Chapter 78
The next morning, Cameron awoke to a heavy pressure on his stomach, as if something were pressing down on it. He slowly opened his eyes to see what it was. His drowsiness vanished instantly. Dakota's smooth thigh was on him! She had likely mistaken him for the bear plush on the bedside table.
Cameron wanted to turn and wake Dakota, but stopped abruptly. He almost kissed her! She was sleeping on her side, and her movements in sleep had brought her head to his pillow. Fortunately, there was still some distance between them; otherwise, it would have been disastrous.
He exhaled deeply, calming himself. His gaze fell unconsciously on Dakota. She slept peacefully, her long eyelashes soft against her cheeks. Her straight nose, delicate features, and slightly parted rosy lips—with each breath, they resembled rose petals touched by morning dew, making him want to kiss them. He was captivated.
Dakota stirred, her eyes fluttering open. Their eyes met. Cameron froze, completely unprepared for her sudden awakening. After a brief, confused moment, Dakota's cheeks flushed. She fully awoke, realizing she had moved considerably during the night. Not only was she close to Cameron, but one leg was out from under the covers, pressing against him.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" she said, quickly sitting up. Her face was crimson. Cameron felt equally embarrassed, unsure how to explain the situation.
"Um hey, you're awake," he stammered, searching for a new topic.
"How long have I been in that position?" Dakota blushed deeply.
"Uh, I just woke up too. I was actually going to wake you, but you beat me to it," Cameron said awkwardly. [Remove the website plug here; it disrupts the flow and is inappropriate for a cleaned-up text]
It was all his fault; he'd been too engrossed in looking at her.
"Well, alright. Um I didn't know I moved so much in my sleep. I'm used to sleeping alone" Dakota attempted an explanation.
"I understand," Cameron replied, his embarrassment evident.
"Well I'll go brush my teeth first, and you can rest a bit longer?" he suggested.
"I'm getting up too. You go ahead," Dakota said.
"Okay."
Cameron quickly got up and went to the bathroom, changing his clothes there. Dakota also got up and changed. After freshening up, they exchanged a fleeting glance before quickly looking away.
"Um, should I head back?" Cameron asked.
"I'll walk you back. It wouldn't be good if my mom knew you went back alone," Dakota said, her voice trembling slightly. The rosy color remained on her cheeks.
"Alright," Cameron replied.
They left the bedroom, avoiding eye contact. Jane, entering from the kitchen, saw them and smiled knowingly. "Hmm" This caused Dakota's cheeks to flush once more.