustling of sheets and the soft breaths we both take.