Beauty and

Chapter 96 – Bailey

I sat inside my room, unable to sleep and found myself thinking of laying out on the sofa in the lounge to watch a film could be good. My small TV in my room had been playing up, and it wasn‘ t like anyone ever came and used the lounge TV. I snuck from my room, knowing there would be nobody about. Other than the occasional awkward avoidance of Beta Asher, I rarely saw anyone in the packhouse at night. If anything, there may be the occasional guard. I had begun to recognize them now, and them me, and had begun to chat with them, as a way to keep me occupied of a nighttime.

Most of them were nearer my Dad’s age, but I still enjoyed their company, and talked of sport the same way my Dad would, so it wasn’t like I was clueless. But, tonight the hallways were empty, as I slipped into the lounge, and picked up the remote control, and laid myself out on the large black leather sofa that was in front of the big screen TV mounted on the wall. I scrolled through the films that were available to watch until I found one that I thought I might enjoy, and I put it on.

Just as it began, I heard footsteps near the door and I glanced up, only to find Beta Asher glancing in at me, peering over the edge of the sofa curiously, I tried not to smile. “I am still alive, if that is what you are trying to check.” I said sarcastically, because I was truly unsure what he was looking at me for.

He chuckled. “Good to know. Though I was checking to see if you had fallen asleep again. If you had, I was going to bring you a blanket.”

1283 Vouchers

My heart fluttered a little at his words. I had fallen asleep on the sofa the other night, watching a documentary, and had awoken a number of hours later covered in a blanket. I had assumed one of the guards must have come in and seen me. Doing the Dad thing, as that was always something my Dad used to do when I fell asleep watching TV… seems it may well have been Asher after all.

I pulled myself to a seated position, so I could see him properly. “That was you?” I’muttered.

“Who else would it be?” he asked incredulously, sounding more than a little confused.

I shrugged. “I kind of assumed it may have been one of the guards.”

He smirked. “Assumed or hoped?” he shrugged. “Besides, they may come in to do a late night patrol around 10pm or 11pm. Bailey, but you had fallen asleep nearer midnight. Nobody would be around the packhouse then, or I should hope not. And if they were, they would be breaking in, and I don’t think they would be placing a blanket on you because they didn’t want you getting cold.”

I find myself smiling now, he can be the weirdest sometimes. One minute nasty. Next minute, ignoring me. Next minute sweet. His mood swings could give a girl whiplash…

“Well, thank you.” I told him with a smile.

“I’d say you are welcome, but seeing as you thought it was the guards because you clearly thought I wasn’t capable of being kind, I don’t know.” He said bluntly, and I felt myself a little taken aback by his words. Until I looked up at him and saw his

Chapter 96 Bailey

1288 Vouchers

smirking, and realized he was teasing. I shook my head at him.

“You aren’t funny, you know.”

“Uh–huh. So you keep telling me.”

I sarcastically smiled at him, and he chewed his lower lip awkwardly.

“I will leave you to your film, Bailey. I have work to finish.” He said, and I looked at him with a frown.

“You are working this late? You know it isn’t good to be working so late? That is probably why you look so tired all the time…” then I saw the way he was looking at me and realized I may have overstepped the mark with my words, and tried to smile sweetly to cover myself.

“I struggle to sleep anyway, as I already told you. Which is why I work more. Gives me something to do. And it means we get more done.” He told me with a shrug.

I sensed a little discomfort from him now, and I know it is likely from the conversation we had when I went to his home. He did say he had struggled sleeping since he lost his mate. I am sure that was what it was…

“And you cannot tell me you do not work late, because you told me you do, and I have seen you sitting at the coffee table working the other night.” He raised his brows at me, and I recalled the night he was speaking of when I brought some lesson plans down to the lounge to work on. As there was more room at the coffee table than in my little room. Dammit. I can’t exactly argue with him now…

52.18%

12.04

Chapter 06–Bailey

280 Nouchers

I shrugged dismissively. “Fine, Mr Know–it–all.” I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed.

“A funny guy and Mr Know–it–all, wow, I am doing well for myself.” He grinned. “Enjoy your film Bailey.” He nodded in acknowledgment toward me before leaving the room, leaving me to sit back into the soft cushions of the sofa, watching him walk away from me, a smile playing upon my lips as I planned to watch my film…

A few hours later:

I stretched slightly, stirring from my sleep. Feeling uncomfortable where I lay, my eyelids fluttering, as I tried hard to pry open my eyes, trying to establish where I was. This did not feel like my comfortable bed. It was only as my eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the darkness, that I realized I was still in the lounge, laid out on the sofa. I must have crashed out on the sofa as I watched the film, like I so often did when I watched TV. I looked down, to see my body covered in a soft, navy fleecy blanket. I pulled it closer to me, thinking of my earlier conversation with Asher, with a smile on my face.

Snuggling into the sofa a little more, I wrapped the blanket tighter around me, noticing then that the blanket smelled heavily of Asher. It must be one of his blankets, I thought sleepily. I drifted back to sleep with Akira almost purring contently, a smile upon my face, and the scent of Asher filling my senses…