Amara had just finished her shower in the guest room, and as she nced at the clock, she realized it was nearly eleven. She decided it was time to hit the sack.


    She had a cup of coffee earlier in the evening, so she wasn''t feeling particrly sleepy. After tossing and turning for a bit, she picked up her phone and started reading a novel to pass the time.


    About an hourter, sleep finally began to creep in. She put her phone down, stifled a yawn, and was just drifting off when she heard a soft click. Though faint, the sound was unmistakable.


    She forced her eyes open, trying to figure out what was happening. Before she could fully register, theforter was lifted, and someone slipped into bed beside her.


    Startled wide awake, she turned to face the intruder. Despite the dim light, she could make out the silhouette of the man next to her. "Finnian, what are you doing here?" she whispered in surprise.


    "Grandpa''s all over the ce when he sleeps. He ils around and grinds his teeth like a chainsaw. I couldn''t get a wink of sleep," Finnian replied casually, lying t on his back and turning his head to look at her.


    Amara was taken aback. She hadn''t heard from Lisa that Grandpa Everly was such a restless sleeper.


    But since Finnian said so, she couldn''t really argue. She sat up, offering, "I''ll just crash on the couch. You can have the bed."


    After all, this was Finnian''s family home. She couldn''t very well kick him out to the couch, so she figured she''d make do elsewhere.


    Finnian gently pushed her back down, insisting, "The couch isn''tfortable, and you''ll probably roll off. Just stay here; the bed''s big enough for the both of us for one night."


    His arm rested heavily across her, and Amaray there, tense as a bowstring, not daring to move an inch.


    "Finnian, maybe I should just sleep in the study," she suggested, still not keen on sharing a bed with him, especially since they were divorced. Sharing a room just felt wrong.


    "There''s no bed in the study," Finnian replied, shifting to the other side of the bed to give her space. "Just get some sleep. It''s only one night. No need to make a fuss."


    With that, Finnian closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep almost immediately.


    Amaray there, staring at the dark ceiling, her earlier drowsiness long gone. She never imagined that staying with the Everly family would mean sharing a bed with Finnian. Ife she had known, she probably wouldn''t havee at all.  s


    She considered the sofa again, but Finnian was already asleep, and she had no idea where the extra nkets were kept. She certainly wasn''t going to brave the winter night without covers and risk waking up as a human popsicle. With a resigned sigh, she settlebin and tried to sleep.  s<fnc87c> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fnc87c>


    Initially, she found it hard to doze off, but eventually, exhaustion took over, and she sumbed to sleep.


    The next morning, Amara woke up enveloped in a warm, firm embrace.


    She reached out instinctively, feeling something firm yet yielding under her palm. Her eyes shot open when she realized her hand was rest Finnian''s chest, and she froze in panic.


    s


    on


    "Finnian, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to," Amara stammered, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she began to apologize profusely.


    She tried to scoot back but felt resistance. Looking up, she found herself face-to- face with Finnian, who had her wrapped in his arms, leaving her effectively trapped.


    Amara''s frustration red, but she held back her temper. "Finnian, what''s going on here? Why are you...?" she trailed off, incredulous at the situation.