PREVIOUSLY

"Todd, I don't think we have another choice. We're going to have to sleep in the same room tonight. Is that going to be a problem for you?

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"So, what side do you want, Delgado?" Todd refuses to make eye contact with Tea. He didn't know how he was going to make it through this, but he knew one thing for sure. He couldn't look at her. Sometimes when he looked at her, he couldn't stop himself from thinking things or feeling things. Things that he knew he shouldn't be thinking about or feeling. Things that would only complicate his life.

"This is your bed, Todd. I think you should decide. I'll just take whatever side you don't want." She tries to make eye contact with him, but notices that he's trying hard not to look at her. She had purposely changed into some sweat pants and a big t-shirt. Nothing that would make him worry about her trying to seduce him. She wanted to look as non sexual as possible. She didn't want to make him any more uncomfortable than she knew he already was.

"Okay, then I'm over here." He sits on the left side of the bed and looks up as she walks around to the other side of the bed. He saw that she wasn't wearing her usual silky pajamas. Instead, she had decided on some sweat pants and an old shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. Despite her efforts to dress down, she'd never looked as alluring to Todd as she had that night. He quickly rolled on his side and closed his eyes, to try to shut out her image.

"Todd, this is a huge bed," she says, trying to situate herself into a comfortable position. "I'm sure you won't even remember I'm in here after awhile.

"Yeah, until you start snoring," he says, trying to lighten the moment and alleviate his nervousness. He was shocked to realized that the attempt at humor was working. He was starting to feel a little calmer. He rolls over to face her.

"I don't snore, Todd Manning! At least, I don't think I do." An easy smile spreads across her face, making Todd feel even more at ease. He watches as her sleepy eyes start to open less frequently with each blink.

"You look pretty tired, Delgado. We should probably try to get some sleep now."

"Dealing with Blair is enough to exhaust anybody. I'm surprised I'm still awake." She closes her eyes completely, beginning to drift off to sleep.

Todd spies the peace and tranquility on her face. Her face, scrubbed clean of all traces of make up and beauty enhancers women usually layer on during the day, seemed to still shine even in her slumber. He wants to reach out and touch that face. A face he could look at all day if given the chance. Instead, he closes his eyes, not so much in an effort to go to sleep, but more of his way of trying to push her face out of his mind. It doesn't work. He only succeeds in enhancing his other senses which also begin to betray his resolve. He begins to imagine how silky her skin would feel as his finger traced over her face. The scent of her night cream fills his nostrils with her smell, and adds to the mental image his mind is compiling. His own skin starts to pick up the heat her body emits from the other side of the bed.

The image becomes more than he can bear, so he opens his eyes again to find her face with his eyes. He sees his hand move slowly across the bed to where she's laying. He feels his fingers slide slowly down the side of her face. Her eyes open and at first he notices a bit of shock and confusion in them. But he looks deeper, waiting on fear to enter. Instead, he sees the confusion give way to longing. It was the first he'd noticed that in her eyes. But maybe he was seeing his own yearning for her.

Without thinking, Todd follows his hand over to her face, and brushes his lips lightly across hers. He stops for a moment, expecting resistance on her part, but there is none. He leans in again and kisses her more passionately, allowing his mouth to dance with hers to their own natural rhythm.

She pulls away first, not because she wants to, but mostly because she doesn't want things to move too quickly for him. She lays her head on his chest and he rests his head on her pillow. Both their minds are swirling with thoughts and reactions to what had just occurred. But neither wanted to ruin the moment with words. They both stay in each other arms all night, content and peacefully sleeping.

TO BE CONTINUED