Sleeping Arrangements

[Adelle_fan1000]

Ohh that was good...

Still wondering whats wrong with Belle.. Hope shes ok and everything

I liked the last bit that was good.. Nice to kno that she wanted to stay with him

[littlemiss]

awwwww!

I love how they are so protective of each other, Aden not wanting his team mates to be all blokey and talk about her like they were and Belle worrying about his knee! that he won't tell anyone about the knee.

Just hope they agree to tell people soon, or I fear there will be a falling out.

[hitmanfan]

I hope they agree to tell people or I agree that they may fall out over it

Silly boy! he needs to tell at least Joey about the pain he's in, and also wondering what happened to Belle

[amz89]

Im lost what happened to belle, I didn't read anything

[Louise_2983]

I haven't mentioned anything about anything happening to Belle amz, people are just assuming.

[amz89]

Oh good I was like what the.. Thanks for confirming x

[Jody]

Seriously, this fic is like heaven when it come to playful banter between Aden and Belle.

I enjoyed that scene between Mattie and Belle. They are always funny together. I'm glad things are going well for Mattie and Ric right now. And how excited Mattie is about trying for a baby again. Liked Belle's slip with the word "our's".

Aden getting worked up over his teammates comments about Belle was fun to read. I can understand Aden being fed up with keeping things a secret but he probably should have talked to her instead because I can so easily see this backfiring on him. Can't wait to see how this plays out. As well the reason for why Belle can't bring herself to take things further.

Poor Aden, I feel for him here. But I can see where Belle's coming from as well.

[Louise_2983]

Chapter 12

He stirred slowly, his eyelids fluttering open as the haze of sleep evaporated and the room around him became clearer. He felt her before he saw her. Her slender body pressed against his, her soft hair tickling his throat as her head rested under his chin. His full lips curved into a contented smile as he ran his fingertips over the smooth, bare skin of her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

He hadn’t been sure if she would still be there when he awoke. He had suspected that she may have snuck back to the guest room in the middle of the night. But she hadn’t and that made him happier than he had felt in a long time. To wake up with her in his arms was the best feeling, one he had missed so much.

“Good morning sleepy head” she whispered with a grin, tilting her head up to look at him as her chin rested against his chest.

She had been awake for a good half an hour before she had felt him stir, simply lying in his arms and enjoying being back there.

“Oh it’s a very good morning” he smiled kissing her softly.

“How’s your knee today?”

“Terrible” he shook his head sadly but couldn’t help but smirk as he saw instant horror and concern flash across her pretty face.

“I think you’re going to have to kiss it better”

“Oh is that right?” she chuckled before sliding down the bed and gently placing a hand on either side of his tender knee. He tried not to wince but she saw the pain in his eyes as she touched him.

She lifted her hands cautiously so only her fingertips remained in contact with his skin before bowing her head and brushing her pink lips over his knee, her silky hair hanging loose and caressing him

softly as she did so.

She took her time as she swept kisses across his inflamed skin, each one loving and gentle. Her fingertips idly traced soft circles over his injury and, although even the tiniest amount of pressure sent

pain shooting through him, he couldn’t help but rest his head back further and enjoy the attention.

“Better?” she asked almost seductively, licking her soft lips as she raised her head and found him gazing down at her, his bright blue eyes misty with lust.

“Uh huh” he mumbled almost incoherently, her touch having sent him a little dizzy as blood pumped rapidly through his body and his heart pounded against his chest. He smirked suggestively.

“But now my lips are hurting too”

“Well then I think I better ring the doctor” she tried to tell him seriously, but her lips twitched as she struggled not to smile.

“After all I’m not medically trained”

“My doctor is fat, balding and in his fifties!” he objected in horror as she playfully reached for her mobile.

“Oh but he must know what he’s doing” she giggled, flipping open her phone and beginning to punch in the necessary numbers.

She squealed as he reached out and snatched the small silver phone from her grasp, snapping it shut and yanking her gently up the bed by her wrists until she was splayed across his chest, her lips so

close to his own that her warm breath tickled them.

“I don’t think that you need to be medically trained to administer the type of medication I’m after” he whispered softly.

“Oh no?” she grinned as she inched her lips even closer but still didn’t make contact.

“No” he shook his head with a wide smile before closing the gap and pulling her into a passionate kiss, his fingertips gently caressing the soft skin at the base of her spine, just above her jeans where

her blue t-shirt had ridden up.

Her phone clattered to the floor unnoticed as she kissed him back ardently, her fingertips wandering through his soft blond hair.

“I’m sorry” she whispered as she tore her lips from his.

“Sorry? Babe, trust me you don’t need to be sorry for that!” he laughed as she rolled to the side of him and snuggled into his body once more.

“Not that” she giggled.

“But it seems we just had our first sleepover and I didn’t paint your nails or start a pillow fight”

“Oh we can do all that later” he grinned, softly stroking her smooth cheek as she tilted her head up to look at him.

“I’m happy just holding you”

“Me too” she whispered happily, pressing a kiss to his side.

“I wasn’t sure you’d still be here this morning you know” he admitted, his hand coming to a standstill and resting just below her chin.

“Where else would I be?”

“Downstairs, in your own bedroom”

“I’m sorry” she whispered again, rolling over so her body was still on the bed but she was on her front and she could rest her arms and chin on his chest.

“I know when I said go slow you probably didn’t mean this slow but I...I don’t even really know why myself Aden so you probably don’t understand at all but I just needed to go at this pace”

“It’s ok” he murmured, pushing a stray tendril of dark hair from her eyes.

“I, of all people, understand what it’s like to want to wait remember?”

“But it’s not like I have the same sort of reason you did”

“You don’t have the same sort of reason I did do you?” he asked, his question brimming with genuine concern as he propped himself up a little so he could gaze directly into his deep brown eyes.

“Because if you did you know you could tell me right?”

“I know” she nodded against his chest and scanned her face in uncertainty.

“You can tell me anything Belle. Granted if someone has hurt you then yes, I’m going to want to kill them”

“Well that fills me with confidence” she interrupted but he simply continued.

“But more than anything I just want to be there for you babe, anything that you’re going through I want to help. I never want you to hurt but if you are hurting then I’m not going to leave you to get

through it alone”

“Nobody hurt me” she told him with a soft smile, touched by his genuine concern for her.

“Well then did something happen?” he quizzed still not sure that she was being completely honest with him.

“Belle, we talk about everything these days. Please don’t think you have to go through anything alone. I love you and I’m here for you”

“I know” she smiled before leaning forward to kiss him softly.

“But nothing happened, honestly I’m fine”

“Honestly?”

“Yes honestly!” she let out a little giggle.

“You’re just not as irresistible as you think you are!”

“Oh now I know you’re lying!” he exclaimed tickling her gently.

“Stop it!” she yelped as she squirmed and eventually he let his fingers still and she took deep breaths as she struggled to regain her composure.

“Seriously, I’m fine” she told him.

“More than fine because I’m here with you and I slept in your arms last night and that was the best feeling, especially after so long. I love you Aden”

“I love you too babe and I worry about you” he replied still not sure that she was telling him everything. He would never pressurise her to take things further if she didn’t want that but he was worried

there was some reason why that she was keeping from him. Something that he wouldn’t like.

“You don’t need to worry” she smiled softly.

“But I love you for it. I’m fine I promise, I just feel like every single relationship I’ve had I’ve rushed and I don’t want to do that this time, I’m so happy just being with you Aden. When I was in London I

would have killed just to be able to hold your hand or hug you or kiss you and I couldn’t do any of it. So now I’m back and we’re together, it’s really nice to be able to take things slow and to enjoy doing

those things”

“It is nice” he grinned, his nose crinkling up in that familiar way that made her tummy flutter.

“And I love having you back here Belle and being able to hold you and kiss you. There’s no pressure for anything else but promise you’ll tell me if there’s something bothering you”

“I promise” she nodded.

“But there isn’t anything”

“Ok” he smiled sincerely.

“But there is something bothering me”

“Go on” she prompted him hesitantly, not sure he believed her when she told him there was nothing wrong. She hated worrying him but she hadn’t really figured out this whole thing herself yet so she

wasn’t sure how to explain things to him.

He took her hands gently in his and brushed his full lips across her knuckles before speaking.

“I want to be able to hold your hand in the street and to kiss you in public, without having to sneak off somewhere first and to hug you without worrying that someone has seen us. But I can’t do that

whilst we’re keeping this...us...a secret Belle”

“Ah” she mumbled not sure what else to say.

“I want to tell people, hell I want to shout it from the rooftops” he let out a low chuckle.

“But Mattie and Ric and my teammates would do”

She didn’t respond but simply avoided his gaze, the logo on the front of his t-shirt suddenly becoming the most interesting thing in the world to her.

“Belle?”

“Sorry” she mumbled apologetically.

“I just...I like it just being us. With no one else to interfere or stick their nose in”

“Babe we won’t let them do that and anyway we’re talking about people like Mattie and Ric here, you know our friends who should be happy for us?”

“I know, I just...”

“Just what?”

“I don’t know” she shrugged honestly. She didn’t know why she couldn’t tell people, she just couldn’t.

“Belle. are you ashamed of me?” he asked seriously this time.

“No, no, no” she murmured softly.

“Aden, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I just...I need a little more time before we tell everyone. I promise we can tell people soon, just not yet” she told him worried about herself as

much as he was.

She didn’t know why she wanted to keep things a secret, she just did. And she certainly didn’t know why she didn’t want to take things further. Aden was gorgeous and she loved him and any woman in

their right mind would want to be with him. She wanted to be with him. But she just couldn’t. Maybe there was something wrong with her and she just didn’t know it. Maybe she was ill or she’d

gone through some sort of mental trauma that was stopping her but she’d blocked it out and couldn’t remember.

She laughed to herself realising that she was being silly. Hoping that she was being silly and pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind.

She turned back to face Aden.

“Just a little more time, that’s all I need and isn’t it kind of sexier and more exciting as our secret”

“I guess” he smiled softly.

“And at least now we have sleepovers. That’s progress right?”

“So these sleepovers are going to be regular things now huh?” he smiled, kissing the back of her hand gently as he continued to hold it.

“Well” she grinned happily.

“Now I remember what it’s like to go to sleep in your arms and wake up with you next to me, I think I’m going to have trouble sleeping alone”

“Well I would have reminded you of that a lot earlier if you’d let me”

“I know” she sighed softly.

“But you’ve reminded me now and you did your job very well I might add...” she grinned.

“So if you fancy paying a visit to my room tonight then I won’t be objecting, although clothes are a definite no, no” she sighed sitting upright suddenly.

“I always feel really manky when I go to sleep in my clothes”

“You don’t look manky” he smiled sitting up too and kissing her on the shoulder.

“But if you want to shed some clothes before tonight I won’t complain”

“Oh I bet you won’t” she giggled softly.

“But that doesn’t mean to say that I won’t be wearing my thickest winter pj’s. Annie bought them me before I went to London, they cover everything”

“I don’t care what you wear babe” he whispered kissing her softly.

“As long as you’re there”

She kissed him back tenderly.

“Right answer”

***

“Aden!” she groaned as he marched into the bathroom and began to brush his teeth.

“What?” he mumbled, a mouth full of spearmint toothpaste.

“I was just about to take a shower!”

“Well don’t let me stop you” he told her gesturing towards the shower with an outstretched arm.

“Ever heard of privacy?” she asked, clutching the towel she was wrapped in tighter around her body.

“Please!” he chuckled.

“Seen it all before babe!”

“Not for over a year you haven’t!” she told him almost fuming.

“How do you know I haven’t oh I don’t know...had a few piercings or got your shirt number tattooed on my ass?”

“Well I don’t know that” he mumbled again before spitting out the toothpaste into the sink and wiping his mouth.

“But if you have then I’d like to see”

“Shut up!” she laughed as he snaked his arms around her tiny waist and pulled her up against him, his hands quickly wandering to the bottom of the towel as he tried to lift it up.

“Stop it!” she giggled, batting his hands away with her own.

“Where did you say that tattoo was again?” he teased.

“On your ass wasn’t it?” he laughed, trying to lift the towel once more.

“I want to see!”

“Aden!” she slapped his hands more forcefully this time and he rested them over the towel before pressing his lips to hers.

“There is no tattoo” she told him softly before winking.

“But if you play your cards there might be one day”

“Just not on your ass hey babe?” he laughed softly.

“You’ve got way more class than that!”

“Well I’m glad you noticed” she grinned, standing on her tip toes and pressing her lips to his. He tasted of warm spearmint that stung against her soft lips and she quite liked it, licking her lips hungrily as

they parted.

“How could I not?” he smiled before pulling her into him and kissing her passionately.

“Well, that was nice” she grinned happily.

“But can I get my shower now please?”

“Only if I can join you?”

“Aden!”

“Well in that case, you can just stay out here and kiss me instead” he laughed pushing his lips back against hers.

“Aden!” she began to protest but it came out as more of a sigh of satisfaction as his lips worked their magic on her.

“I really need a shower”

“Hmm?” he pretended to ponder in between kisses.

“Shower or kisses?”

“Shower?” his lips on hers, “Kisses?” brushing over her jawline, “Shower?” trailing warmly down her soft throat.

“Kisses” she beat him to the next word and lifted his head so she could kiss him passionately.

“You know” he grinned.

“You could have both, if you just reconsidered my offer of some company”

“Shouldn’t have pushed it!” she exclaimed with a giggle reaching up behind him and twisting the dial on the shower.

A strong gush of cold water instantly cascaded from the shower head just as she forcefully pressed her palm square against his chest and pushed him backwards, fully clothed, into the open shower

cubicle.

“BELLE!” he exclaimed spluttering as he got instantly drenched, but she was already out of the door giggling loudly to herself as she did so.

***

“Forgive me yet?” she grinned when she joined him in the kitchen later that morning. He was reading the morning paper over coffee and a bagel.

Swiping the bagel from his hand she took a bite, lifting the paper so she could slot herself onto his lap, before putting his breakfast back in his hand and pressing her lips to his cheek.

“You’re lucky I find it impossible to stay mad at you” he smirked as her lips worked their way across to his lips and she kissed him passionately.

“And you are lucky that I like the wet look” she grinned running her fingertips through his hair, still damp from his earlier drenching

“Well it was your doing!” he let out a low chuckle.

“But we do own a hair dryer Aden”

“It’s Sunday, lazy day” he reminded her with a smirk.

“I’m not going to make the effort of lifting my arm just to dry my hair”

“You’re such a slob” she laughed but kissed him anyway.

“And you love it” he whispered as his hand slid below the waist band of her jeans.

“Aden, what are you doing?!” she cried, slapping his hand away.

“Just checking that you were telling the truth about that tattoo!” he smirked cheekily.

“Would I lie to you?”

“About something as stupid as that yes” he laughed softly.

“Maybe you got drunk in London and missed me so much that you had a permanent reminder of me done?”

“Well if it was there, then I wouldn’t be able to see it for it to remind me would I?”

“Very true, maybe you should get Aden tattooed across your knuckles with a little heart on each thumb” he smirked.

“What in case I forget that I love you?” she smiled, kissing him gently.

“Not possible Aden”

“And I’m never going to let you forget that I love you” he whispered, his newspaper flopping back onto the table as he pulled her closer and kissed her passionately.

She slid her hands through his hair and down his strong arms, things quickly becoming more heated until a knock at the door sent her jumping off his lap and into the chair next to him.

Flustered, she tried to busy herself pouring coffee as Aden greeted his teammate who popped his head around the door.

Coffee dripping down the side of her cup and almost burning her hands she decided to excuse herself, heading for the stairs.

“Well I’ll leave you to your footie talk” she nodded at Aden.

“Erm actually Belle” the dark haired male next to Aden surprised her by knowing her name. It was only when she lifted her head and actually looked at him that she realised it was Nick Chambers, the

guy who had apparently spent almost an hour flirting with her the other night and who Matilda was determined Belle should ask out.

“I’m here to see you”

“Oh right” she mumbled, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Aden slightly suspiciously.

Nick glanced in Aden’s direction and he took the hint.

“I’ll leave you to it” he told them feeling sick. He should never have told Nick that it was ok with him if he asked Belle out. But he knew what her answer would be so that soothed him some what. And

hopefully she would never find out about what he had done.

“No, it’s ok” Belle put her hand out to signal to Aden that he should stay.

“Whatever you want to say you can say in front of Aden, we don’t have any secrets”

“Right” Nick nodded, his dark curls falling over his striking green eyes as he did so.

“Well, it’s just...I really enjoyed getting to know you the other night and I was hoping to get to know you better. So I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“Oh” Belle blurted out in surprise. She had not been expecting that. She didn’t know what she’d thought he was going to say but that wasn’t it.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to” Nick hurried to inform her, clearly a little taken back by her reaction.

“Forget I asked”

“No, it’s fine don’t be embarrassed” she tried to reassure him as she felt Aden’s eyes boaring into the back of her head. In that instant she wished she had let him leave.

“That would be really nice” she found the words slipping over her tongue, as though she had no control at all over what she was doing.

“I’d love to have dinner with you”

[Adelle_fan1000]

Sqeeeee!! i loved it.. loved how she pushed him into the shower

But on the other hand.. NICK! noooo how could she *sigh*

[matticus01]

thats all I have to say...

:o