Free Chick with a Charm by Vicki Lewis Thompson Page A

to extinguish her post-great-sex glow, but for some reason, that didn’t happen.
    Maybe she hadn’t done something so terrible, after all. She and Griffin liked the same coffee drink. They liked the same kind of dog. Sexually they were a terrific match. Relationships had been built on less than that.
    Then again, she might not be thinking straight because she couldn’t get enough oxygen to her brain. Somehow she had to move Griffin before he crushed her. She’d like to move him without waking him, though.
    All her rationalizations aside, she was slightly nervous about what life would be like for each of them now. With Griffin still asleep, she could paint a rosy picture of two compatible people enjoying each other’s company. She could forget about Anica’s dire warnings.
    But she also had to breathe. She began by giving his shoulder a nudge. It was like trying to move a statue in Grant Park.
    She might have to wake him up a little bit, just enough to get him to shift over on his own. If she shook him . . . She tried her best to accomplish a decent shake, but nothing happened. He wasn’t moving. She’d always liked the fact that he looked so solid, but now that he was both solid and unconscious, she faced a problem.
    Wiggling out from under him didn’t work, either. She was pinned to the bed and her chest hurt. She called his name, but he didn’t respond. She called louder. Still no movement from Griffin.
    If the sleep clinic at the University of Chicago needed a poster boy, Griffin would be their guy. She’d known good sleepers in her life but he was a world champion. Of course, this particular deep sleep might have more than a little magic going for it. After all, he’d just had the most significant sexual experience of his life. That sort of thing probably induced all sorts of heavy-duty sleep needs.
    Unfortunately, she’d have to wake him up. Somehow. Reaching up, she took hold of his ear. “Griffin, wake up.” She pinched his ear gently.
    He moaned softly but didn’t move even a centimeter.
    “Griffin, sweetie, you have to move.” She threw the sweetie in there because she was about to inflict more pain. She pinched his ear really hard.
    “Ow!” Scrambling up, he stared down at her in shock, his hazel eyes filled with accusation. “You pinched my ear!”
    “Only because I couldn’t get you to move any other way. I’m sorry. I was suffocating with you lying on top of me.”
    As he gazed down at her, all the irritation faded from his expression. “You’re so beautiful.”
    She smiled. “Maybe sometimes, but not at the moment. At the moment I’m sure my makeup’s smeared and my hair’s a wreck. That’s nice of you to say, though.”
    “I’m not saying it to be nice. You’re gorgeous. I could eat you up. But I need to grab a shower. Then I’ll follow up on that thought.”
    Before she could open her mouth, he’d left the bed and disappeared into her bathroom. She turned her head and checked the bedside clock. Two fifteen in the morning, and Griffin sounded as if he was ready to go another round. Whew. Well, she could probably manage that, especially if she showered herself.
    While she could sleep in, however, she’d be surprised if he could. She wasn’t a lawyer, but she’d watched TV shows about lawyers, and the job seemed to include a lot more pressure than her bartending duties. She didn’t think Griffin could afford to show up exhausted.
    If the spell had worked, and by his reaction she had a feeling it had, then they’d have many more nights like this. They didn’t have to experience everything immediately, and they’d both probably enjoy themselves more if they got some rest.
    The shower was already running by the time she worked up the energy to climb out of bed. In theory, making love all night sounded great. In practice, for a couple of working folks, it could cause problems.
    She walked into the steamy bathroom, but even with the mirror fogged, she could see that her hair